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Pennywise's impact on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's pattern of hatred alive. It preys most easily on children from fractured households — children who frequently mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their parents. But, the Hanlon family stands apart as a rare example of a households that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities enveloping the community, especially when the entity starts haunting his child, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family consists of a small number of adults who are aware that something is amiss with the town, especially the father, who was revealed to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his failure to experience terror, along with the foundation of his family, could be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that psychic sensitivity 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 part of the collective of kids at his school being terrorized by Pennywise. All his school friends come from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The cause he is being pursued is because of the cruelty of the town, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family sensing anomalies exist about the town from the beginning. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the residents who come from the area, with bonds that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we understand the young Will Hanlon will end up at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the town bigots of Derry will ignite. In the recent movie, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a fire, with his father surviving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the film is that the parents were on substances, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid boy, once he became an adult, leaned into drink to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt town affected him first, with the hate group ultimately completing the job it began years ago. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or via the malice of the town, seeded by Pennywise, the creature in the end achieves the final victory on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so radically from what we witness in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy appears bitter and much harsher with his parenting. Because he outlived his own offspring, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. However, his statements carry more weight now that we know he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they had on his child. In the initial sequence of the movie, we see the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands 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 world. You can be out here like us, or you can be in there,” Leroy states as he gestures to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt 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 sickening attraction of the town.