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Pennywise's influence on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them long into adulthood, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the town's cycle of hatred alive. The creature preys most easily on children from fractured households — youngsters who often grow up to replicate the same patterns as their guardians. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the sole member who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, especially when It begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few grown-ups who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, notably Leroy, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's use of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, coupled with his inability to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his family, may be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and a key factor Mike is one of the only adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

Will is part of the group of children at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. All his school friends come from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason he is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately outsiders in the town during 1962, which contributes towards the household sensing something is off about the town from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who come from the town, with relationships that have deteriorated internally.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we know the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the recent film, we see that he has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own son and taking his grandson in. The official story in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on substances, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the shy youth, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to rid himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt environment got to him initially, with the hate group ultimately completing the job it started years ago. Be it via the fear of the entity or via the cruelty of the community, seeded by It, the creature eventually achieves the last laugh on Will.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, he seems bitter and much harsher with his discipline. Since he survived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his statements hold greater significance now that we know he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his child. In the initial sequence of It, we observe the boy pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and offers an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like us, or you can be in there,” Leroy states as he gestures to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that projectile in your head.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Maybe he wishes he had done something in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening allure of Derry.