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Pennywise's impact on the young residents of Welcome to Derry molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the community's cycle of hatred ongoing. It finds easy targets on children from broken homes — youngsters who frequently grow up to replicate the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as one of the few households that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in the town, remains the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when It starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises a small number of grown-ups who are cognizant that things are not right with the municipality, notably Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in the third episode. Later, he spots one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. The ability, alongside his inability to feel fear, along with the base of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is one of the only adults in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

Will is a member of the collective of kids at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. All his school friends hail from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The cause he is being haunted is because of the cruelty of the town, combined with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household feeling something is off about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the residents who come from the town, with relationships that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Based on the It novel, we know the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will rescue him from a fire that the local KKK members of the community will cause. In the recent movie, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that the parents were on drugs, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Maybe the timid boy, once he became an adult, turned to alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt environment affected him first, with the hate group eventually completing the task it began years ago. Whether through the terror of Pennywise or via the malice of the town, instigated by Pennywise, the creature eventually gets the last laugh on him.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would explain how Leroy transforms so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, Leroy appears bitter and much stricter with his discipline. Because he survived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a drastic change. However, his statements hold greater significance now that we know he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his son. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe the boy pause to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and offers an analogy that leads to a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he points to the creature. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you experience that bolt in your head.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his past, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of the town.