Don't Miss One Classic Stephen King Film Before It: Welcome to Derry's Next Episode
The series It: Welcome to Derry is packed with nods to Stephen King's vast collection of tales. Beyond the obvious ties to the original story, the series showcases a direct link to The Shining via the cameo of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the story unfolds, Welcome to Derry is weaving in another beloved tale from King that deserves a revisit.
The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption isn't typically classified as horror, particularly compared to much of King's other work, it is a gripping tale about an innocently imprisoned individual sentenced to spend his remaining years in a infamous prison. And it's that very institution which is central in this context, as the Shawshank facility holds considerable history throughout King's fictional world — a tradition that continues within It: Welcome to Derry.
Some of the stories that reference Shawshank include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these narratives, we discover about the awful life at Shawshank State Prison and several of those imprisoned there, including the boyfriend of a of Pennywise's early targets, who was found guilty for robbery with a weapon.
Thus far, however, the most we've learned about the prison has been through the perspective of the protagonist in The Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 film. The character Andy winds up at the prison following being wrongly convicted, and experiences beaten and raped by other prisoners, while exploited by the officials in power for his financial knowledge. It takes him 28 years to dig an escape route from Shawshank, before making his way "through sewage" to reclaim his liberty.
Shawshank's Role in It: Welcome to Derry
Regarding the series, viewers first learned of Shawshank's inclusion via an early trailer for the show, where a correctional transport appeared bearing the title painted on the side. In episode 2, it is revealed who is probably headed to the prison.
Though we know he did not responsible for the murders of children in the first episode, Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. A teaser for episode 3, "Now You See It," shows a guard informing a jailed Hank, "Do you know what they do to kiddie killers at that prison?"
The Implications for Hank and His Daughter
Considering that the real murderer in Derry is an ancient power from another world preying on and murdering kids, Hank's prospects of clearing his name do not look good. Even should he ends up in the prison and the audience don't follow him inside, understanding what we do regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his time there would not be enjoyable.
More importantly, though, this development could threaten his daughter. Hank is her protector. Terrible events are occurring around Derry that nobody, child or adult, comprehends and Ronnie only has her recently formed circle of pals 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 out of luck.
A single fact seems clear: Hank doesn’t have three decades to tunnel to freedom.
Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now on HBO Max. Additional installments are released each week on Sundays.
