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Pennywise's impact on the children of the Derry series shapes them long into adulthood, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the town's pattern of animosity ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on kids from broken households — children who frequently mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their parents. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few family unit that remains intact, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the sole member who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when the entity begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan comprises a small number of adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was shown to be receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's employment of it in the third episode. Later, he spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his inability to feel fear, along with the foundation of his household, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. But what if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is one of the only individuals in Derry who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

The boy is a member of the collective of kids at his educational institution being terrorized by Pennywise. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause he is being haunted is because of the cruelty of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in Derry during 1962, which contributes towards the household feeling something is off about the town from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who originate in the town, with relationships that have decayed within.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the original book, we understand the young Will will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the 2017 movie, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with his father surviving his own son and taking his grandson in. The public account in the motion picture is that the parents were on substances, but given our current view of Will in the series, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid youth, once he became an adult, turned to drink to rid himself of the torments, or maybe the rotten town affected him initially, with the hate group ultimately finishing the job it started years ago. Whether through the fear of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the community, seeded by It, the creature in the end achieves the last laugh on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would clarify how Leroy transforms so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, he appears resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Since he survived his own offspring, it's understandable to observe such a drastic change. However, his words carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts 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 Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands him for delaying and provides an metaphor that results in a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he gestures to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. But you will be unaware it until you experience that bolt between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his youth, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of Derry.