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Pennywise's impact on the young residents of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the very adults who keep the town's pattern of hatred alive. It preys most easily on kids from fractured households — youngsters who frequently grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their parents. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as a rare example of a family unit that never splinters, which may explain why Mike, even after electing to remain in Derry, persists as the sole member who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, especially when It starts haunting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises some of the few grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the town, notably Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, alongside his inability to feel fear, combined with the foundation of his family, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. But what if that shining is generational, and one of the reasons Mike is one of the only adults in Derry who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

The boy is part of the collective of children at his school being tormented by Pennywise. All his school friends come from dysfunctional families, with parents who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The cause Will is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the town, combined with his likely receptiveness to shine, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the residents who come from the area, with bonds that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we understand the young Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the 2017 movie, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own child and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but given our current view of Will in the series, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy youth, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to rid himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten environment affected him initially, with the KKK ultimately finishing the task it started long before. Whether through the terror of Pennywise or through the malice of the community, seeded by Pennywise, the creature in the end achieves the final victory on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, Leroy appears resentful and much stricter with his parenting. Because he survived his own son, it's understandable to see such a profound shift. However, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed the clown's activities and the effects they had on his child. In the initial sequence of the movie, we observe Mike hesitate to use a bolt gun on a sheep at the family property. His grandfather reprimands him for delaying and provides an analogy that results in a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he gestures to the creature. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. But you won't know it until you feel that projectile between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could represent a bit of prediction, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the sickening attraction of Derry.