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Pennywise's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry shapes them long into adulthood, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the community's pattern of animosity alive. It finds easy targets on children from fractured households — children who frequently mature to repeat the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain 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 the series, Leroy at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, particularly when It begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises some of the few grown-ups who are aware that something is amiss with the municipality, 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. Later, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, alongside his failure to experience terror, combined with the base of his family, may be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and a key factor Mike is one of the only adults in the town who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the collective of children at his educational institution being terrorized by Pennywise. All his school friends come from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The reason Will is being pursued is because of the cruelty of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family feeling anomalies exist about the town from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that isn't fractured, in contrast to the residents who originate in the area, with bonds that have deteriorated within.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will rescue him from a fire that the local KKK members of the community will cause. In the 2017 film, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with his father outliving his own son and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that the parents were on drugs, but given our current view of him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid youth, once he became an adult, turned to alcohol to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt environment affected him initially, with the KKK eventually finishing the task it started years ago. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or via the malice of the community, seeded by It, the creature eventually achieves the final victory on Will.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would explain how Leroy transforms so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, he appears bitter and much stricter with his parenting. Since he survived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. However, his statements hold greater significance since we are aware he's witnessed 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 bolt gun on a sheep 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 world. You can be out here like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he points to the creature. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and another is going to make that choice. Except you won't know it until you experience that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could represent a piece of foreshadowing, something he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of the town.