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The clown's impact on the young residents of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's cycle of hatred alive. It preys most easily on kids from fractured homes — children who often grow up to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience

In episode 4 of the series, Leroy at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, especially when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of a small number of adults who are aware that something is amiss with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to the Shining when he was able to detect a fellow psychic's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy sees one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his inability to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his family, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the group of kids at his educational institution being tormented by the clown. All his school friends come from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason Will is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are ultimately outsiders in the town during 1962, which lends itself towards the family feeling anomalies exist about the town from the beginning. They also have a solid base that isn't fractured, in contrast to the residents who come from the town, with relationships that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Based on the original book, we understand the young Will will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of Derry will cause. In the 2017 film, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a configration, with his father outliving his own son and taking his grandson in. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on substances, but now that we see him in the series, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the shy youth, once he grew up, leaned into drink to rid himself of the torments, or maybe the rotten environment got to him first, with the hate group eventually finishing the job it started long before. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or through the cruelty of the community, seeded by Pennywise, It eventually gets the final victory on Will.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would explain how the elder Hanlon transforms so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he seems bitter and much harsher with his discipline. Because he survived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements hold greater significance now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the initial sequence of It, we see the boy hesitate to use a bolt gun on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands 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 existence. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be in there,” he says as he points to the creature. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to make that choice. Except you won't know it until you experience that bolt between your eyes.”

Looking back, this could represent a bit of foreshadowing, something he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the sickening allure of Derry.