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Pennywise's impact on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the very adults who keep the town's pattern of animosity ongoing. It preys most easily on children from fractured homes — children who often grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as one of the few households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in Derry, remains the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities surrounding the community, particularly when the entity begins tormenting his child, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of a small number of adults who are aware that things are not right with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's use of it in the third episode. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his residence. The ability, alongside his failure to experience terror, combined with the base of his household, could be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

The boy is part of the collective of children at his school being terrorized by the clown. His classmates come from broken homes, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The cause Will is being haunted is due to the cruelty of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to shine, which renders him vulnerable. This family are ultimately outsiders in the town during 1962, which contributes towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the folks who come from the town, with relationships that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we understand the young Will will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the local KKK members of the community will cause. In the recent film, we observe that he has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but now that we see him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the shy boy, once he grew up, turned to alcohol to rid himself of the torments, or maybe the rotten environment got to him first, with the hate group eventually finishing the job it started years ago. Be it via the terror of Pennywise or through the malice of the town, seeded by It, the creature in the end achieves the final victory on him.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon changes so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his older age, he appears resentful and much stricter with his parenting. Since he survived his own offspring, it's understandable to observe such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words hold greater significance since we are aware he's witnessed the clown's activities and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the initial sequence of the movie, we see Mike pause to use a bolt gun on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and provides an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“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,” Leroy states as he points to the creature. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and another is going to decide for you. But you won't know it until you feel that bolt in your head.”

In hindsight, this could represent a bit of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own child. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the sickening attraction of the town.