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Pennywise's influence on the young residents of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the very adults who perpetuate the community's pattern of animosity alive. The creature preys most easily on children from broken homes — youngsters who frequently grow up to replicate the same patterns as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family stands apart as one of the few family unit that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in the town, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, especially when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family comprises a small number of adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the town, especially the father, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. The ability, alongside his failure to feel fear, combined with the base of his family, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is generational, and one of the reasons Mike is one of the only individuals in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

The boy is a member of the collective of kids at his school being terrorized by Pennywise. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause he is being haunted is due to the cruelty of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are fundamentally strangers in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family sensing something is off about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the residents who originate in the area, with bonds that have deteriorated internally.

Backstory Connections

Based on the It novel, we understand the juvenile Will will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the 2017 film, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the shy youth, once he grew up, leaned into drink to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten environment affected him initially, with the hate group eventually completing the job it started years ago. Be it via the fear of the entity or through the cruelty of the town, seeded by It, the creature eventually gets the final victory on him.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would explain how Leroy changes so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, he appears resentful and much stricter with his parenting. Because he survived his own son, it's understandable to see such a drastic change. However, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his son. In the opening scene of It, we see Mike hesitate to use a bolt gun on a animal at Leroy's farm. Leroy reprimands him for hesitating and offers an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“You have two options 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. Except you won't know it until you experience that projectile in your head.”

Looking back, this could represent a bit of foreshadowing, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of Derry.