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Pennywise's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the very adults who keep the town's pattern of animosity ongoing. The creature preys most easily on kids from fractured households — youngsters who often grow up to replicate the same patterns as their parents. But, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as one of the few households that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, especially when It starts haunting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of a small number of grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the town, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his failure to feel fear, combined with the base of his family, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. But what if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is one of the only individuals in the town who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

Will is a member of the collective of kids at his school being terrorized by the clown. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with parents who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The reason he is being haunted is due to the cruelty of the town, combined with his potential sensitivity to shine, 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. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who come from the town, with bonds that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we understand the juvenile Will will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the local KKK members of the community will ignite. In the 2017 movie, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the shy boy, once he grew up, turned to alcohol to rid himself of the hauntings, or maybe the corrupt town affected him first, with the KKK eventually completing the job it started long before. Whether through the fear of the entity or through the malice of the town, instigated by It, the creature eventually achieves the last laugh on him.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would clarify how Leroy transforms so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he seems bitter and much stricter with his discipline. Because he outlived his own son, it's understandable to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they wrought upon his son. In the initial sequence of It, we see the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and provides an metaphor that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he points to the creature. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and another is going to make that choice. But you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could represent a bit of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Maybe he wishes he had acted differently in his past, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of the town.