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The clown's influence on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the very adults who perpetuate the town's pattern of animosity alive. The creature preys most easily on children from broken homes — youngsters who often grow up to replicate the same patterns as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few households that remains intact, which may explain why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the sole member who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, especially when It starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, especially the father, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in episode 3. Later, he spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his residence. The ability, alongside his inability to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in Derry who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is part of the group of children at his educational institution being terrorized by Pennywise. All his school friends hail from broken homes, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause he is being pursued is because of the cruelty of the community, combined with his potential sensitivity to shine, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally strangers in Derry during 1962, which contributes towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. They also have a solid base that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who come from the area, with relationships that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we understand the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the Black Spot, where the psychic will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the recent movie, we see that he has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a fire, with his father outliving his own son 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 Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the shy boy, once he grew up, leaned into drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten town got to him initially, with the hate group eventually finishing the task it started years ago. Whether through the terror of Pennywise or via the malice of the town, seeded by It, It eventually gets the final victory on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy seems bitter and much stricter with his parenting. Since he survived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his statements hold greater significance since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the impacts they wrought upon his child. In the initial sequence of It, we see the boy pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and offers an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be out here like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he points to the creature. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and another is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a bit of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening allure of Derry.