Make Time For This Classic Stephen King Movie Before the Series' Next Episode
The series Welcome to Derry contains numerous nods to the author's wide-ranging collection of tales. Apart from the obvious ties to It, the show also features a direct link to King's famous novel via the appearance of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the narrative unfolds, Welcome to Derry is weaving in another classic tale from King that deserves a revisit.
The Powerful Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While Shawshank Redemption may not be classified as horror, especially compared to much of King's other writing, it is a gripping story of a wrongfully convicted individual condemned to live his remaining years in a notorious penitentiary. And it's that very penitentiary which is central here, as Shawshank State Prison possesses considerable history across King's stories — a pattern that continues in It: Welcome to Derry.
Among the tales which mention Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these narratives, we learn regarding the awful conditions at the state penitentiary and several of the inmates there, such as the boyfriend of a of Pennywise's early victims, who was found guilty for robbery with a weapon.
Thus far, though, the majority we have discovered concerning Shawshank was through the eyes of the protagonist from Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. Andy winds up in Shawshank after being wrongly convicted, and experiences assaulted and raped by fellow inmates, while exploited by the authority figures due to his financial knowledge. It takes him 28 years to tunnel an escape route of the prison, prior to crawling "through sewage" to take back his freedom.
Shawshank's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry
Regarding It: Welcome to Derry, audiences initially discovered of Shawshank's inclusion via an initial preview for the series, where a prison bus was seen bearing the title displayed on its side. In episode 2, we learn which character is probably destined for the prison.
Though it is known he did not responsible for the child deaths initially, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for those offenses. A teaser for the next episode, "Now You See It," shows an officer telling a jailed Hank, "Do you know what they do to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Implications for Hank and Ronnie
Considering that the actual murderer in the town is a primordial entity originating elsewhere preying on and murdering children, Hank's chances of clearing his name do not look good. And even if he does go to Shawshank and viewers do not see him inside, knowing what is known regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his experience would be far from enjoyable.
More importantly, however, this development would endanger his daughter. Hank is her guardian. Terrible events are happening around Derry which no one, child or adult, comprehends and she just has her recently formed of friends to rely on. She will require her father in the coming episodes, but if Shawshank plays a role, she may be out of luck.
One thing is apparent: Hank lacks three decades to tunnel to freedom.
It: Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now via the streaming service. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.
