The clown'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 pattern of animosity alive. It finds easy targets on kids from broken households — children who frequently mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family stands apart as one of the few family unit that never splinters, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in Derry, remains the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.
Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience
In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, particularly when the entity starts haunting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of a small number of adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the town, notably Leroy, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Later, he sees one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his inability to feel fear, along with the base of his household, could be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike Hanlon 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 collective of kids at his school being tormented by Pennywise. All his school friends come from broken homes, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The reason he is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the town, paired with his potential sensitivity to shine, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately strangers in the town during 1962, which lends itself towards the family feeling something is off about the town from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who come from the area, with relationships that have deteriorated within.
Historical Context
Based on the It novel, we understand the juvenile Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the recent movie, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with his father surviving his own son and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that the parents were on substances, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid youth, once he grew up, leaned into drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or maybe the rotten town affected him initially, with the hate group ultimately completing the job it started long before. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the town, seeded by It, the creature eventually gets the final victory on him.
The Father's Evolution
This chain of events would explain how Leroy changes so drastically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he appears resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Because he outlived his own son, it's understandable to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words hold greater significance since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they had on his son. In the initial sequence of the movie, we observe the boy pause to use a bolt gun on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands him for hesitating and offers an metaphor that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.
“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be in there,” he says as he gestures to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and another is going to make that choice. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that projectile in your head.”
In hindsight, this could be a bit of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own child. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his past, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the repellent attraction of the town.
