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The clown's influence on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's cycle of animosity alive. It preys most easily on kids from broken homes — children who often grow up to replicate the identical behaviors as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family stands apart as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in Derry, persists as the sole member who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when the entity starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few adults who are aware that something is amiss with the town, especially Leroy, who was shown to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, alongside his inability to feel fear, combined with the foundation of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike is one of the only individuals in the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is part of the group of children at his educational institution being terrorized by the clown. All his school friends come from dysfunctional families, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The reason he is being pursued is because of the viciousness of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who originate in the area, with bonds that have deteriorated within.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we know the juvenile Will will end up at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of Derry will cause. In the 2017 film, we see that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with his father outliving his own son and taking his grandson in. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the timid boy, once he grew up, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten town affected him initially, with the KKK ultimately completing the job it began long before. Whether through the fear of Pennywise or via the malice of the town, seeded by Pennywise, It in the end gets the final victory on him.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, he seems bitter and much harsher with his parenting. Since he survived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. However, his words carry more weight since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the impacts they wrought upon his child. In the initial sequence of the movie, we see the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for delaying and offers an analogy that leads to a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be out here like us, or you can be in there,” Leroy states as he points to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you experience that bolt in your head.”

Looking back, this could represent a piece of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of the town.