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The clown's impact on the young residents of the Derry series shapes them long into adulthood, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the community's cycle of hatred alive. The creature finds easy targets on kids from fractured households — children who often mature to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few family unit that remains intact, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in the town, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, especially when It starts haunting his child, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of a small number of grown-ups who are aware that things are not right with the municipality, especially the father, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his house. This gift, alongside his inability to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and a key factor Mike is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is part of the group of children at his school being terrorized by Pennywise. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The cause he is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the town, combined with his potential sensitivity to shine, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in Derry during 1962, which contributes towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the town from the onset. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who originate in the town, with bonds that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we understand the young Will Hanlon will end up at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will rescue him from a fire that the local KKK members of the community will ignite. In the recent film, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid youth, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to rid himself of the torments, or perhaps the rotten town affected him first, with the KKK ultimately finishing the task it began long before. Whether through the terror of the entity or via the malice of the town, instigated by Pennywise, the creature in the end achieves the last laugh on him.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so radically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, he appears bitter and much harsher with his discipline. Since he outlived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his statements carry more weight now that we know he's witnessed the clown's activities and the effects they wrought upon his son. In the opening scene of the movie, we see Mike hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. Leroy reprimands him for delaying and provides 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 sheep. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that projectile in your head.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Maybe he wishes he had acted differently in his past, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the sickening allure of Derry.