Make Time For One Legendary Stephen King Movie Prior to the Series' Upcoming Installment
HBO's Welcome to Derry is filled with references to Stephen King's wide-ranging library of stories. Beyond the clear ties to It, the show also features an explicit connection to King's famous novel through the cameo of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Currently, as the story unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more classic tale from King which merits a revisit.
The Haunting Story of The Shawshank Redemption
While Shawshank Redemption isn't typically classified as a horror film, especially in contrast with much of the author's additional writing, it is a gripping story of a innocently imprisoned individual condemned to live the rest of his life in a notorious penitentiary. And it's that very institution which is important here, since Shawshank State Prison holds considerable history throughout King's stories — a pattern that continues within Welcome to Derry.
Among the tales that reference the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these stories, we discover about the awful life at Shawshank State Prison plus some of the inmates there, including the partner of one belonging to Pennywise's early targets, who had been found guilty of armed robbery.
So far, however, the most we've learned about the prison was via the eyes of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 movie. Andy ends up in Shawshank after being wrongly convicted, and finds himself assaulted and abused by fellow inmates, while exploited by the authority figures for his financial knowledge. He requires him 28 years to tunnel an escape route from Shawshank, prior to making his way "through sewage" to reclaim his liberty.
The Prison's Role in It: Welcome to Derry
In relation to the series, audiences initially discovered about the prison's inclusion from an initial preview for the series, in which a correctional transport appeared bearing the title displayed on its side. During the second episode, we learn which character is likely headed to the prison.
Although it is known he did not commit the child deaths in the first episode, Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. The preview for episode 3, "the upcoming installment," reveals an officer informing a jailed Hank, "Do you know what they do to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Implications for the Character and Ronnie
Given that the real killer in the town is a primordial entity originating elsewhere preying on and killing kids, Hank's prospects of proving his innocence do not look good. Even should he ends up to Shawshank and the audience don't follow him inside, understanding what we do about that prison makes it clear that his experience would be far from pleasant.
Crucially, though, this situation could threaten Ronnie. Hank is her guardian. Horrible things are happening around Derry that nobody, young or old, comprehends and she only has her new group circle of pals to rely on. She's going to need her dad as the story progresses, however should the prison system plays a role, she may be out of luck.
One thing is apparent: Hank doesn’t have 28 years to tunnel his way out.
Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are currently available on HBO Max. New episodes air weekly each Sunday.
