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Pennywise's impact on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who keep the town's pattern of animosity alive. The creature preys most easily on kids from fractured households — youngsters who often grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that never splinters, which may explain why Mike, even after choosing to stay in the town, remains the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, particularly when the entity starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises a small number of adults who are aware that things are not right with the municipality, especially the father, who was revealed to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's use of it in episode 3. Later, he spots one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his house. This gift, alongside his inability to feel fear, along with the base of his family, may be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike is among the few individuals in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

Will is a member of the group of children at his school being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates come from broken homes, with parents who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause Will is being pursued is due to the viciousness of the community, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are fundamentally strangers in the town during 1962, which lends itself towards the family sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who originate in the area, with bonds that have deteriorated internally.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we understand the young Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the local KKK members of the community will cause. In the recent movie, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy surviving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the timid boy, once he became an adult, turned to drink to free himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt town affected him first, with the hate group eventually finishing the task it began long before. Whether through the fear of Pennywise or through the malice of the town, instigated by Pennywise, It eventually gets the last laugh on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would clarify how Leroy transforms so radically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, he seems bitter and much harsher with his discipline. Because he outlived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. However, his statements carry more weight now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they had on his child. In the initial sequence of the movie, we see the boy pause to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and offers an metaphor that leads to a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he points to the sheep. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone 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 child. Maybe he desires he had acted differently in his past, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of the town.