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Pennywise's influence on the children of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the community's pattern of animosity ongoing. The creature finds easy targets on kids from fractured homes — children who frequently grow up to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family stands apart as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in Derry, persists as the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the paranormal entities enveloping the neighborhood, particularly when It begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few grown-ups who are aware that things are not right with the municipality, notably the father, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his house. This gift, coupled with his failure to feel fear, along with the foundation of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in Derry who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?

Will is a member of the collective of children at his educational institution being tormented by the clown. All his school friends come from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being targeted. The reason he is being pursued is because of the viciousness of the town, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are ultimately strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household sensing something is off about the town from the beginning. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who come from the town, with relationships that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we know the young Will Hanlon will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the town bigots of Derry will cause. In the 2017 film, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with his father outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see Will in the series, that's hard to believe. Maybe the timid youth, once he grew up, leaned into drink to rid himself of the torments, or maybe the rotten environment affected him initially, with the KKK eventually completing the task it began years ago. Be it via the terror of the entity or via the malice of the community, instigated by It, the creature in the end gets the last laugh on him.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events 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 seems resentful and much stricter with his parenting. 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 seen the clown's activities and the effects they had on his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. Leroy reprimands him for delaying and provides an metaphor that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“There are two places you can be in this existence. You can be in the open like us, or you can be in there,” he says as he gestures to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and another is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you feel that projectile in your head.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, something he regrets not imparting to his own son. Maybe he desires he had acted differently in his past, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the repellent attraction of Derry.