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The clown's influence on the young residents of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's pattern of hatred alive. It preys most easily on kids from fractured households — youngsters who frequently mature to replicate the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance

In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities enveloping the neighborhood, especially when the entity starts haunting his child, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises a small number of adults who are aware that things are not right with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's employment of it in episode 3. Later, Leroy spots one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his inability to feel fear, combined with the base of his household, may be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. But what if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and a key factor Mike is among the few individuals in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

Will is part of the collective of kids at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. All his school friends come from broken homes, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause he is being haunted is because of the cruelty of the town, combined with his potential sensitivity to shine, which makes him susceptible. This family are fundamentally outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who come from the area, with bonds that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we know the young Will will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the 2017 movie, we see that he has a son named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the film is that the parents were on substances, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the shy youth, once he grew up, turned to alcohol to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt town affected him first, with the KKK eventually completing the job it began long before. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the town, seeded by It, the creature in the end gets the final victory on Will.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he appears resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Since he survived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they had on his child. In the opening scene of It, we observe Mike pause 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 scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like us, or you can be in there,” he says as he points to the sheep. “You dawdle indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that projectile in your head.”

Looking back, this could represent a bit of prediction, a lesson he wishes he had told his own child. Maybe he wishes he had done something in his past, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the repellent allure of the town.