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The clown's impact on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them long into adulthood, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's cycle of hatred ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured homes — youngsters who frequently mature to replicate the same patterns as their guardians. But, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as one of the few households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when the entity starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family consists of a small number of adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, notably Leroy, who was shown to be receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's employment of it in the third episode. Later, he spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his inability to feel fear, combined with the base of his household, may be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is one of the only adults in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

Will is part of the group of children at his school being terrorized by the clown. All his school friends hail from broken homes, with caregivers who don't believe they're being targeted. The reason Will is being pursued is due to the viciousness of the town, combined with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally strangers in the town during 1962, which lends itself towards the household sensing something is off about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the residents who originate in the town, with relationships that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the 2017 movie, we see that Will has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a fire, with his father surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that the parents were on drugs, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the shy boy, once he grew up, turned to drink to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten environment affected him first, with the hate group ultimately finishing the job it began years ago. Whether through the terror of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the town, seeded by It, It in the end gets the final victory on him.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would explain how Leroy changes 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. Since he outlived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. However, his statements carry more weight now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they wrought upon his son. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and offers an analogy that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be out here like us, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he points to the sheep. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and another is going to make that choice. Except you won't know it until you experience that bolt in your head.”

Looking back, this could represent a bit of foreshadowing, something he regrets not imparting to his own child. Maybe he wishes he had done something in his youth, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent attraction of Derry.