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Pennywise's influence on the children of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the very adults who perpetuate the community's pattern of animosity alive. The creature finds easy targets on children from fractured households — youngsters who frequently grow up to replicate the same patterns as their parents. But, the Hanlon household stands apart as one of the few family unit that never splinters, which may explain why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the paranormal entities enveloping the community, especially when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few grown-ups who are aware that things are not right with the town, notably the father, who was revealed to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his failure to feel fear, along with the base of his household, may be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike is one of the only adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

The boy is part of the group of children at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates come from broken homes, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The reason Will is being pursued is because of the cruelty of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to shine, which makes him susceptible. This family are fundamentally strangers in Derry during 1962, which contributes towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, in contrast to the residents who come from the area, with relationships that have decayed within.

Backstory Connections

Drawing from the It novel, we know the young Will will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will rescue him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will cause. In the recent film, we see that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy outliving his own son and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that the parents were on substances, but given our current view of him in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid youth, once he became an adult, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt environment got to him first, with the hate group ultimately completing the task it began long before. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the town, instigated by Pennywise, the creature eventually achieves the final victory on him.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how Leroy transforms so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, Leroy seems bitter and much harsher with his parenting. Since he outlived his own son, it's comprehensible to observe such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements hold greater significance now that we know he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his child. In the initial sequence of the movie, we see the boy pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and provides an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he points to the sheep. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and someone is going to make that choice. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that projectile in your head.”

Looking back, this could be a piece of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own child. Perhaps he wishes he had done something in his past, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the sickening allure of Derry.