You Should Watch This Classic Stephen King Movie Prior to the Series' Upcoming Installment
HBO's Welcome to Derry is filled with nods to the author's wide-ranging universe of narratives. Beyond the clear ties to It, the show includes an explicit link to King's famous novel through the cameo of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the narrative progresses, It: Welcome to Derry is integrating one more classic tale from King which merits a revisit.
The Powerful Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
Although Shawshank Redemption isn't typically considered a horror film, especially compared to a lot of the author's additional writing, it remains a haunting tale of a wrongfully convicted man condemned to live his remaining years in a notorious penitentiary. And it's that very penitentiary that becomes central in this context, as the Shawshank facility holds considerable lore across King's fictional world — a tradition that continues in Welcome to Derry.
Among the tales which mention Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these narratives, we learn about the terrible life at the state penitentiary plus several of the inmates within, including the boyfriend of a of Pennywise's early targets, who was convicted of armed robbery.
So far, however, the majority we've learned concerning Shawshank has been through the perspective of the protagonist from The Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. Andy winds up at the prison after his wrongful conviction, then experiences assaulted and raped by fellow inmates, while taken advantage of by the authority figures for his financial knowledge. It takes nearly three decades to dig an escape route of the prison, prior to crawling "through a river of shit" to reclaim his liberty.
Shawshank's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry
In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, audiences first learned about the prison's inclusion via an initial preview for the show, in which a correctional transport was seen with the name displayed on its side. In episode 2, it is revealed who is likely destined for Shawshank.
Though it is known he did not commit the murders of children initially, Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. A teaser for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," shows a guard telling a jailed Hank, "Do you know what happens to kiddie killers in Shawshank?"
The Consequences for Hank and His Daughter
Considering that the actual murderer in the town is an ancient power originating elsewhere preying on and killing children, Hank's prospects of clearing his name appear slim. And even if he does go in the prison and viewers do not see him inside, knowing what we do about that prison indicates that his time there would not be pleasant.
More importantly, though, this development could threaten Ronnie. He acts as her protector. Horrible things are occurring around Derry which no one, young or old, comprehends and Ronnie just has her recently formed of friends to depend on. She will require her dad in the coming episodes, but if Shawshank has any say, she may be without help.
A single fact is apparent: Hank lacks 28 years to dig his way out.
Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now on HBO Max. New episodes are released each week on Sundays.
