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The clown's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the very adults who perpetuate the town's cycle of animosity ongoing. The creature preys most easily on children from broken homes — youngsters who frequently mature to repeat the same patterns as their parents. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as one of the few family unit that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in Derry, persists as the sole member who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resistance

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, especially when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few adults who are cognizant that something is amiss with the town, notably the father, who was revealed to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's employment of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. The ability, alongside his failure to feel fear, along with the foundation of his household, could be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike is among the few individuals in the town who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

Will is part of the group of kids at his educational institution being tormented by the clown. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason Will is being pursued is due to the viciousness of the town, combined with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. This family are fundamentally strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household feeling something is off about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the residents who originate in the town, with bonds that have deteriorated internally.

Backstory Connections

Based on the It novel, we know the young Will will end up at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the 2017 film, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The official story in the motion picture 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, leaned into drink to rid himself of the hauntings, or maybe the corrupt environment got to him initially, with the hate group ultimately finishing the job it started years ago. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or via the malice of the community, seeded by It, It eventually achieves the last laugh on Will.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would clarify how Leroy transforms so drastically from what we witness in the first film and the prequel. In his older age, he seems resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Because he outlived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. However, his words hold greater significance now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we see the boy pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and offers an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy says as he gestures to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to make that choice. But you won't know it until you feel that bolt in your head.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had done something in his past, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the repellent allure of the town.