You Should Watch This Classic Stephen King Cinematic Prior to the Series' Upcoming Installment
HBO's Welcome to Derry is packed with nods to the author's extensive library of stories. Apart from the clear ties to It, the series also features a direct connection to King's famous novel via the appearance of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Now, as the story unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in another beloved King story which merits a revisit.
The Haunting Story of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered horror, particularly in contrast with much of the author's additional writing, it is a haunting tale of a wrongfully convicted individual condemned to live his remaining years inside a infamous prison. And it's that very institution which is important here, as the Shawshank facility holds considerable lore across King's stories — a pattern which persists within It: Welcome to Derry.
Among the tales that reference Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these stories, we learn regarding the awful life inside Shawshank State Prison and some of the inmates within, including the boyfriend of one of Pennywise's early targets, who had been convicted for robbery with a weapon.
So far, though, the majority we've learned about the prison has been through the eyes of the protagonist from Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. Andy winds up in Shawshank after being wrongly convicted, then finds himself assaulted and abused by fellow inmates, while exploited by the authority figures due to his financial knowledge. It takes him 28 years to dig an escape route from Shawshank, before crawling "through sewage" to reclaim his liberty.
Shawshank's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry
In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, audiences first learned of Shawshank's involvement from an early trailer for the series, in which a prison bus was seen with the name displayed on its side. In episode 2, we learn who is likely destined for Shawshank.
Though we know he was not commit the child deaths initially, Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. The preview for episode 3, "the upcoming installment," shows an officer telling Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what happens to kiddie killers in Shawshank?"
The Consequences for Hank and His Daughter
Given that the real murderer in the town is a primordial entity from another world preying on and murdering children, Hank's chances of proving his innocence appear slim. Even should he does go in the prison and viewers do not see him there, knowing what we do regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his experience would not be pleasant.
More importantly, though, this situation could threaten Ronnie. Hank is her protector. Terrible events are occurring in the town which no one, young or old, understands and she only has her new group of friends to depend on. She's going to need her dad in the coming episodes, however should the prison system has any say, she could be without help.
One thing seems clear: Hank doesn’t have three decades to tunnel to freedom.
It: Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are currently available via the streaming service. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.
