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The clown's impact on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the community's pattern of hatred ongoing. The creature preys most easily on children from broken households — children who frequently mature to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. However, the Hanlon household stands apart as one of the few family unit that remains intact, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resilience

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy at last grows increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when It begins tormenting his son, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few grown-ups who are aware that something is amiss with the municipality, notably Leroy, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, alongside his failure to feel fear, along with the base of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is one of the only individuals in Derry who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is a member of the collective of kids at his educational institution being terrorized by the clown. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with parents who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The cause Will is being pursued is because of the viciousness of the town, combined with his potential sensitivity to shine, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family feeling something is off about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that isn't fractured, in contrast to the folks who come from the area, with bonds that have decayed within.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the original book, we understand the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of Derry will ignite. In the 2017 film, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy outliving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid boy, once he grew up, turned to alcohol to rid himself of the hauntings, or maybe the corrupt town got to him first, with the KKK ultimately completing the task it started years ago. Whether through the fear of the entity or through the cruelty of the community, instigated by Pennywise, the creature in the end achieves the final victory on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his older age, he appears bitter and much harsher with his parenting. Because he survived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words carry more weight now that we know he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they had on his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe the boy hesitate to use a bolt gun on a animal at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and provides an metaphor that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” he states as he points to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and someone is going to make that choice. Except you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a bit of prediction, a lesson he wishes he had told his own child. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of Derry.