Make Time For This Iconic Stephen King Movie Prior to the Series' Next Episode
The series Welcome to Derry is filled with nods to the author's extensive collection of tales. Apart from the obvious links to the original story, the series showcases a direct connection to The Shining via the appearance of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the narrative progresses, Welcome to Derry is integrating another classic tale from King which merits another look.
The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered a horror film, especially in contrast with a lot of King's other work, it remains a gripping tale about an wrongfully convicted individual sentenced to live his remaining years inside a notorious penitentiary. It is that very penitentiary that becomes important here, as the Shawshank facility holds considerable lore across King's fictional world — a pattern that continues within Welcome to Derry.
Some of the stories which mention Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Through these narratives, we learn regarding the terrible life inside Shawshank State Prison and several of the inmates there, such as the partner of a of Pennywise's initial targets, who was found guilty for robbery with a weapon.
Thus far, though, the most we've learned about the prison has been through the perspective of the protagonist in Shawshank Redemption, played by Tim Robbins in the 1994 film. The character Andy ends up in Shawshank following being wrongly convicted, and finds himself assaulted and abused by other prisoners, while taken advantage of by the authority figures for his expertise in finance. It takes him 28 years to dig his way out of the prison, before making his way "through sewage" to take back his freedom.
The Prison's Role in Welcome to Derry
In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, audiences initially discovered about the prison's inclusion from an early trailer for the show, in which a prison bus appeared bearing the title painted on the side. During the second episode, it is revealed which character is probably headed to Shawshank.
Although it is known he was not commit the child deaths in the first episode, Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for those offenses. A teaser for the next episode, "Now You See It," reveals a guard informing Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what they do to child murderers at that prison?"
The Implications for Hank and His Daughter
Considering that the real killer in the town is a primordial entity from another world hunting and murdering kids, Hank's chances of proving his innocence appear slim. And even if he ends up in the prison and viewers don't follow him there, understanding what we do regarding Shawshank indicates that his time there would be far from pleasant.
Crucially, though, this situation could threaten Ronnie. Hank is her protector. Terrible events are occurring in the town that nobody, young or old, understands and she only 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 may be without help.
A single fact seems clear: Hank lacks three decades to dig to freedom.
Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now on HBO Max. New episodes are released each week on Sundays.
