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Pennywise's impact on the children of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the very adults who keep the community's pattern of animosity alive. The creature preys most easily on children from broken homes — youngsters who often grow up 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, even after choosing to stay in the town, persists as the sole member who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities surrounding the community, especially when It begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family consists of some of the few grown-ups who are aware that things are not right with the town, especially the father, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's use of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his house. This gift, alongside his inability to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his household, may be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. But what if that shining is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in the town who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

The boy is part of the collective of children at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. All his school friends hail from broken homes, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The reason Will is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately outsiders in the town during 1962, which contributes towards the household feeling something is off about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who originate in the town, with relationships that have decayed internally.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the original book, we know the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the local KKK members of the community will ignite. In the 2017 movie, we see that he has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with his father outliving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy youth, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt environment affected him first, with the hate group eventually finishing the task it began years ago. Be it via the fear of the entity or via the cruelty of the town, instigated by It, the creature in the end gets the final victory on him.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would clarify how Leroy transforms so radically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, Leroy seems bitter and much stricter with his parenting. Since he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements hold greater significance now that we know he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they had on his son. In the initial sequence of It, we see the boy pause to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and provides 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 we are, or you can be in there,” Leroy states as he points to the sheep. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you experience that bolt in your head.”

In hindsight, this could represent a bit of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of Derry.