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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 town's pattern of hatred alive. It preys most easily on kids from broken homes — children who frequently mature to replicate the same patterns as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family stands apart as one of the few family unit that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain 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 at last grows more aware of the paranormal entities enveloping the community, particularly when It starts haunting his son, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of a small number of 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 able to detect a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his house. This gift, coupled with his failure to feel fear, along with the foundation of his household, may be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. But what if that shining is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike is one of the only adults in the town who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

The boy is part of the group of children at his school being tormented by the clown. His classmates hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason Will is being haunted is because of the cruelty of the town, combined with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household sensing anomalies exist 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 deteriorated within.

Backstory Connections

Based on the original book, we know the young Will will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the recent film, we observe that Will has a son 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 motion picture is that the parents were on substances, but given our current view of him in the series, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the timid boy, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the torments, or maybe the corrupt town got to him first, with the KKK ultimately completing the job it began years ago. Whether through the terror of Pennywise or via the malice of the town, instigated by Pennywise, the creature eventually achieves the last laugh on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would clarify how Leroy changes so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy seems bitter and much stricter with his discipline. Since he survived his own offspring, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. However, his words hold greater significance since we are aware he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we see the boy pause to use a stunning device on a animal at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for delaying and offers an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” he states as he gestures to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to make that choice. Except you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”

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