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Pennywise's influence on the children of the Derry series shapes them long into adulthood, transforming them into the very adults who keep the town's cycle of hatred ongoing. It finds easy targets on children from fractured households — children who frequently mature to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in the town, remains the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy at last grows more aware of the paranormal entities enveloping the neighborhood, especially when the entity begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of some of the few adults who are aware that something is amiss with the town, especially the father, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his house. The ability, coupled with his inability to experience terror, combined with the base of his household, could be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. But what if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is one of the only adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

Will is a member of the collective of kids at his school being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates come from broken homes, with parents who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The cause Will is being haunted is due to the cruelty of the town, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally strangers in the town during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who come from the town, with bonds that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we know the young Will Hanlon will end up at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the 2017 movie, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own son and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that the parents were on drugs, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the shy boy, once he grew up, turned to alcohol to free himself of the torments, or maybe the rotten town affected him first, with the KKK eventually finishing the job it began years ago. Be it via the terror of Pennywise or through the cruelty of the town, instigated by Pennywise, It eventually gets the final victory on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how Leroy changes so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, Leroy appears resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Because he outlived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to observe such a drastic change. However, his statements hold greater significance since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the impacts they wrought upon his son. In the initial sequence of the movie, we observe the boy pause to use a bolt gun on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and provides an metaphor that results in a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be out here like we are, or you can be in there,” Leroy states as he points to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to make that choice. But you will be unaware it until you feel that bolt in your head.”

Looking back, this could represent a piece of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own son. Maybe he wishes he had done something in his past, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent allure of the town.