Don't Miss This Legendary Stephen King Cinematic Prior to the Series' Upcoming Installment
HBO's It: Welcome to Derry is filled with connections to the author's vast collection of tales. Apart from the obvious ties to It, the show also features a direct link to The Shining through the appearance of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Now, as the narrative unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in another classic King story which merits a revisit.
The Powerful Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
Although Shawshank Redemption may not be considered horror, especially compared to a lot of the author's additional work, it remains a gripping tale of a innocently imprisoned man sentenced to spend the rest of his life inside a notorious penitentiary. And it's that very penitentiary which is important in this context, since Shawshank State Prison possesses significant lore across King's fictional world — a tradition that continues within Welcome to Derry.
Some of the tales that reference the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Via these narratives, we learn about the awful life inside the state penitentiary plus some of the inmates there, such as the boyfriend of a of Pennywise's initial targets, who was convicted for robbery with a weapon.
Thus far, though, the most we have discovered about the prison has been via the eyes of the protagonist from Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 film. Andy winds up in Shawshank after being wrongly convicted, and experiences assaulted and raped by other prisoners, and taken advantage of by those in authority figures due to his financial knowledge. He requires him 28 years to tunnel an escape route from Shawshank, before crawling "through a river of shit" to take back his liberty.
Shawshank's Appearance in Welcome to Derry
Regarding the series, viewers first learned about the prison's inclusion via an initial preview for the series, where a prison bus was seen bearing the title painted on the side. During the second episode, it is revealed which character is likely destined for Shawshank.
Although we know he did not commit the murders of children in the first episode, Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for the crimes. A teaser for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," shows a guard telling a jailed Hank, "Are you aware what they do to kiddie killers in Shawshank?"
The Implications for Hank and His Daughter
Given that the real killer in Derry is a primordial entity from another world preying on and killing kids, Hank's prospects of proving his innocence appear slim. Even should he does go in the prison and the audience do not see him inside, knowing what is known regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his experience would be far from enjoyable.
Crucially, though, this situation could threaten his daughter. Hank is her protector. Terrible events are occurring in the town that nobody, child or adult, comprehends and Ronnie only has her recently formed circle of pals to rely on. She's going to need her father as the story progresses, but if Shawshank has any say, she could be without help.
A single fact is apparent: Hank doesn’t have 28 years to tunnel to freedom.
It: Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now via the streaming service. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.
