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The clown's influence on the young residents of Welcome to Derry shapes them long into adulthood, transforming them into the exact individuals who keep the community's pattern of hatred ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on kids from fractured homes — children who frequently mature to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as a rare example of a family unit that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few adults who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, notably the father, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Later, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his inability to feel fear, along with the foundation of his family, may be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike is one of the only adults in Derry who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

The boy is part of the collective of children at his educational institution being tormented by the clown. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being targeted. The reason he is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to shine, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in the town during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household sensing something is off about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that isn't fractured, unlike the residents who originate in the town, with bonds that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Based on the It novel, we understand the young Will Hanlon will end up at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the 2017 film, we see that he has a son named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a configration, with his father outliving his own child and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Maybe the timid youth, once he grew up, leaned into drink to rid himself of the torments, or maybe the corrupt environment affected him initially, with the KKK eventually completing the task it started long before. Whether through the fear of the entity or through the malice of the community, seeded by Pennywise, the creature in the end gets the last laugh on him.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, he seems resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Since he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his words carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his son. In the opening scene of It, we see the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and provides an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he states as he points to the creature. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. But you won't know it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could represent a bit of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the sickening allure of the town.