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The clown's impact on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them long into adulthood, transforming them into the very adults who keep the community's pattern of animosity ongoing. It preys most easily on children from broken households — youngsters who frequently grow up to repeat the same patterns as their parents. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that remains intact, which may explain why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, remains the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, especially when the entity begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few grown-ups who are aware that things are not right with the town, notably the father, who was revealed to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's use of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he sees one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his inability to feel fear, along with the base of his household, may be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is one of the only adults in the town who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

Will is part of the group of kids at his educational institution being terrorized by the clown. All his school friends come from dysfunctional families, with parents who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The reason Will is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the community, combined with his potential sensitivity to shine, which renders him vulnerable. This family are ultimately outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household sensing something is off about the locality from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who come from the area, with relationships that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we know the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the local KKK members of the community will cause. In the recent film, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid youth, once he grew up, turned to alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or maybe the corrupt town got to him first, with the KKK ultimately completing the task it began long before. Whether through the terror of the entity or through the malice of the community, seeded by It, It in the end achieves the last laugh on Will.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his older age, Leroy appears resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Since he outlived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements hold greater significance since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the impacts they had on his son. In the initial sequence of It, we observe the boy pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at the family property. Leroy chastises him for delaying 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 out here like we are, or you can be in there,” Leroy states as he gestures to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and another is going to make that choice. But you won't know it until you feel that projectile in your head.”

Looking back, this could represent a bit of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own child. Perhaps he wishes he had done something in his youth, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of the town.