You Should Watch This Classic Stephen King Cinematic Before It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
The series It: Welcome to Derry is filled with nods to Stephen King's vast universe of narratives. Beyond the clear ties to the original story, the show also features an explicit link to King's famous novel via the appearance of a young Dick Hallorann. Currently, as the narrative unfolds, Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more beloved tale from King which merits a revisit.
The Haunting Story of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption isn't typically considered horror, particularly compared to much of the author's additional writing, it is a gripping tale of a wrongfully convicted man condemned to spend his remaining years inside a notorious prison. It is this specific institution that becomes important here, since the Shawshank facility possesses considerable history throughout King's fictional world — a tradition which persists in Welcome to Derry.
Some of the stories that reference Shawshank include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Through these narratives, we learn regarding the terrible conditions inside the state penitentiary and several of those imprisoned within, including the boyfriend of one belonging to Pennywise's initial victims, who had been found guilty for robbery with a weapon.
So far, however, the most we have discovered concerning Shawshank was through the perspective of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in the 1994 film. Andy ends up at the prison following his wrongful conviction, and experiences beaten and raped by fellow inmates, while taken advantage of by the authority figures due to his expertise in finance. He requires nearly three decades to tunnel an escape route from Shawshank, prior to crawling "through a river of shit" to reclaim his freedom.
The Prison's Role in Welcome to Derry
In relation to 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 painted on the side. During the second episode, it is revealed which character is likely destined for the prison.
Although we know he did not commit the child deaths in the first episode, Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. The preview for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," shows a guard informing Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what they do to kiddie killers in Shawshank?"
The Implications for the Character and His Daughter
Given that the actual killer in Derry is a primordial entity from another world preying on and killing kids, Hank's chances of proving his innocence appear slim. And even if he does go in the prison and viewers do not see him there, knowing what is known about that prison indicates that his time there would not be pleasant.
Crucially, though, this development could threaten Ronnie. He acts as her protector. Horrible things are happening around Derry that nobody, child or adult, comprehends and Ronnie only has her recently formed circle of pals to rely on. She's going to need her dad in the coming episodes, but if Shawshank plays a role, she could be out of luck.
One thing seems clear: Hank lacks 28 years to tunnel his way out.
It: Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now via the streaming service. Additional installments are released each week each Sunday.
