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Pennywise's impact on the young residents of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's pattern of animosity alive. It preys most easily on children from fractured homes — children who frequently grow up to replicate the identical behaviors as their parents. However, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in the town, remains the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, especially when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, especially Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. This gift, alongside his inability to experience terror, along with the foundation of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. But what if that shining is generational, and one of the reasons Mike is one of the only adults in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the group of kids at his educational institution being terrorized by Pennywise. All his school friends come from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason Will is being pursued is due to the viciousness of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately strangers in Derry during 1962, which contributes towards the family feeling something is off about the locality from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who originate in the area, with relationships that have deteriorated within.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the It novel, we understand the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of Derry will cause. In the recent movie, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that the parents were on substances, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy boy, once he grew up, leaned into drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten town got to him first, with the hate group eventually completing the job it began long before. Whether through the terror of the entity or via the malice of the town, seeded by Pennywise, the creature in the end gets the last laugh on Will.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, he appears resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Because he survived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. However, his words carry more weight now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of It, we see the boy hesitate to use a bolt gun on a animal at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and provides an metaphor that results in a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be out here like us, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy says as he points to the creature. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and another is going to decide for you. But you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a piece of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Maybe he desires he had done something in his past, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of the town.