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The clown's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the very adults who keep the community's cycle of animosity ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on kids from broken homes — children who frequently mature to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a family unit that remains intact, which may explain why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes more aware of the paranormal entities enveloping the community, especially when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few adults who are aware that something is amiss with the municipality, notably the father, who was shown to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Subsequently, Leroy sees one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. The ability, coupled with his inability to experience terror, along with the foundation of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike is one of the only adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

Will is part of the group of kids at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. All his school friends come from broken homes, with parents who don't believe they're being targeted. The reason Will is being pursued is because of the viciousness of the community, combined with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are fundamentally outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that isn't fractured, in contrast to the residents who originate in the area, with relationships that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we know the young Will will find himself at the Black Spot, where the psychic will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of Derry will ignite. In the recent movie, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that the father eventually perishes 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 substances, but given our current view of Will in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the shy boy, once he became an adult, turned to alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt environment affected him initially, with the KKK eventually finishing the task it started years ago. Whether through the terror of the entity or via the malice of the community, instigated by It, It eventually gets the last laugh on him.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would clarify how Leroy changes so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy appears resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Since he outlived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. However, his statements hold greater significance since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the impacts they had on his son. In the initial sequence of It, we observe the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and provides an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like us, 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 projectile in your head.”

Looking back, this could be a bit of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had acted differently in his past, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent allure of the town.