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Pennywise's impact on the young residents of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the community's cycle of animosity alive. The creature finds easy targets on kids from broken homes — children who often mature to replicate the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon household stands apart as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resilience

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of a small number of grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the town, notably Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in episode 3. Later, he sees one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his residence. The ability, alongside his inability to feel fear, along with the foundation of his family, may be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and a key factor Mike is one of the only adults in the town who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

Will is a member of the group of kids at his school being terrorized by Pennywise. All his school friends come from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The cause Will is being pursued is due to the viciousness of the community, combined with his potential sensitivity to shine, which makes him susceptible. This family are fundamentally outsiders in Derry during 1962, which contributes towards the household feeling something is off about the locality from the beginning. They also have a solid base that isn't fractured, in contrast to the folks who come from the area, with relationships that have deteriorated internally.

Historical Context

Based on the It novel, we understand the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the Black Spot, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will ignite. In the 2017 movie, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a configration, with Leroy surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The official story in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid boy, once he became an adult, turned to alcohol to free himself of the torments, or maybe the rotten environment got to him initially, with the hate group eventually finishing the task it started years ago. Whether through the fear of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the community, instigated by Pennywise, the creature eventually achieves the last laugh on Will.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his older age, Leroy seems resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Since he survived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. However, 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 opening scene of It, we see Mike pause to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. Leroy reprimands him for hesitating and provides an metaphor that results in a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be out here like us, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he points to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and someone is going to make that choice. Except you will be unaware it until you experience that bolt between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his past, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent attraction of the town.