Make Time For One Classic Stephen King Film Before It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
HBO's Welcome to Derry contains numerous connections to the author's extensive universe of narratives. Beyond the clear links to It, the show includes an explicit connection to The Shining via the appearance of a young Dick Hallorann. Currently, as the narrative unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more beloved tale from King which merits another look.
The Haunting Story of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption isn't typically classified as horror, particularly in contrast with much of the author's additional writing, it remains a gripping tale of a innocently imprisoned individual sentenced to live his remaining years in a notorious penitentiary. It is that very institution which is important here, since the Shawshank facility holds significant lore throughout King's stories — a tradition that continues within It: Welcome to Derry.
Some of the tales that reference Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these stories, we learn about the terrible conditions inside Shawshank State Prison plus several of the inmates there, such as the partner of a of Pennywise's early targets, who was convicted of armed robbery.
So far, however, the most we have discovered concerning Shawshank was via the perspective of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 movie. The character Andy ends up at the prison after being wrongly convicted, and finds himself assaulted and raped by other prisoners, and exploited by the officials in power due to his financial knowledge. He requires nearly three decades to tunnel an escape route from Shawshank, prior to crawling "through sewage" to reclaim his freedom.
The Prison's Appearance in Welcome to Derry
Regarding It: Welcome to Derry, audiences first learned of Shawshank's involvement from an early trailer for the show, in which a correctional transport appeared with the name displayed on its side. In episode 2, it is revealed who is probably destined for the prison.
Though it is known he was not responsible for the child deaths initially, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for the crimes. A teaser for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," shows a guard telling Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what happens to kiddie killers at that prison?"
The Consequences for Hank and Ronnie
Considering that the real killer in Derry is a primordial entity originating elsewhere hunting and murdering children, Hank's chances of clearing his name do not look good. Even should he does go in the prison and viewers do not see him there, understanding what is known about that prison makes it clear that his experience would not be pleasant.
More importantly, though, this situation would endanger Ronnie. Hank is her guardian. Terrible events are happening in the town that nobody, child or adult, comprehends and she just has her new group of friends to depend on. She will require her father in the coming episodes, but if the prison system plays a role, she may be out of luck.
A single fact seems clear: Hank doesn’t have three decades to tunnel to freedom.
It: Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are currently available on HBO Max. New episodes air weekly each Sunday.
