Don't Miss One Legendary Stephen King Film Prior to It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
HBO's Welcome to Derry is filled with nods to Stephen King's wide-ranging library of stories. Apart from the obvious ties to the original story, the show showcases a direct connection to King's famous novel via the cameo of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the narrative progresses, Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more beloved King story which merits a revisit.
The Haunting Story of The Shawshank Redemption
Although Shawshank Redemption isn't typically considered horror, particularly compared to a lot of King's other writing, it is a haunting tale of a innocently imprisoned individual condemned to live the rest of his life in a notorious penitentiary. And it's that very penitentiary which is central in this context, since Shawshank State Prison holds considerable history throughout King's stories — a pattern that continues in It: Welcome to Derry.
Among the stories that reference the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these stories, we learn about the terrible conditions at Shawshank State Prison and several of the inmates there, such as the boyfriend of a belonging to Pennywise's early targets, who was found guilty for robbery with a weapon.
So far, though, the most we've learned concerning Shawshank was via the perspective of the protagonist from The Shawshank Redemption, played by Tim Robbins in the 1994 movie. Andy winds up at the prison after his wrongful conviction, and experiences beaten and raped by other prisoners, while exploited by the officials in power for his expertise in finance. It takes nearly three decades to tunnel an escape route from Shawshank, before crawling "through sewage" to reclaim his freedom.
The Prison's Appearance in Welcome to Derry
Regarding It: Welcome to Derry, audiences first learned of Shawshank's involvement via an initial preview for the show, where a correctional transport was seen bearing the title displayed on its side. During the second episode, we learn who is probably destined for the prison.
Although we know he did not commit the child deaths initially, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for the crimes. A teaser for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," shows a guard telling Hank in his cell, "Do you know what happens to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Consequences 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 chances of clearing his name do not look good. Even should he does go in the prison and viewers don't follow him there, knowing what we do regarding Shawshank indicates that his experience would be far from pleasant.
Crucially, though, this situation would endanger Ronnie. He acts as her protector. Horrible things are occurring around Derry that nobody, child or adult, understands and Ronnie just has her new group circle of pals to rely on. She's going to need her dad as the story progresses, however should the prison system plays a role, she may be out of luck.
One thing is apparent: Hank doesn’t have three decades to dig to freedom.
It: Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are currently available on HBO Max. New episodes air weekly each Sunday.
