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Pennywise's influence on the young residents of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the exact individuals who keep the community's pattern of animosity ongoing. The creature preys most easily on children from broken homes — youngsters who frequently grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family stands apart as one of the few households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after choosing to stay in the town, persists as the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family comprises a small number of grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the town, especially Leroy, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy sees one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, alongside his inability to experience terror, combined with the base of his family, may be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, 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 children at his school being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates come from broken homes, with caregivers who don't believe they're being targeted. The reason he is being pursued is due to the viciousness of the community, combined with his potential sensitivity to shine, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who come from the town, with bonds that have decayed internally.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we understand the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the recent movie, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with his father outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the film is that the parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid boy, once he became an adult, turned to drink to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten town affected him first, with the KKK ultimately completing the job it started years ago. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or via the malice of the town, seeded by Pennywise, the creature eventually achieves the final victory on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy appears resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Because he outlived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. However, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they wrought upon his child. In the initial sequence of It, we see Mike pause to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and offers an metaphor that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be out here like we are, or you can be in there,” Leroy says as he gestures 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 feel that bolt between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own son. Maybe he desires he had acted differently in his past, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of Derry.