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The clown's impact on the young residents of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, twisting them into the very adults who keep the community's pattern of animosity alive. It preys most easily on children from broken homes — children who often grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their parents. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when the entity begins tormenting his child, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises some of the few adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, notably the father, who was shown to be sensitive to the Shining when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's use of it in the third episode. Later, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, alongside 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 adults in the town who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

Will is a member of the collective of kids at his educational institution being tormented by the clown. All his school friends come from broken homes, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason Will is being haunted is due to the cruelty of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who come from the area, with bonds that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we know the young Will will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the 2017 film, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a configration, with his father surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the motion picture is that the parents were on substances, but now that we see Will in the series, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the shy youth, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt town got to him first, with the KKK ultimately completing the job it started long before. Whether through the fear of the entity or through the cruelty of the community, instigated by Pennywise, It eventually gets the final victory on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy appears bitter and much harsher with his discipline. Because he outlived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his words carry more weight now that we know he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the initial sequence of It, we see the boy pause to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands him for hesitating and provides an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be out here like we are, or you can be in there,” Leroy states as he points to the sheep. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and someone is going to make that choice. Except you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile in your head.”

In hindsight, this could be a piece of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own son. Maybe he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the sickening attraction of the town.