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Pennywise's impact on the children of the Derry series molds them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the community's cycle of animosity ongoing. The creature preys most easily on children from broken households — youngsters who frequently grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as one of the few family unit that remains intact, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in Derry, persists as the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when the entity starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan comprises some of the few grown-ups who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in the third episode. Later, he sees one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, alongside his failure to experience terror, combined with the base of his household, may be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is generational, and one of the reasons Mike is one of the only adults in Derry who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

The boy is a member of the group of children at his educational institution being terrorized by the clown. All his school friends hail from broken homes, with caregivers who don't believe they're being targeted. The reason Will is being pursued is due to the viciousness of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household sensing something is off about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that isn't fractured, in contrast to the folks who originate in the town, with relationships that have deteriorated internally.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we understand the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the 2017 movie, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a configration, with his father surviving his own son and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but now that we see Will in the series, 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 corrupt town got to him initially, with the KKK eventually completing the job it started years ago. Whether through the terror of the entity or through the malice of the community, seeded by It, the creature in the end gets the final victory on him.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would explain how Leroy changes so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy seems bitter and much stricter with his discipline. Because he outlived his own son, it's comprehensible to observe such a drastic change. However, his statements carry more weight now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe Mike pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and offers an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be in there,” he says as he points to the creature. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. But you won't know it until you feel that projectile between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could be a piece of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the sickening attraction of the town.