Don't Miss One Legendary Stephen King Film Before It: Welcome to Derry's Next Episode
HBO's Welcome to Derry contains numerous connections to Stephen King's wide-ranging collection of tales. Beyond the obvious ties to the original story, the series showcases a direct connection to King's famous novel through the appearance of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the narrative progresses, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more classic tale from King that deserves another look.
The Powerful Story of The Shawshank Redemption
Although The Shawshank Redemption may not be classified as a horror film, especially in contrast with much of the author's additional writing, it remains a gripping story about an wrongfully convicted man sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a infamous prison. It is that very institution which is central in this context, since the Shawshank facility holds considerable lore throughout King's stories — a tradition which persists within It: Welcome to Derry.
Among the tales that reference the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Through these narratives, we learn about the terrible conditions inside the state penitentiary plus several of the inmates within, including the boyfriend of one belonging to Pennywise's early targets, who had been found guilty for robbery with a weapon.
Thus far, though, the most we've learned about the prison was through the perspective of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. The character Andy winds up at the prison after being wrongly convicted, and finds himself beaten and abused by other prisoners, while exploited by the authority figures due to his financial knowledge. He requires nearly three decades to tunnel his way out of the prison, prior to making his way "through sewage" to take back his liberty.
Shawshank's Role in Welcome to Derry
In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, viewers first learned about the prison's inclusion via an early trailer for the show, in which a prison bus was seen bearing the title displayed on its side. During the second episode, it is revealed which character is likely headed to the prison.
Although we know he was not responsible for the child deaths in the first episode, Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. A teaser for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," reveals an officer informing Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what happens to kiddie killers at that prison?"
The Consequences for Hank and Ronnie
Considering that the real murderer in the town is an ancient power from another world hunting and killing children, Hank's chances of proving his innocence appear slim. And even if he does go to Shawshank and viewers do not see him inside, knowing what we do regarding Shawshank indicates that his experience would be far from pleasant.
More importantly, however, this development could threaten Ronnie. He acts as her protector. Horrible things are occurring around Derry which no one, young or old, understands and Ronnie only has her recently formed circle of pals to depend on. She will require her dad in the coming episodes, but if the prison system plays a role, she may be out of luck.
One thing seems clear: Hank doesn’t have three decades to tunnel 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.
