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The clown's impact on the children of the Derry series shapes them long into adulthood, twisting them into the exact individuals who keep the community's cycle of hatred ongoing. The creature preys most easily on children from broken homes — children who frequently mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family stands apart as a rare example of a family unit that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike, even after choosing to stay in Derry, remains the sole member who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resilience

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes more aware of the paranormal entities enveloping the community, particularly when the entity begins tormenting his child, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises some of the few grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the town, notably Leroy, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in the third episode. Subsequently, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. The ability, coupled with his inability to feel fear, combined with the base of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. But what if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and one of the reasons Mike is one of the only individuals in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the group of children at his educational institution being terrorized by Pennywise. All his school friends come from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause Will is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in Derry during 1962, which lends itself towards the family feeling something is off about the locality from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who originate in the area, with bonds that have decayed internally.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we know the young Will will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the recent film, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that the parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the timid youth, once he grew up, turned to drink to rid himself of the torments, or maybe the corrupt town affected him initially, with the KKK ultimately completing the job it started long before. Be it via the terror of Pennywise or through the malice of the community, seeded by Pennywise, the creature in the end achieves the last laugh on Will.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy appears resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Because he survived his own son, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. However, his words hold greater significance since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe the boy pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. Leroy reprimands him for delaying and offers an analogy that results in 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 says as he points to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. But you won't know it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could represent a piece of foreshadowing, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his past, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of Derry.