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Pennywise's impact on the young residents of the Derry series molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the very adults who keep the town's pattern of hatred ongoing. The creature preys most easily on children from fractured households — youngsters who frequently mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their parents. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as one of the few family unit that remains intact, which may explain why Mike, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the sole member who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes more aware of the paranormal entities surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when It begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family consists of a small number of adults who are aware that things are not right with the municipality, notably the father, who was shown to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's use of it in the third episode. Subsequently, Leroy sees one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his house. The ability, alongside his inability to feel fear, combined with the base of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. But what if that shining is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is one of the only individuals in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

Will is a member of the group of children at his school being tormented by Pennywise. All his school friends hail from broken homes, with parents who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause he is being pursued is due to the viciousness of the town, combined with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the town from the onset. They also have a solid base that isn't fractured, in contrast to the folks who come from the area, with bonds that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the recent film, 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 adopting his grandchild. The public account in the film is that the parents were on substances, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the shy boy, once he became an adult, leaned into drink to free himself of the torments, or maybe the rotten environment affected him initially, with the KKK ultimately finishing the task it began long before. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or through the cruelty of the town, instigated by It, It eventually achieves the last laugh on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so radically from what we witness in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, he appears bitter and much harsher with his discipline. Because he survived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a drastic change. However, his words hold greater significance since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they wrought upon his son. In the opening scene of the movie, we see the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. Leroy reprimands him for delaying and provides an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he gestures to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. But you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could be a piece of foreshadowing, a lesson he wishes he had told his own child. Perhaps he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the repellent attraction of Derry.