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The clown's impact on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them long into adulthood, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the community's pattern of animosity alive. It finds easy targets on kids from fractured homes — 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 never splinters, which could clarify why Mike, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the sole member who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, especially when It begins tormenting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises a small number of adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his house. The ability, coupled with his failure to feel fear, along with the foundation of his household, may be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. But what if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

The boy is a member of the group of children at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. All his school friends hail from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause he is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the town, combined with his potential sensitivity to shine, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately outsiders in Derry during 1962, which contributes towards the family feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who originate in the town, with bonds that have deteriorated within.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we know the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the 2017 film, we see that he has a son named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a configration, with his father outliving his own child and taking his grandson in. The official story in the motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy boy, once he grew up, turned to drink to free himself of the hauntings, or maybe the corrupt environment affected him initially, with the KKK eventually completing the job it started years ago. Whether through the fear of the entity or through the malice of the community, seeded by It, the creature in the end gets the last laugh on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so radically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, he appears resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Since he outlived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words hold greater significance since we are aware he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they had on his son. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe Mike pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at the family property. Leroy reprimands him for hesitating and offers an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy says as he points to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you feel that bolt in your head.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Maybe he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of Derry.