Make Time For One Legendary Stephen King Cinematic Before the Series' Upcoming Installment
The series Welcome to Derry contains numerous nods to the author's vast collection of tales. Beyond the clear links to the original story, the series also features a direct connection to King's famous novel through the cameo of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Currently, as the story progresses, Welcome to Derry is integrating one more classic King story that deserves a revisit.
The Powerful Story of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption may not be classified as horror, especially compared to much of King's other work, it is a haunting story about an wrongfully convicted man condemned to live the rest of his life inside a notorious prison. And it's this specific institution which is central here, since the Shawshank facility possesses significant history throughout King's fictional world — a pattern that continues in Welcome to Derry.
Some of the stories that reference the prison include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Via these narratives, we discover regarding the terrible life inside Shawshank State Prison and several of the inmates within, such as the boyfriend of a of Pennywise's initial targets, who had been convicted of armed robbery.
So far, however, the most we've learned concerning Shawshank has been through the perspective of the protagonist in The Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 movie. The character Andy winds up in Shawshank after his wrongful conviction, and finds himself assaulted and raped by other prisoners, and exploited by those in officials in power due to his financial knowledge. He requires nearly three decades to tunnel his way out from Shawshank, before making his way "through sewage" to reclaim his liberty.
Shawshank's Role in It: Welcome to Derry
In relation to the series, viewers first learned about the prison's involvement from an initial preview for the show, in which a prison bus appeared with the name displayed on its side. In episode 2, it is revealed which character is probably headed to the prison.
Though it is known he did not commit the murders of children initially, Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for the crimes. The preview for episode 3, "Now You See It," reveals an officer telling Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what happens to child murderers at that prison?"
The Implications for the Character and Ronnie
Given that the actual murderer in Derry is an ancient power from another world hunting and murdering kids, Hank's prospects of proving his innocence appear slim. Even should he ends up in the prison and viewers don't follow him there, knowing what is known regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his experience would be far from enjoyable.
More importantly, however, this development could threaten Ronnie. Hank is her protector. Horrible things are happening in the town that nobody, young or old, understands and she only has her recently formed of friends to depend on. She will require her dad in the coming episodes, but if Shawshank has any say, she could be without help.
A single fact seems clear: Hank lacks three decades to tunnel to freedom.
It: Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now on HBO Max. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.
