Don't Miss One Iconic Stephen King Film Prior to It: Welcome to Derry's Next Episode
The series It: Welcome to Derry is filled with connections to the author's vast universe of narratives. Beyond the clear ties to the original story, the series includes a direct link to King's famous novel via the cameo of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Now, as the story unfolds, Welcome to Derry is integrating one more classic tale from King that deserves another look.
The Powerful Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered horror, especially in contrast with a lot of King's other writing, it is a haunting story of a innocently imprisoned man condemned to spend his remaining years inside a notorious penitentiary. And it's that very penitentiary which is central here, since the Shawshank facility possesses considerable history across King's stories — a tradition which persists within Welcome to Derry.
Some of the tales that reference Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these narratives, we learn regarding the terrible conditions inside the state penitentiary plus some of the inmates within, such as the partner of a of Pennywise's early targets, who was convicted of armed robbery.
Thus far, though, the majority we have discovered about the prison was via the eyes of the protagonist from Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 movie. Andy ends up in Shawshank following his wrongful conviction, and finds himself beaten and raped by other prisoners, while taken advantage of by the authority figures for his expertise in finance. He requires him 28 years to tunnel 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, audiences first learned about the prison's inclusion via an initial preview for the series, where a correctional transport was seen with the name displayed on its side. During the second episode, we learn who is likely headed to the prison.
Although it is known he was not responsible for the child deaths initially, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. A teaser for the next episode, "Now You See It," reveals a guard telling a jailed Hank, "Do you know what they do to child murderers at that prison?"
The Consequences for the Character and His Daughter
Considering that the real murderer in the town is an ancient power originating elsewhere hunting and killing kids, Hank's prospects of clearing his name do not look good. Even should he does go in the prison and viewers don't follow him inside, understanding what is known about that prison indicates that his time there would be far from pleasant.
Crucially, however, this situation would endanger Ronnie. He acts as her protector. Horrible things are occurring in the town that nobody, child or adult, understands and she just has her new group of friends to depend on. She's going to need her father as the story progresses, however should Shawshank plays a role, she could be without help.
One thing seems clear: Hank doesn’t have three decades to tunnel his way out.
Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are currently available on HBO Max. New episodes are released each week each Sunday.
