Don't Miss This Legendary Stephen King Movie Prior to the Series' Upcoming Installment
The series It: Welcome to Derry is packed with nods to Stephen King's extensive library of stories. Beyond the obvious links to the original story, the series also features a direct connection to King's famous novel via the cameo of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the story progresses, Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more beloved tale from King which merits another look.
The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption isn't typically considered horror, particularly in contrast with a lot of King's other writing, it is a haunting tale about an wrongfully convicted man condemned to spend the rest of his life in a notorious penitentiary. It is this specific penitentiary which is central here, as the Shawshank facility possesses considerable history across King's fictional world — a tradition which persists in It: Welcome to Derry.
Some of the tales which mention Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these stories, we discover about the terrible conditions at Shawshank State Prison plus several of those imprisoned there, such as the partner of one belonging to Pennywise's early targets, who had been found guilty of armed robbery.
So far, though, the majority we have discovered about the prison has been through the perspective of the protagonist in The Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. Andy ends up in Shawshank after his wrongful conviction, then finds himself assaulted and raped by fellow inmates, while exploited by those in officials in power for his expertise in finance. It takes him 28 years to tunnel his way out from Shawshank, before making his way "through a river of shit" to reclaim his freedom.
The Prison's Role in Welcome to Derry
Regarding It: Welcome to Derry, viewers first learned about the prison's inclusion via an initial preview for the show, where a correctional transport was seen with the name displayed on its side. During the second episode, it is revealed who is probably destined for the prison.
Although it is known he was not responsible for the child deaths in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. A teaser for the next episode, "Now You See It," shows a guard telling a jailed Hank, "Are you aware what happens to kiddie killers at that prison?"
The Consequences for Hank and His Daughter
Considering that the actual murderer in Derry is an ancient power originating elsewhere preying on and murdering 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 inside, knowing what we do about that prison indicates that his time there would be far from pleasant.
Crucially, however, this situation would endanger Ronnie. He acts as her guardian. Horrible things are occurring in the town which no one, child or adult, understands and she only has her recently formed of friends to rely on. She's going to need her dad in the coming episodes, however should the prison system plays a role, she could be out of luck.
A single fact seems clear: Hank doesn’t have three decades to tunnel to freedom.
It: Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now on HBO Max. Additional installments air weekly each Sunday.
