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The clown's impact on the young residents of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the very adults who perpetuate the community's pattern of hatred alive. The creature preys most easily on children from fractured homes — youngsters who often grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family stands apart as one of the few family unit that remains intact, which could clarify 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.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when It begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of a small number of grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, 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 the third episode. Subsequently, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, coupled with his inability to feel fear, along with the foundation of his family, could be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the group of children at his school being tormented by the clown. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause Will is being pursued is due to the viciousness of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the family feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. They also have a solid base that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who originate in the town, with bonds that have decayed internally.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we understand the young Will will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the local KKK members of the community will cause. In the recent movie, we see that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own child and adopting his grandchild. 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 difficult to accept. Maybe the timid boy, once he grew up, leaned into alcohol to rid himself of the torments, or maybe the corrupt environment affected him initially, with the hate group ultimately finishing the task it started long before. Whether through the fear of the entity or through the malice of the community, seeded by It, the creature eventually achieves the last laugh on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon transforms so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his older age, Leroy seems resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Because he outlived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. However, his statements hold greater significance now that we know he's seen the clown's activities and the impacts they had on his child. In the initial sequence of the movie, we observe Mike hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at the family property. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and provides an analogy that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“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 says as he gestures to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone is going to decide for you. But you will be unaware it until you experience that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Maybe he desires he had done something in his youth, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the sickening allure of Derry.