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The clown's influence on the young residents of the Derry series molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's pattern of animosity ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured homes — youngsters who frequently grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their parents. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few family unit that remains intact, which may explain why Mike, even after electing to remain in Derry, persists as the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the neighborhood, especially when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of a small number of adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, notably the father, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's use of it in the third episode. Subsequently, Leroy sees one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, alongside his inability to experience terror, combined with the base of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is one of the only adults in Derry who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is part of the group of children at his educational institution being terrorized by Pennywise. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The reason he is being pursued is due to the viciousness of the community, combined with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are ultimately strangers in the town during 1962, which lends itself towards the household sensing something is off about the town from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who originate in the area, with bonds that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Drawing from the It novel, we know the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the Black Spot, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the local KKK members of Derry will cause. In the 2017 film, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a configration, with his father outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that the parents were on substances, but now that we see him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid boy, once he grew up, turned to alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt town affected him initially, with the hate group eventually completing the job it started years ago. Be it via the terror of the entity or through the cruelty of the community, instigated by Pennywise, the creature eventually gets the final victory on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would clarify how Leroy changes so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his older age, Leroy appears resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Since he survived his own son, it's understandable to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they had on his child. In the initial sequence of It, we see the boy pause to use a bolt gun on a animal at Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands him for hesitating and provides an analogy that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” he states as he points to the creature. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and another is going to decide for you. But you won't know it until you experience that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of the town.