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The clown's impact on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the community's cycle of animosity alive. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured households — children who often grow up to repeat the same patterns as their parents. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as one of the few households that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in the town, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, especially when the entity starts haunting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few adults who are aware that something is amiss with the town, especially the father, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Later, he sees one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his inability to experience terror, along with the foundation of his household, may be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike is one of the only individuals in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

The boy is part of the collective of children at his educational institution being terrorized by Pennywise. All his school friends come from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The cause he is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the town, combined with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the family feeling anomalies exist about the town from the onset. They also have a good foundation that isn't fractured, in contrast to the residents who come from the town, with bonds that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the It novel, we know the young Will will end up at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of Derry will ignite. In the recent movie, we see that he has a boy named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with Leroy surviving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the shy boy, once he grew up, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the torments, or maybe the rotten environment affected him first, with the hate group eventually completing the job it began years ago. Whether through the fear of the entity or via the cruelty of the community, seeded by It, the creature eventually gets the final victory on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so radically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he appears resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Since he outlived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to see such a drastic change. However, his words hold greater significance since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they had on his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe Mike pause to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. Leroy chastises him for delaying and offers an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be out here like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he gestures to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could be a piece of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he desires he had done something in his youth, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of the town.