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The clown's impact on the children of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the community's pattern of animosity alive. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured homes — youngsters who frequently mature to replicate the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon household stands apart as one of the few family unit 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 the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when It begins tormenting his son, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises some of the few adults who are aware that something is amiss with the town, especially the father, who was shown to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he sees one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his failure 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 generational, and one of the reasons Mike is one of the only adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the collective of kids at his school being terrorized by the clown. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause he is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the town, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are fundamentally strangers 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 solid base that isn't fractured, in contrast to the folks who originate in the town, with bonds that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we understand the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the Black Spot, where the psychic will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of the community will ignite. In the 2017 movie, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy surviving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the film is that the parents were on drugs, but given our current view of him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid youth, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or maybe the rotten environment got to him first, with the KKK ultimately finishing the task it began years ago. Be it via the terror of the entity or through the malice of the community, instigated by It, It eventually gets the last laugh on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would clarify how Leroy changes so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy seems resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Because he survived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. However, his statements hold greater significance since we are aware he's witnessed the clown's activities and the effects they wrought upon his son. In the initial sequence of the movie, we observe the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands him for delaying and provides an metaphor that results in a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be in the open 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. 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 son. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of the town.