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The clown's impact on the children of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the town's cycle of animosity ongoing. It preys most easily on kids from fractured households — youngsters who often grow up to repeat the same patterns as their parents. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which may explain why Mike, even after choosing to stay in the town, remains the only Loser who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the neighborhood, especially when It begins tormenting his child, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, notably Leroy, who was revealed to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Later, he spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, coupled with his failure to experience terror, combined with the base of his household, may be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

Will is a member of the group of children at his school being tormented by the clown. His classmates come from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The reason Will is being pursued is because of the viciousness of the town, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family feeling something is off about the town from the onset. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, in contrast to the residents who come from the area, with relationships that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we understand the young Will will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the recent movie, we see that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a configration, with Leroy surviving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the film is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid youth, once he became an adult, turned to alcohol to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten environment got to him initially, with the KKK eventually completing the task it began years ago. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or via the malice of the town, instigated by It, the creature eventually gets the last laugh on Will.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his older age, he appears resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Since he outlived his own son, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. However, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they wrought upon his son. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe Mike pause to use a bolt gun on a animal at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and provides an metaphor that results in a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be out here like we are, or you can be in there,” he says as he gestures to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and someone is going to make that choice. But you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, something 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 the town.