You Should Watch This Iconic Stephen King Cinematic Before the Series' Upcoming Installment
HBO's It: Welcome to Derry contains numerous nods to the author's vast collection of tales. Beyond the obvious ties to the original story, the show also features a direct connection to King's famous novel through the appearance of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the narrative unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is integrating another classic King story which merits another look.
The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
Although The Shawshank Redemption may not be classified as horror, especially in contrast with much of the author's additional writing, it is a gripping story of a innocently imprisoned individual sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a infamous penitentiary. It is that very penitentiary which is central here, as Shawshank State Prison holds significant lore throughout King's stories — a tradition that continues in Welcome to Derry.
Some of the stories which mention Shawshank include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Through these stories, we discover regarding the awful life at Shawshank State Prison and some of the inmates there, including the boyfriend of a of Pennywise's initial victims, who had been found guilty for robbery with a weapon.
So far, however, the majority we have discovered concerning Shawshank was via the perspective of Andy Dufresne from The Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 movie. Andy ends up at the prison following his wrongful conviction, then experiences beaten and raped by other prisoners, and exploited by those in authority figures for his expertise in finance. He requires him 28 years to tunnel his way out from Shawshank, prior to crawling "through sewage" to reclaim his freedom.
The Prison's Appearance in Welcome to Derry
In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, audiences initially discovered of Shawshank's involvement via an initial preview for the series, in which a prison bus was seen with the name painted on the side. In episode 2, we learn who is likely destined for Shawshank.
Although it is known he did not commit the murders of children in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. The preview for episode 3, "Now You See It," shows a guard telling a jailed Hank, "Are you aware what they do to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Consequences for Hank and Ronnie
Considering that the real killer in the town is an ancient power originating elsewhere hunting and killing children, Hank's chances of clearing his name do not look good. And even if he ends up to Shawshank and the audience don't follow him inside, knowing what is known regarding Shawshank indicates that his experience would be far from pleasant.
More importantly, however, this development would endanger his daughter. He acts as her protector. Terrible events are happening around Derry which no one, child or adult, comprehends and Ronnie only has her new group circle of pals to depend on. She's going to need her father as the story progresses, but if the prison system has any say, she could be without help.
A single fact is apparent: Hank doesn’t have three decades to tunnel to freedom.
Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now via the streaming service. Additional installments air weekly each Sunday.
