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The clown's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the community's cycle of animosity alive. The creature preys most easily on kids from broken homes — youngsters who often mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as one of the few family unit that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in the town, remains the only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy at last grows increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities enveloping the neighborhood, especially when the entity starts haunting his child, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan comprises some of the few adults who are aware that things are not right with the town, especially the father, who was revealed to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Later, he sees one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, alongside his inability to feel fear, along with the base of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike is among the few individuals in Derry who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

Will is a member of the collective of kids at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. All his school friends hail from broken homes, with parents who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause Will is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household feeling something is off about the town from the beginning. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who come from the town, with relationships that have decayed within.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the original book, we understand the juvenile Will will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the 2017 movie, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a fire, 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. Maybe the shy boy, once he grew up, leaned into drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten environment got to him initially, with the hate group eventually completing the job it started long before. Be it via the terror of the entity or through the malice of the community, seeded by Pennywise, It in the end gets the final victory on him.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would clarify how Leroy transforms so radically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy seems bitter and much stricter with his discipline. Because he outlived his own son, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements carry more weight now that we know he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they wrought upon his son. In the initial sequence of the movie, we see the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for delaying 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,” he states as he points to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile in your head.”

Looking back, this could represent a bit of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had acted differently in his past, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the sickening attraction of Derry.