Don't Miss This Classic Stephen King Movie Before the Series' Upcoming Installment
HBO's It: Welcome to Derry is filled with connections to the author's vast universe of narratives. Beyond the obvious ties to It, the show includes an explicit connection to The Shining through the cameo of a young Dick Hallorann. Currently, as the narrative progresses, Welcome to Derry is integrating another beloved tale from King which merits a revisit.
The Powerful Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
Although Shawshank Redemption isn't typically considered horror, particularly in contrast with a lot of the author's additional work, it remains a gripping story of a innocently imprisoned man sentenced to live the rest of his life in a notorious prison. It is that very penitentiary which is important in this context, as Shawshank State Prison holds significant history throughout King's fictional world — a tradition which persists within Welcome to Derry.
Some of the tales that reference the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these stories, we discover regarding the terrible life at Shawshank State Prison plus several of those imprisoned there, including the partner of a belonging to Pennywise's early victims, who had been found guilty for robbery with a weapon.
Thus far, however, the majority we've learned about the prison was through the perspective of the protagonist from Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. The character Andy ends up at the prison after his wrongful conviction, and experiences beaten and abused by other prisoners, while taken advantage of by those in authority figures due to his financial knowledge. It takes nearly three decades to dig an escape route of the prison, before making his way "through sewage" to take back his liberty.
The Prison's Appearance in Welcome to Derry
Regarding the series, audiences first learned of Shawshank's inclusion from an initial preview for the series, in which a prison bus was seen with the name displayed on its side. In episode 2, it is revealed which character is likely destined for Shawshank.
Though we know he did not responsible for the child deaths initially, Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. The preview for episode 3, "Now You See It," reveals an officer informing Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what they do to child murderers at that prison?"
The Implications for Hank and Ronnie
Considering that the real killer in the town is a primordial entity from another world preying on and killing children, Hank's chances of proving his innocence do not look good. And even if he ends up in the prison and the audience don't follow him inside, knowing what we do regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his time there would not be pleasant.
More importantly, though, this situation could threaten Ronnie. He acts as her guardian. Terrible events are happening in the town that nobody, young or old, comprehends and Ronnie just has her recently formed of friends to rely on. She will require her dad as the story progresses, however should Shawshank plays a role, she may be without help.
One thing is apparent: Hank lacks three decades to tunnel his way out.
Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now via the streaming service. New episodes are released each week each Sunday.
