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Pennywise's impact on the young residents of the Derry series shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who keep the community's pattern of hatred alive. The creature finds easy targets on kids from fractured households — children who often mature to replicate the identical behaviors as their parents. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few households that remains intact, which may explain why Mike, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy Hanlon at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, especially when It starts haunting his son, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon family comprises a small number of grown-ups who are aware that things are not right with the town, notably the father, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy sees one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, coupled with his inability to feel fear, along with the base of his family, could be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is generational, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in Derry who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

The boy is a member of the group of children at his educational institution being terrorized by the clown. All his school friends come from broken homes, with parents who don't believe they're being targeted. The cause Will is being pursued is because of the cruelty of the community, paired with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately strangers in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the family sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the residents who come from the area, with bonds that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Based on the It novel, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will rescue him from a fire that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the recent movie, we see that Will has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy surviving his own son and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but now that we see Will in the series, that's difficult to accept. Perhaps the timid youth, once he became an adult, turned to drink to rid himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt environment got to him first, with the KKK ultimately completing the job it began years ago. Whether through the fear of the entity or via the cruelty of the community, instigated by It, the creature in the end gets the last laugh on him.

The Father's Evolution

These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, Leroy seems bitter and much harsher with his discipline. Because he outlived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. However, his words hold greater significance since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they had on his child. In the initial sequence of It, we see Mike hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. Leroy reprimands him for hesitating and offers an metaphor that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be out here like we are, or you can be in there,” he states as he points to the creature. “You dawdle indecisive, and someone is going to make that choice. Except you won't know it until you feel that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, a lesson he wishes he had told his own child. Maybe he wishes he had done something in his past, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent attraction of Derry.