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Pennywise's impact on the children of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the very adults who perpetuate the community's cycle of animosity ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured households — youngsters who often grow up to replicate the same patterns as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after choosing to stay in the town, remains the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities enveloping the community, especially when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few grown-ups who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, notably Leroy, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his inability to feel fear, along with the base of his family, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. But what if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

Will is a member of the group of children at his educational institution being tormented by the clown. All his school friends hail from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause Will is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in the town during 1962, which contributes towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. They also have a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the residents who originate in the area, with relationships that have decayed within.

Backstory Connections

Based on the It novel, we know the juvenile Will will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the local KKK members of the community will ignite. In the 2017 film, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a configration, with Leroy surviving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on substances, but now that we see him in the series, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the shy youth, once he grew up, turned to alcohol to rid himself of the hauntings, or maybe the rotten environment affected him first, with the KKK eventually finishing the task it started years ago. Whether through the fear of the entity or via the malice of the community, instigated by It, It in the end achieves the last laugh on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would clarify how Leroy transforms so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy seems resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Since he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to observe such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements hold greater significance now that we know he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his son. In the opening scene of It, we see Mike hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. Leroy reprimands him for hesitating and provides an analogy that leads to a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy says as he gestures 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 in your head.”

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