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The clown's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry shapes them long into adulthood, twisting them into the exact individuals who keep the community's pattern of animosity ongoing. It preys most easily on children from broken households — youngsters who frequently grow up to replicate the identical behaviors as their guardians. However, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that remains intact, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, especially when the entity starts haunting his son, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises a small number of adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the town, notably the father, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's employment of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his house. This gift, alongside his inability to experience terror, along with the foundation of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. But what if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and a key factor Mike is one of the only adults in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the group of children at his educational institution being terrorized by Pennywise. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The cause Will is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to shine, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family sensing anomalies exist about the town from the onset. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who originate in the area, with bonds that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we understand the juvenile Will will end up at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the local KKK members of Derry will ignite. In the 2017 film, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with his father outliving his own child and taking his grandson in. The official story in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on substances, but given our current view of him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the shy youth, once he became an adult, leaned into drink to free himself of the torments, or perhaps the rotten environment got to him first, with the KKK eventually finishing the task it began years ago. Be it via the terror of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the town, seeded by It, It eventually achieves the final victory on him.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would explain how Leroy transforms so radically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, he appears bitter and much harsher with his discipline. Since he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his words hold greater significance now that we know he's seen the clown's activities and the impacts they had on his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe the boy pause to use a bolt gun on a animal at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and offers 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 us, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy says as he points to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. But you will be unaware it until you feel that projectile in your head.”

Looking back, this could represent a bit of foreshadowing, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his past, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of the town.