You Should Watch One Legendary Stephen King Movie Prior to the Series' Next Episode
HBO's It: Welcome to Derry contains numerous nods to Stephen King's wide-ranging library of stories. Beyond the obvious ties to the original story, the series also features an explicit connection to King's famous novel through the cameo of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the story progresses, Welcome to Derry is integrating one more classic tale from King that deserves another look.
The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption may not be classified as horror, especially compared to a lot of the author's additional writing, it is a gripping tale about an wrongfully convicted man condemned to spend his remaining years inside a notorious penitentiary. And it's that very penitentiary which is central here, as Shawshank State Prison holds considerable lore across King's stories — a pattern that continues within Welcome to Derry.
Among the tales which mention Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these stories, we discover about the awful conditions inside Shawshank State Prison and some of the inmates there, such as the boyfriend of a belonging to Pennywise's early victims, who was convicted of armed robbery.
So far, however, the most we've learned concerning Shawshank has been via the eyes of the protagonist in The Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. The character Andy ends up at the prison following his wrongful conviction, and experiences beaten and abused by other prisoners, while taken advantage of by those in officials in power for his expertise in finance. He requires nearly three decades to dig his way out of the prison, before crawling "through sewage" to reclaim his liberty.
Shawshank's Appearance in Welcome to Derry
Regarding It: Welcome to Derry, audiences initially discovered about the prison's inclusion via an initial preview for the show, in which a prison bus appeared with the name painted on the side. During the second episode, we learn who is probably headed to Shawshank.
Though it is known he was not responsible for the child deaths initially, the character Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for the crimes. The preview for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," reveals an officer telling a jailed Hank, "Do you know what they do to child murderers at that prison?"
The Implications for Hank and His Daughter
Considering that the real killer in the town is an ancient power originating elsewhere preying on and murdering kids, Hank's chances of clearing his name appear slim. Even should he does go in the prison and viewers don't follow him there, understanding what is known regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his experience would be far from enjoyable.
More importantly, though, this situation could threaten Ronnie. Hank is her protector. Terrible events are occurring in the town that nobody, child or adult, understands and she just has her new group circle of pals to rely on. She will require her father in the coming episodes, however should the prison system plays a role, she may be without help.
One thing is apparent: Hank lacks 28 years to dig to freedom.
It: Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now via the streaming service. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.
