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The clown's impact on the children of the Derry series molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the town's cycle of hatred alive. The creature finds easy targets on kids from fractured households — children who frequently mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. However, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as one of the few households that never splinters, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, 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 Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when It starts haunting his child, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises some of the few adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, notably Leroy, who was revealed to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in episode 3. Later, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, coupled with his inability to feel fear, combined with the base of his household, may be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. But what if that shining is generational, 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 kids at his school being tormented by the clown. All his school friends hail from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause Will is being pursued is because of the cruelty of the town, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household feeling something is off about the town from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a solid base that isn't fractured, in contrast to the folks who come from the area, with relationships that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Drawing from the It novel, we understand the juvenile Will will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will rescue him from a blaze that the local KKK members of the community will cause. In the recent film, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with his father outliving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the timid boy, once he became an adult, turned to drink to rid himself of the torments, or maybe the corrupt town affected him first, with the KKK ultimately finishing the task it started long before. Be it via the fear of the entity or through the cruelty of the community, instigated by It, It in the end gets the final victory on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we see in the first film and the prequel. In his older age, Leroy seems resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Because he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to observe such a drastic change. However, his statements hold greater significance now that we know he's seen the clown's activities and the impacts they wrought upon his child. In the initial sequence of the movie, we observe Mike hesitate to use a bolt gun on a animal at the family property. His grandfather reprimands him for delaying and provides an metaphor that leads to a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“You have two options 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 gestures to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. But you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could represent a piece of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Maybe he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the repellent allure of the town.