Don't Miss One Classic Stephen King Cinematic Prior to It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
The series Welcome to Derry is filled with nods to Stephen King's extensive library of stories. Apart from the clear ties to the original story, the show also features an explicit link to The Shining via the cameo of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the narrative progresses, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more classic King story which merits a revisit.
The Powerful Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While Shawshank Redemption isn't typically classified as a horror film, particularly compared to a lot of the author's additional writing, it is a gripping tale about an innocently imprisoned man condemned to spend his remaining years inside a infamous prison. It is this specific penitentiary which is important in this context, as Shawshank State Prison holds significant history throughout King's stories — a tradition that continues in Welcome to Derry.
Among the stories which mention Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Through these stories, we discover about the awful life inside Shawshank State Prison plus several of the inmates within, such as the boyfriend of one of Pennywise's initial targets, who was found guilty of armed robbery.
So far, however, the most we've learned about the prison has been via the eyes of the protagonist from The Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in the 1994 film. Andy winds up in Shawshank after being wrongly convicted, then experiences beaten and raped by other prisoners, and exploited by the authority figures for his expertise in finance. He requires him 28 years to dig his way out of the prison, before crawling "through a river of shit" to reclaim his liberty.
Shawshank's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry
In relation to the series, viewers initially discovered of Shawshank's inclusion from an initial preview for the series, where a correctional transport was seen bearing the title displayed on its side. During the second episode, we learn who is probably headed to the prison.
Though we know he was not responsible for the murders of children in the first episode, Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. The preview for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," shows an officer telling Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what they do to kiddie killers in Shawshank?"
The Consequences for Hank and Ronnie
Given that the actual killer in the town is an ancient power originating elsewhere preying on and killing children, Hank's prospects of proving his innocence do not look good. Even should he ends up in the prison and viewers do not see him there, understanding what is known regarding Shawshank indicates that his time there would be far from enjoyable.
More importantly, though, this development would endanger Ronnie. He acts as her guardian. Horrible things are happening in the town that nobody, child or adult, comprehends and she only has her recently formed circle of pals to depend on. She's going to need her father in the coming episodes, but if Shawshank plays a role, she could be out of luck.
A single fact is apparent: Hank doesn’t have three decades to tunnel his way out.
Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now on HBO Max. Additional installments are released each week each Sunday.
