You Should Watch One Classic Stephen King Movie Prior to the Series' Next Episode
The series Welcome to Derry contains numerous nods to the author's wide-ranging collection of tales. Beyond the clear ties to It, the series showcases a direct connection to King's famous novel through the cameo of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the story progresses, It: Welcome to Derry is integrating another beloved tale from King which merits another look.
The Powerful Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered horror, particularly in contrast with much of the author's additional work, it is a gripping tale about an wrongfully convicted man condemned to spend his remaining years inside a notorious penitentiary. It is that very penitentiary which is central in this context, since the Shawshank facility holds considerable history across King's stories — a pattern which persists in Welcome to Derry.
Some of the tales that reference the prison include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Via these stories, we learn regarding the awful conditions inside the state penitentiary plus several of the inmates within, such as the partner of a of Pennywise's initial targets, who was found guilty of armed robbery.
So far, though, the most we've learned concerning Shawshank has been through the eyes of Andy Dufresne from The Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 film. The character Andy winds up in Shawshank following being wrongly convicted, and experiences assaulted and raped by other prisoners, and exploited by the authority figures for his financial knowledge. 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.
Shawshank's Appearance in Welcome to Derry
In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, audiences first learned of Shawshank's inclusion via an initial preview for the show, in which a prison bus appeared bearing the title displayed on its side. During the second episode, we learn who is likely destined for Shawshank.
Though we know he was not responsible for the murders of children initially, 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 happens to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Implications for Hank and His Daughter
Given that the real murderer in the town is an ancient power originating elsewhere preying on and murdering children, Hank's chances of proving his innocence do not look good. And even if he does go in the prison and viewers don't follow him there, knowing what we do about that prison makes it clear that his time there would be far from pleasant.
More importantly, however, this situation could threaten Ronnie. Hank is her guardian. Terrible events are occurring in the town which no one, young or old, comprehends and she just has her new group of friends to depend on. She will require her father in the coming episodes, however should the prison system has any say, she may be out of luck.
A single fact seems clear: Hank doesn’t have 28 years to tunnel to freedom.
It: Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are currently available on HBO Max. Additional installments are released each week on Sundays.
