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Pennywise's influence on the young residents of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the exact individuals who keep the community's pattern of hatred alive. The creature preys most easily on children from broken households — youngsters who frequently mature to replicate the same patterns as their guardians. But, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, remains the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, especially when the entity starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan 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 the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in the third episode. Subsequently, Leroy sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his house. This gift, alongside his failure to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is one of the only adults in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

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 parents who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause Will is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the town, combined with his potential sensitivity to shine, which renders him vulnerable. This family are ultimately outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the town from the beginning. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who come from the town, with bonds that have decayed internally.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the It novel, we understand the young Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the recent movie, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with Leroy outliving his own son and taking his grandson in. The official story in the motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid boy, once he grew up, turned to drink to free himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt environment affected him initially, with the hate group ultimately completing the task it started long before. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the community, seeded by Pennywise, It in the end achieves the final victory on Will.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, he seems resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Since he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to observe such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his statements hold greater significance since we are aware he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they wrought upon his son. In the initial sequence of It, we observe the boy pause to use a bolt gun on a sheep at the family property. Leroy reprimands him for hesitating and provides an metaphor that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be out here like us, or you can be in there,” he states as he points to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone is going to make that choice. But you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could represent a bit of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own child. Maybe he desires he had done something in his past, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of the town.