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Pennywise's influence on the children of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the very adults who keep the community's pattern of animosity ongoing. It preys most easily on kids from fractured households — children who often grow up to replicate the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few households that never splinters, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in Derry, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, particularly when the entity begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of a small number of adults who are aware that something is amiss with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his inability to feel fear, along with the foundation of his family, may be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and a key factor Mike is one of the only adults in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

Will is a member of the group of children at his school being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The cause he is being pursued is because of the cruelty of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are fundamentally strangers in Derry during 1962, which contributes towards the household sensing something is off about the locality from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who come from the town, with bonds that have deteriorated internally.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the It novel, we understand the juvenile Will will end up at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the local KKK members of Derry will cause. In the recent movie, we see that he has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with his father surviving his own son and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the shy youth, once he became an adult, leaned into drink to free himself of the hauntings, or maybe the rotten town got to him first, with the hate group ultimately completing the task it started years ago. Be it via the terror of Pennywise or via the malice of the town, seeded by It, the creature eventually achieves the last laugh on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how Leroy transforms so radically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy seems resentful and much stricter with his parenting. Since he outlived his own offspring, it's understandable to observe such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words hold greater significance since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the initial sequence of the movie, we see the boy pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and provides an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be in there,” he states as he gestures to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to make that choice. But you will be unaware it until you feel that projectile between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a piece of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had acted differently in his past, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of the town.