Make Time For One Legendary Stephen King Movie Before the Series' Upcoming Installment
The series It: Welcome to Derry is packed with connections to the author's wide-ranging library of stories. Beyond the obvious ties to It, the show also features a direct link to King's famous novel via the cameo of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Now, as the narrative unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more beloved King story which merits another look.
The Powerful Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption may not be classified as a horror film, particularly compared to a lot of King's other work, it remains a haunting tale of a wrongfully convicted man condemned to spend the rest of his life in a notorious penitentiary. And it's that very penitentiary that becomes important in this context, since Shawshank State Prison holds considerable lore across King's fictional world — a tradition that continues in Welcome to Derry.
Among the stories that reference Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these stories, we discover regarding the terrible life inside Shawshank State Prison and some of the inmates there, such as the partner of one belonging to Pennywise's initial targets, who had been found guilty for robbery with a weapon.
Thus far, though, the most we've learned about the prison has been through the perspective of the protagonist from Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. The character Andy winds up at the prison following being wrongly convicted, then experiences assaulted and raped by fellow inmates, while exploited by the authority figures due to his expertise in finance. He requires nearly three decades to dig his way out from Shawshank, prior to making his way "through a river of shit" to reclaim his freedom.
Shawshank's Appearance in Welcome to Derry
In relation to the series, audiences first learned of Shawshank's inclusion from an initial preview for the series, in which a prison bus was seen with the name displayed on its side. During the second episode, it is revealed who is likely destined for Shawshank.
Although it is known he did not responsible for the murders of children initially, Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for those offenses. The preview for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," shows a guard telling a jailed Hank, "Do you know what happens to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Consequences for the Character and His Daughter
Considering that the actual killer in the town is an ancient power from another world preying on and killing kids, Hank's chances of clearing his name do not look good. And even if he does go to Shawshank and viewers don't follow him inside, understanding what we do about that prison makes it clear that his experience would not be pleasant.
More importantly, however, this development would endanger Ronnie. Hank is her guardian. Horrible things are occurring in the town which no one, young or old, comprehends and Ronnie just has her recently formed circle of pals to depend on. She will require her father in the coming episodes, but if the prison system has any say, she could be out of luck.
A single fact seems clear: Hank lacks 28 years to tunnel his way out.
It: Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are currently available via the streaming service. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.
