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The clown's impact on the young residents of the Derry series molds them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the community's cycle of animosity ongoing. It preys most easily on children from fractured households — children who frequently grow up to replicate the same patterns as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family stands apart as a rare example of a family unit that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when It starts haunting his child, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan comprises a small number of adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the town, notably the father, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's employment of it in the third episode. Subsequently, he sees one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, alongside his failure to feel fear, combined with the foundation of his family, may be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike is one of the only individuals in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is part of the group of children at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates come from broken homes, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason he is being haunted is because of the cruelty of the community, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are fundamentally strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household sensing something is off about the locality from the beginning. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the residents who originate in the town, with bonds that have decayed within.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the It novel, we understand the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the 2017 film, we see that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but now that we see him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the shy boy, once he grew up, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten town affected him initially, with the KKK eventually finishing the job it started years ago. Whether through the fear of the entity or through the cruelty of the community, instigated by It, the creature eventually achieves the final victory on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would clarify how Leroy changes so radically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he seems resentful and much stricter with his parenting. Since he outlived his own offspring, it's understandable to observe such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words carry more weight now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his son. In the opening scene of It, we observe the boy hesitate to use a bolt gun on a animal at the family property. Leroy reprimands him for delaying and provides an analogy that leads to a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be out here like us, or you can be in there,” Leroy says as he points to the creature. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you feel that projectile in your head.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of prediction, a lesson he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his youth, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of Derry.