Make Time For This Classic Stephen King Cinematic Prior to It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
HBO's It: Welcome to Derry is packed with references to Stephen King's vast collection of tales. Beyond the clear ties to the original story, the series also features an explicit connection to The Shining via the appearance of a young Dick Hallorann. Now, as the story unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more beloved King story which merits another look.
The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While Shawshank Redemption may not be classified as a horror film, especially compared to a lot of King's other writing, it remains a gripping story about an wrongfully convicted individual sentenced to live the rest of his life in a notorious penitentiary. It is this specific institution that becomes central in this context, as the Shawshank facility holds considerable history across King's stories — a pattern which persists within Welcome to Derry.
Among the stories 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 at the state penitentiary plus some of those imprisoned there, such as the partner of one of Pennywise's early targets, who was convicted for robbery with a weapon.
So far, though, the most we've learned concerning Shawshank has been through the perspective of the protagonist in The Shawshank Redemption, played by Tim Robbins in the 1994 film. The character Andy ends up in Shawshank following his wrongful conviction, then finds himself assaulted and raped by fellow inmates, while exploited by the authority figures due to his financial knowledge. He requires nearly three decades to dig an escape route from Shawshank, before making his way "through a river of shit" to reclaim his freedom.
The Prison's Role in It: Welcome to Derry
In relation to the series, audiences first learned about the prison's inclusion via an early trailer for the show, in which a correctional transport appeared bearing the title displayed on its side. In episode 2, we learn who is likely headed to Shawshank.
Although we know he was not commit the child deaths in the first episode, Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for the crimes. The preview for episode 3, "Now You See It," reveals a guard telling Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what they do to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Consequences for the Character and His Daughter
Considering that the real killer in Derry is an ancient power from another world preying on and killing children, Hank's prospects of proving his innocence do not look good. Even should he ends up to Shawshank and the audience don't follow him there, knowing what we do regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his time there would not be enjoyable.
Crucially, however, this situation could threaten Ronnie. He acts as her guardian. Horrible things are occurring around Derry that nobody, young or old, understands and she just has her recently formed of friends to rely on. She's going to need her father in the coming episodes, however should the prison system plays a role, she could be without help.
One thing is apparent: Hank doesn’t have three decades to dig to freedom.
Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now on HBO Max. Additional installments air weekly each Sunday.
