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The clown's impact on the children of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who keep the town's cycle of hatred alive. It preys most easily on kids from broken homes — youngsters who often mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their parents. However, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which may explain why Mike, even after electing to remain in Derry, remains the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resilience

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the neighborhood, especially when It begins tormenting his child, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of some of the few adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, notably the father, who was shown to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his inability to feel fear, 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 the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is a member of the group of kids at his school being terrorized by the clown. All his school friends come from broken homes, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The cause he is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to shine, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the family feeling anomalies exist about the town from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who originate in the area, with bonds that have decayed within.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the original book, we understand the juvenile Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the recent movie, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the motion picture is that the parents were on substances, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy youth, once he grew up, turned to drink to rid himself of the torments, or maybe the rotten environment got to him first, with the hate group eventually completing the job it started years ago. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or through the malice of the community, seeded by Pennywise, It eventually gets the final victory on him.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would explain how Leroy changes so radically from what we witness in the first film and the prequel. In his older age, he seems resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Because he outlived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. However, his words carry more weight now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe Mike hesitate to use a bolt gun on a sheep at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and offers an metaphor that leads to a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be out here like we are, or you can be in there,” he states as he points to the sheep. “You waste time indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you experience that bolt in your head.”

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