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The clown's influence on the young residents of the Derry series molds them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the town's pattern of animosity alive. The creature preys most easily on kids from fractured households — children who frequently grow up to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family stands apart as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, especially when the entity starts haunting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan comprises a small number of adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, notably the father, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy spots one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. The ability, alongside his failure to feel fear, along with the base of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is one of the only individuals in the town who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

The boy is part of the collective of children at his school being tormented by the clown. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with parents who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The reason Will is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the town, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are fundamentally strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the town from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who originate in the town, with relationships that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Drawing from the It novel, we understand the young Will will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the 2017 film, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a configration, with his father surviving 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 Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Maybe the timid youth, once he grew up, turned to drink to rid himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt town affected him initially, with the KKK eventually finishing the task it began long before. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or through the cruelty of the town, instigated by Pennywise, the creature eventually gets the last laugh on Will.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so radically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy seems resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Since he survived his own son, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. However, his words carry more weight now that we know he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they wrought upon his son. In the opening scene of the movie, we see Mike pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at the family property. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and provides an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like us, or you can be in there,” he says as he points to the creature. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and someone is going to make that choice. But you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile in your head.”

Looking back, this could represent a piece of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Maybe he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of the town.