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The clown's impact on the children of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, twisting them into the exact individuals who keep the town's pattern of hatred ongoing. The creature preys most easily on kids from fractured homes — youngsters who often mature to repeat the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few family unit that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike, even after choosing to stay in the town, persists as the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, particularly when the entity starts haunting his child, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises some of the few adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, notably Leroy, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's employment of it in episode 3. Later, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his failure to feel fear, along with the base of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

Will is part of the collective of children at his school being tormented by the clown. His classmates hail from broken homes, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The cause he is being pursued is because of the cruelty of the town, combined with his potential sensitivity to shine, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in Derry during 1962, which lends itself towards the family feeling anomalies exist about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that isn't fractured, unlike the residents who come from the town, with relationships that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Based on the It novel, we know the young Will will end up at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the local KKK members of Derry will cause. In the 2017 movie, we observe that he 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 official story in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but given our current view of him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the shy boy, once he grew up, leaned into alcohol to rid himself of the hauntings, or maybe the rotten town affected him first, with the hate group eventually finishing the job it started long before. Be it via the terror of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the town, seeded by It, It in the end achieves the final victory on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how Leroy transforms so radically from what we witness in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he seems resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Since he survived his own offspring, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. However, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his son. In the initial sequence of It, we see Mike hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and offers an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

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

In hindsight, this could be a piece of foreshadowing, something he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the repellent attraction of Derry.