Make Time For One Iconic Stephen King Film Prior to It: Welcome to Derry's Next Episode
The series It: Welcome to Derry is filled with nods to the author's vast collection of tales. Apart from the obvious ties to the original story, the show includes a direct link to The Shining through the cameo of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Currently, as the story progresses, It: Welcome to Derry is integrating one more beloved tale from King which merits another look.
The Powerful Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered a horror film, especially in contrast with much of King's other work, it is a haunting tale about an wrongfully convicted man sentenced to spend the rest of his life inside a infamous prison. And it's this specific institution which is important in this context, since the Shawshank facility holds considerable lore throughout King's stories — a pattern that continues in Welcome to Derry.
Some of the stories which mention Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these stories, we discover about the terrible life inside Shawshank State Prison plus several of those imprisoned there, such as the partner of one belonging to Pennywise's initial targets, who had been convicted for robbery with a weapon.
Thus far, however, the most we have discovered concerning Shawshank was via the eyes of the protagonist from The Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in the 1994 movie. Andy winds up at the prison following being wrongly convicted, then finds himself assaulted and abused by fellow inmates, and exploited by those in officials in power due to his financial knowledge. It takes nearly three decades to tunnel an escape route of the prison, prior to making his way "through sewage" to reclaim his freedom.
Shawshank's Appearance in Welcome to Derry
Regarding the series, audiences first learned of Shawshank's inclusion from an initial preview for the show, where a correctional transport appeared with the name painted on the side. In episode 2, it is revealed which character is likely destined for the prison.
Although it is known he was not commit the child deaths in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for those offenses. The preview for episode 3, "Now You See It," shows a guard telling a jailed Hank, "Are you aware what happens to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Implications for the Character and Ronnie
Considering that the real killer in the town is an ancient power originating elsewhere hunting and killing children, Hank's chances of proving his innocence appear slim. And even if he ends up to Shawshank and viewers do not see him there, understanding what we do about that prison indicates that his experience would be far from pleasant.
More importantly, however, this situation would endanger his daughter. He acts as her protector. Horrible things are happening in the town that nobody, young or old, understands and she only has her recently formed of friends to depend on. She will require her dad as the story progresses, but if Shawshank plays a role, she may be without help.
One thing seems clear: Hank doesn’t have 28 years to tunnel his way out.
It: Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now on HBO Max. New episodes air weekly each Sunday.
