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Pennywise's impact on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the community's pattern of animosity ongoing. It finds easy targets on kids from broken households — youngsters who often mature to replicate the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after choosing to stay in the town, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family consists of a small number of adults who are aware that something is amiss with the town, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's employment of it in the third episode. Subsequently, he sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his failure to experience terror, combined with the base of his household, may be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is one of the only adults in Derry who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

The boy is part of the collective of children at his school being tormented by the clown. All his school friends come from broken homes, with caregivers who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause he is being pursued is because of the viciousness of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately outsiders in the town during 1962, which contributes towards the household feeling something is off about the locality from the onset. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who originate in the town, with relationships that have deteriorated internally.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the Black Spot, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the 2017 movie, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a configration, with his father outliving his own child and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that the parents were on substances, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the shy youth, once he grew up, turned to alcohol to rid himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt environment affected him first, with the KKK eventually completing the job it began long before. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or through the cruelty of the community, seeded by It, the creature in the end gets the last laugh on Will.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would explain how the elder Hanlon transforms so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy seems bitter and much harsher with his parenting. Since he outlived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to observe such a profound shift. However, his words carry more weight now that we know he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they had on his son. In the initial sequence of It, we observe the boy hesitate to use a bolt gun on a animal at the family property. Leroy chastises him for delaying and provides an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be in there,” Leroy states as he points to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and another is going to make that choice. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt in your head.”

In hindsight, this could represent a piece of foreshadowing, something he regrets not imparting to his own child. Maybe he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the repellent allure of Derry.