Make Time For One Legendary Stephen King Movie Before the Series' Next Episode
HBO's It: Welcome to Derry contains numerous references to the author's wide-ranging universe of narratives. Beyond the clear ties to It, the show also features a direct link to The Shining through the appearance of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the narrative progresses, Welcome to Derry is weaving in another classic King story that deserves 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 the author's additional writing, it remains a haunting tale of a innocently imprisoned man sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a infamous prison. And it's this specific penitentiary which is central here, as the Shawshank facility possesses considerable lore throughout King's fictional world — a pattern which persists within Welcome to Derry.
Some of the tales that reference the prison include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Through these narratives, we discover regarding the terrible life inside Shawshank State Prison plus several of those imprisoned within, including the boyfriend of one belonging to Pennywise's early targets, who was convicted for robbery with a weapon.
Thus far, though, the majority we've learned about the prison has been through the eyes of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 movie. The character Andy ends up at the prison after his wrongful conviction, then finds himself assaulted and raped by other prisoners, and exploited by the authority figures for his financial knowledge. It takes him 28 years to dig his way out of the prison, prior to crawling "through a river of shit" to reclaim his liberty.
The Prison's Appearance in Welcome to Derry
Regarding It: Welcome to Derry, viewers first learned of Shawshank's involvement from an initial preview for the series, where a prison bus appeared bearing the title displayed on its side. In episode 2, we learn which character is probably destined for Shawshank.
Though it is known he was not commit the child deaths in the first episode, Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for the crimes. A teaser for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," shows an officer informing Hank in his cell, "Do you know what happens to child murderers at that prison?"
The Implications for the Character and His Daughter
Given that the actual killer in the town is an ancient power originating elsewhere preying on and murdering kids, Hank's chances of clearing his name do not look good. And even if he ends up in the prison and the audience do not see him there, understanding what we do about that prison indicates that his experience would be far from enjoyable.
More importantly, however, this development could threaten his daughter. Hank is her protector. Horrible things are happening in the town that nobody, child or adult, comprehends and Ronnie just has her new group circle of pals to depend on. She will require her father as the story progresses, 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 dig his way out.
Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are currently available via the streaming service. New episodes air weekly each Sunday.
