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Pennywise's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry shapes them long into adulthood, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the community's cycle of animosity alive. It preys most easily on kids from broken homes — children who frequently grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few family unit that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in Derry, persists as the sole member who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resilience

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes more aware of the paranormal entities enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan comprises a small number of adults who are aware that things are not right with the town, notably Leroy, who was shown to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, coupled with his failure to feel fear, along with the base of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is generational, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is one of the only adults in the town who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the collective of kids at his educational institution being terrorized by Pennywise. All his school friends hail from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason Will is being pursued is because of the viciousness of the town, combined with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. This family are fundamentally outsiders in the town during 1962, which lends itself towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that isn't fractured, in contrast to the residents who originate in the area, with relationships that have deteriorated internally.

Historical Context

Drawing from the It novel, we understand the juvenile Will Hanlon will end up at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the 2017 movie, we see that he has a son named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a fire, with his father outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but now that we see Will in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the shy boy, once he grew up, turned to alcohol to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten environment affected him first, with the KKK ultimately completing the job it started long before. Whether through the fear of the entity or via the cruelty of the community, instigated by It, the creature eventually achieves the last laugh on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how Leroy changes so radically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, Leroy seems resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Because he survived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements carry more weight now that we know he's witnessed the clown's activities and the effects they had on his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe the boy pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and provides an metaphor that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he gestures to the sheep. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone is going to make that choice. But you won't know it until you feel that bolt in your head.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Maybe he wishes he had acted differently in his past, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening allure of the town.