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Pennywise's impact on the young residents of the Derry series shapes them long into adulthood, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the community's pattern of hatred ongoing. The creature preys most easily on children from broken homes — children who often grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their parents. However, the Hanlon family stands apart as one of the few households that never splinters, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in Derry, remains the only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when It starts haunting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of a small number of grown-ups who are aware that something is amiss with the municipality, notably Leroy, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Later, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. The ability, alongside his failure to experience terror, combined with the base of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is part of the group of kids at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates 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, combined with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. They also have a good foundation 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 juvenile Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of the community will ignite. In the 2017 film, we see that he has a boy named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own son and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that the parents were on substances, 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 rid himself of the hauntings, or maybe the rotten town got to him first, with the hate group eventually finishing the job it began years ago. Be it via the fear of the entity or via the cruelty of the community, instigated by It, It in the end achieves the last laugh on him.

The Father's Evolution

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 bitter and much stricter with his discipline. Since he outlived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to observe such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words hold greater significance now that we know he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they had on his child. In the opening scene of It, we see Mike hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and offers an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be out here like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he gestures to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to make that choice. Except you will be unaware it until you experience that bolt between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could be a piece of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his past, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of Derry.