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Pennywise's influence on the young residents of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the very adults who keep the community's cycle of hatred ongoing. The creature preys most easily on kids from broken homes — youngsters who frequently mature to replicate the same patterns as their parents. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which may explain why Mike, even after choosing to stay in the town, remains the sole member who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, especially when the entity starts haunting his child, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of some of the few grown-ups who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's use of it in the third episode. Subsequently, he spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, alongside his failure to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his household, may be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is one of the only individuals in the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

The boy is a member of the group of kids at his school being terrorized by the clown. All his school friends come from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause he is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the town, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in the town during 1962, which lends itself towards the family feeling something is off about the town from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who originate in the town, with relationships that have decayed within.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the 2017 film, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the film is that the parents were on substances, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the shy youth, once he grew up, turned to alcohol to free himself of the torments, or maybe the corrupt town affected him first, with the KKK eventually completing the job it began long before. Be it via the terror of Pennywise or via the malice of the town, seeded by It, the creature in the end achieves the final victory on him.

The Father's Evolution

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 older age, Leroy seems resentful and much stricter with his parenting. Because he survived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a drastic change. However, his words carry more weight now that we know he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe the boy hesitate to use a bolt gun on a animal at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and provides an metaphor that results in a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“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 states as he gestures to the creature. “You waste time 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.”

Looking back, this could represent a piece of prediction, something he regrets not imparting to his own son. Maybe he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent allure of the town.