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Pennywise's influence 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 ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on kids from fractured households — children who often grow up to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. However, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, particularly when the entity starts haunting his child, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few grown-ups who are aware that things are not right with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was shown to be receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Subsequently, he sees one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, alongside his failure to feel fear, combined with the foundation of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

The boy is part of the group of children at his school being terrorized by the clown. His classmates hail from broken homes, with caregivers who don't believe they're being targeted. The reason Will is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the community, combined with his likely receptiveness to shine, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally strangers in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household sensing something is off about the locality from the beginning. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the residents who originate in the area, with bonds that have deteriorated internally.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the original book, we know the juvenile Will will find himself at the Black Spot, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the local KKK members of Derry will ignite. In the 2017 movie, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with his father outliving his own son and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but given our current view of him in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the shy youth, once he grew up, leaned into alcohol to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten town got to him first, with the hate group ultimately finishing the task it began years ago. Whether through the terror of Pennywise or via the malice of the community, instigated by It, the creature eventually achieves the last laugh on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how Leroy transforms so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, he seems resentful and much stricter with his parenting. Because he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. However, his words hold greater significance now that we know he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they had on his child. In the initial sequence of It, we see Mike hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands him for hesitating and offers an analogy that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be out here like we are, or you can be in there,” Leroy states as he gestures to the sheep. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to make that choice. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could represent a piece of prediction, a lesson he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his youth, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent allure of Derry.