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

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy at last grows more aware of the paranormal entities surrounding the neighborhood, particularly when It begins tormenting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, notably the father, who was revealed to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in episode 3. Subsequently, he spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his inability to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his household, may be why he's able to see 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 its cruelty?

The boy is a member of the collective of kids at his educational institution being tormented by the clown. His classmates come from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The reason he is being haunted is due to the cruelty of the town, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are fundamentally strangers in Derry during 1962, which contributes towards the household feeling anomalies exist 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 deteriorated internally.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we know the juvenile Will will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the 2017 movie, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the film is that Mike's 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 grew up, turned to alcohol to rid himself of the torments, or maybe the corrupt town got to him first, with the hate group eventually finishing the job it began years ago. Whether through the terror of the entity or through the cruelty of the community, seeded by It, It in the end gets the final victory on him.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, he appears bitter and much stricter with his discipline. Since he survived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his statements hold greater significance now that we know he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they wrought upon his son. In the initial sequence of It, we see the boy pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. Leroy reprimands him for delaying and offers an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be out here like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he gestures to the sheep. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. But you won't know it until you experience that bolt in your head.”

Looking back, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, something he regrets not imparting to his own son. Maybe he wishes he had acted differently in his past, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of the town.