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Pennywise's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the town's cycle of hatred ongoing. It finds easy targets on children from broken homes — children who frequently grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family stands apart 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 only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, especially when It begins tormenting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in the third episode. Later, he sees one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, alongside his inability to feel fear, combined with the foundation of his family, may be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is generational, and one of the reasons Mike is one of the only adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is part of the group of kids at his school being terrorized by Pennywise. All his school friends come from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause Will is being haunted is because of the cruelty of the community, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally outsiders in the town during 1962, which lends itself towards the household sensing something is off about the town from the beginning. They also have a solid base that isn't fractured, in contrast to the folks who originate in the town, with relationships that have deteriorated internally.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we understand the juvenile Will will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the recent movie, we see that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with his father surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that the parents were on substances, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid boy, once he grew up, turned to alcohol to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt environment affected him first, with the KKK eventually completing the job it started years ago. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the community, seeded by It, It in the end achieves the last laugh on Will.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so radically from what we witness in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy seems bitter and much harsher with his parenting. Since he outlived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to observe such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his statements carry more weight now that we know he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his son. In the initial sequence of It, we see the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at the family property. Leroy reprimands 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 out here like we are, or you can be in there,” he says as he gestures to the sheep. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a bit of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Maybe he wishes he had done something in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening attraction of the town.