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The clown's impact on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the exact individuals who keep the community's cycle of hatred ongoing. The creature preys most easily on children from broken households — children who frequently grow up to replicate the identical behaviors as their parents. But, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as one of the few households that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike, even after choosing to stay in the town, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, especially when It begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan comprises some of the few adults who are cognizant 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 Dick Hallorann's use of it in the third episode. Subsequently, he sees one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his house. The ability, coupled with his failure to experience terror, along with the base of his family, could be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. But what if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

Will is a member of the collective of children at his educational institution being terrorized by the clown. All his school friends hail from broken homes, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason he is being pursued is due to the viciousness of the community, combined with his likely receptiveness to shine, which renders him vulnerable. This family are fundamentally outsiders in the town during 1962, which lends itself towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that remains unbroken, in contrast to the residents who originate in the area, with relationships that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we know the young Will will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will rescue him from a fire that the local KKK members of Derry will cause. In the recent movie, we see that he has a boy named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a configration, with his father outliving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but now that we see him in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid youth, once he grew up, turned to drink to free himself of the hauntings, or maybe the rotten environment affected him first, with the KKK ultimately finishing the task it began years ago. Be it via the terror of Pennywise or through the cruelty of the town, instigated by It, the creature eventually gets the final victory on Will.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would explain how Leroy changes so drastically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he seems resentful and much stricter with his parenting. Because he outlived his own son, it's understandable to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words hold greater significance now that we know he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they wrought upon his son. In the opening scene of the movie, we see Mike pause to use a bolt gun on a sheep at the family property. His grandfather reprimands him for hesitating and provides an metaphor that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“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,” he says as he points to the sheep. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone is going to make that choice. But you won't know it until you feel that projectile in your head.”

Looking back, this could represent a piece of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own son. Maybe he desires he had acted differently in his past, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the repellent attraction of Derry.