Don't Miss This Classic Stephen King Film Prior to It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
The series It: Welcome to Derry is filled with connections to the author's extensive universe of narratives. Beyond the clear ties to the original story, the series includes a direct link to King's famous novel through the cameo of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the narrative progresses, Welcome to Derry is integrating one more classic tale from King which merits a revisit.
The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
Although The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered horror, especially in contrast with a lot of King's other writing, it is a haunting tale about an innocently imprisoned man condemned to live his remaining years in a notorious penitentiary. And it's that very penitentiary which is central in this context, as Shawshank State Prison holds considerable lore across King's stories — a tradition which persists in It: Welcome to Derry.
Some of the stories that reference the prison include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these stories, we learn about the terrible life at Shawshank State Prison plus some of those imprisoned there, including the boyfriend of one belonging to Pennywise's initial victims, who was found guilty of armed robbery.
So far, though, the majority we've learned concerning Shawshank was through the eyes of the protagonist in Shawshank Redemption, played by Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. The character Andy ends up at the prison following being wrongly convicted, and experiences assaulted and abused by other prisoners, while taken advantage of by the officials in power for his expertise in finance. He requires nearly three decades to tunnel an escape route of the prison, before crawling "through a river of shit" to take back his freedom.
The Prison's Role in Welcome to Derry
Regarding the series, audiences initially discovered of Shawshank's involvement via an early trailer for the series, where a prison bus was seen bearing the title painted on the side. During the second episode, we learn which character is probably destined for the prison.
Although it is known he was not responsible for the murders of children initially, Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for those offenses. A teaser for episode 3, "the upcoming installment," shows an officer telling Hank in his cell, "Do you know what happens to child murderers at that prison?"
The Consequences for Hank and His Daughter
Given that the actual murderer in Derry is an ancient power from another world preying on and murdering children, Hank's chances of proving his innocence appear slim. Even should he ends up in the prison and the audience don't follow him there, knowing what we do regarding Shawshank indicates that his time there would be far from enjoyable.
More importantly, though, this development could threaten his daughter. Hank is her protector. Terrible events are occurring in the town which no one, young or old, understands and she just has her new group circle of pals to rely on. She's going to need her father in the coming episodes, but if the prison system plays a role, she may be out of luck.
A single fact is apparent: Hank doesn’t have three decades to dig to freedom.
Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now on HBO Max. Additional installments are released each week on Sundays.
