Make Time For This Legendary Stephen King Cinematic Prior to the Series' Upcoming Installment
The series Welcome to Derry is packed with connections to the author's wide-ranging collection of tales. Apart from the clear links to It, the series also features an explicit link to King's famous novel via the cameo of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the story unfolds, Welcome to Derry is integrating another beloved tale from King which merits another look.
The Powerful Story of The Shawshank Redemption
Although Shawshank Redemption may not be classified as a horror film, particularly compared to much of King's other writing, it is a gripping tale about an wrongfully convicted individual sentenced to live his remaining years in a infamous prison. And it's that very penitentiary that becomes important here, as Shawshank State Prison holds significant history across King's stories ā a pattern which persists within Welcome to Derry.
Some of the stories which mention Shawshank include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these narratives, we discover regarding the awful conditions at Shawshank State Prison plus several of the inmates there, including the boyfriend of a belonging to Pennywise's early targets, who had been convicted for robbery with a weapon.
So far, though, the majority we've learned about the prison was via the perspective of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 movie. Andy ends up at the prison following his wrongful conviction, then finds himself assaulted and abused by fellow inmates, while taken advantage of by those in officials in power due to his financial knowledge. It takes nearly three decades to dig an escape route of the prison, before making his way "through sewage" to take back his liberty.
The Prison's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry
In relation to the series, audiences first learned of Shawshank's inclusion from an initial preview for the show, in which a prison bus appeared bearing the title painted on the side. In episode 2, we learn who is probably destined for the prison.
Though it is known he was not responsible for the murders of children initially, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. The preview for the next episode, "Now You See It," reveals a guard informing Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what happens to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Implications for the Character and Ronnie
Considering that the actual killer in Derry is a primordial entity originating elsewhere hunting and murdering children, Hank's prospects of proving his innocence appear slim. And even if he ends up to Shawshank and viewers do not see him inside, knowing what is known about that prison indicates that his experience would be far from pleasant.
More importantly, though, this development would endanger Ronnie. Hank is her protector. Horrible things are occurring around Derry that nobody, child or adult, comprehends and she just has her new group of friends to depend on. She will require her dad in the coming episodes, however should the prison system has any say, she may be out of luck.
One thing is apparent: Hank lacks 28 years to dig his way out.
It: Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now on HBO Max. New episodes are released each week on Sundays.
