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Pennywise's impact on the children of Welcome to Derry shapes them long into adulthood, transforming them into the very adults who perpetuate the community's pattern of animosity ongoing. The creature preys most easily on kids from broken homes — youngsters who frequently mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family stands apart as a rare example of a households that never splinters, which may explain why Mike, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the only Loser who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes more aware of the paranormal entities enveloping the neighborhood, especially when the entity starts haunting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few adults who are aware that something is amiss with the town, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he sees one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his house. The ability, coupled with his inability to experience terror, along with the foundation of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. But what if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is one of the only individuals in Derry who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

The boy is part of the group of children at his educational institution being tormented by the clown. All his school friends hail from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being targeted. The reason Will is being haunted is due to the cruelty of the town, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in the town during 1962, which contributes towards the household feeling something is off about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that isn't fractured, unlike the residents who come from the town, with relationships that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the recent movie, we see that he has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a configration, with his father outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see Will in the series, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the timid youth, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to rid himself of the hauntings, or maybe the rotten town got to him first, with the hate group ultimately completing the task it began years ago. Be it via the terror of Pennywise or through the cruelty of the town, instigated by It, It eventually gets the final victory on him.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would explain how Leroy transforms so radically from what we witness in the first film and the prequel. In his older age, Leroy seems resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Since he outlived his own son, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his words hold greater significance now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we see Mike pause to use a bolt gun on a sheep at the family property. His grandfather reprimands him for delaying and offers an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be out here like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he points to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you feel that projectile in your head.”

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