Don't Miss This Legendary Stephen King Cinematic Before It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
The series It: Welcome to Derry contains numerous references to Stephen King's extensive library of stories. Beyond the obvious ties to the original story, the show also features an explicit link to King's famous novel through the cameo of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the story progresses, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in another classic tale from King that deserves another look.
The Powerful Story of The Shawshank Redemption
While Shawshank Redemption may not be considered a horror film, particularly in contrast with a lot of the author's additional work, it remains a gripping tale about an wrongfully convicted individual condemned to spend the rest of his life inside a notorious penitentiary. It is this specific institution which is important in this context, since Shawshank State Prison holds considerable history across King's fictional world — a tradition which persists within It: Welcome to Derry.
Some of the tales that reference Shawshank include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these narratives, we discover regarding the awful conditions inside Shawshank State Prison and some of those imprisoned there, such as the partner of one belonging to Pennywise's initial targets, who was convicted for robbery with a weapon.
Thus far, however, the most we've learned about the prison was via the eyes of the protagonist from Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in that 1994 movie. The character Andy ends up at the prison after being wrongly convicted, and finds himself beaten and abused by fellow inmates, while exploited by those in authority figures for his expertise in finance. It takes him 28 years to dig an escape route from Shawshank, before crawling "through a river of shit" to reclaim his liberty.
The Prison's Appearance in Welcome to Derry
Regarding the series, viewers first learned of Shawshank's involvement via an initial preview for the show, in which a correctional transport was seen bearing the title painted on the side. During the second episode, it is revealed who is probably headed to the prison.
Although it is known he did not commit the murders of children in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. A teaser for episode 3, "the upcoming installment," shows an officer informing Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what happens to kiddie killers in Shawshank?"
The Consequences for Hank and His Daughter
Considering that the real killer in the town is a primordial entity from another world preying on and murdering children, Hank's prospects of clearing his name do not look good. And even if he ends up in the prison and viewers do not see him inside, understanding what we do about that prison makes it clear that his time there would be far from enjoyable.
More importantly, however, this development would endanger Ronnie. He acts as her protector. Horrible things are occurring around Derry that nobody, young or old, comprehends and she just has her new group of friends to rely on. She will require her dad in the coming episodes, but if Shawshank plays a role, she could be out of luck.
A single fact seems clear: Hank lacks three decades to tunnel to freedom.
Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now on HBO Max. Additional installments are released each week each Sunday.
