Don't Miss One Classic Stephen King Movie Before the Series' Upcoming Installment
The series It: Welcome to Derry is filled with references to Stephen King's vast universe of narratives. Apart from the obvious ties to It, the series also features a direct connection to King's famous novel through the appearance of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the narrative progresses, Welcome to Derry is weaving in another beloved King story which merits a revisit.
The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption may not be classified as a horror film, especially in contrast with much of King's other work, it remains a gripping story of a innocently imprisoned individual sentenced to live his remaining years in a infamous penitentiary. It is that very institution which is important in this context, since Shawshank State Prison holds considerable lore across King's stories — a tradition which persists in Welcome to Derry.
Among the tales that reference the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these stories, we learn about the awful conditions inside Shawshank State Prison and several of the inmates within, including the partner of one belonging to Pennywise's initial targets, who was found guilty for robbery with a weapon.
Thus far, though, the majority we have discovered about the prison has been via the perspective of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, played by Tim Robbins in the 1994 film. Andy winds up in Shawshank after being wrongly convicted, and experiences beaten and abused by fellow inmates, and taken advantage of by those in authority figures due to his financial knowledge. He requires him 28 years to tunnel his way out of the prison, prior to making his way "through sewage" to take back his freedom.
Shawshank's Role in It: Welcome to Derry
In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, viewers initially discovered about the prison's inclusion from an early trailer for the show, where a correctional transport was seen with the name painted on the side. During the second episode, it is revealed who is probably headed to the prison.
Though we know he did not responsible for the murders of children initially, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. The preview for episode 3, "Now You See It," reveals a guard informing a jailed Hank, "Do you know what happens to child murderers 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 killing kids, Hank's chances of clearing his name do not look good. And even if he ends up in the prison and viewers do not see him there, understanding what is known regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his time there would be far from pleasant.
Crucially, though, this situation could threaten Ronnie. He acts as her guardian. Terrible events are happening in the town which no one, young or old, understands and Ronnie just has her recently formed of friends to depend on. She's going to need her dad as the story progresses, however should Shawshank plays a role, she may be without help.
One thing seems clear: Hank doesn’t have three decades to dig his way out.
Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now on HBO Max. New episodes are released each week each Sunday.
