Make Time For This Iconic Stephen King Cinematic Prior to It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
HBO's It: Welcome to Derry is packed with references to the author's wide-ranging collection of tales. Beyond the clear ties to the original story, the show showcases an explicit connection to The Shining via the cameo of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the narrative unfolds, Welcome to Derry is weaving in another classic King story that deserves a revisit.
The Powerful Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
Although The Shawshank Redemption isn't typically classified as horror, especially in contrast with a lot of the author's additional writing, it remains a haunting tale of a wrongfully convicted man sentenced to spend the rest of his life inside a notorious prison. It is that very penitentiary that becomes central in this context, as the Shawshank facility holds considerable lore across King's stories — a tradition which persists within It: Welcome to Derry.
Among the stories which mention the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these stories, we discover regarding the terrible conditions at Shawshank State Prison plus some of those imprisoned there, such as the partner of a belonging to Pennywise's early victims, who was found guilty of armed robbery.
Thus far, however, the majority we've learned concerning Shawshank was via the eyes of the protagonist in Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. The character Andy winds up in Shawshank following his wrongful conviction, then finds himself beaten and raped by fellow inmates, while taken advantage of by the authority figures for his financial knowledge. He requires him 28 years to tunnel an escape route from Shawshank, before making his way "through sewage" to take back his liberty.
The Prison's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry
In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, audiences initially discovered of Shawshank's involvement via an initial preview for the show, in which a prison bus was seen with the name painted on the side. During the second episode, it is revealed who is likely headed to Shawshank.
Although it is known he did not commit the child deaths in the first episode, 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 Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what they do to kiddie killers in Shawshank?"
The Implications for Hank and His Daughter
Given that the real killer in the town is an ancient power from another world hunting and killing kids, Hank's chances of clearing his name do not look good. And even if he does go in the prison and the audience do not see him inside, understanding what is known about that prison indicates that his experience would be far from pleasant.
Crucially, however, this situation would endanger his daughter. Hank is her guardian. Horrible things are occurring around Derry which no one, young or old, understands and Ronnie 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 could be without help.
A single fact is apparent: Hank lacks three decades to dig his way out.
It: Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are currently available on HBO Max. New episodes air weekly each Sunday.
