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Pennywise's influence on the children of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the town's cycle of animosity ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured households — youngsters who frequently grow up to replicate the same patterns as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family stands apart as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in Derry, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when It begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family comprises a small number of adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, notably the father, who was shown to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy sees one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, alongside his failure to experience terror, combined with the base of his family, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the collective of children at his educational institution being terrorized by the clown. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason he is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the community, combined with his potential sensitivity to shine, which renders him vulnerable. This family are ultimately strangers in Derry during 1962, which contributes towards the family sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a solid base that isn't fractured, in contrast to the folks who come from the town, with bonds that have decayed within.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we understand the young Will Hanlon will end up at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of the community will cause. In the 2017 movie, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with his father surviving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the film is that the parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid boy, once he became an adult, turned to drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or maybe the corrupt town affected him initially, with the KKK ultimately completing the task it started years ago. Whether through the fear of the entity or via the cruelty of the community, instigated by Pennywise, It eventually gets the final victory on him.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so radically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, he seems resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Since he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. However, his words hold greater significance now that we know he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we see the boy pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at the family property. His grandfather reprimands him for hesitating and offers an metaphor that leads to 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 in there,” Leroy says as he points to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and another is going to make that choice. But you won't know it until you feel that projectile between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Maybe he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the sickening allure of Derry.