Don't Miss One Classic Stephen King Movie Prior to It: Welcome to Derry's Next Episode
HBO's Welcome to Derry is filled with connections to the author's extensive universe of narratives. Apart from the obvious links to the original story, the series also features a direct link to King's famous novel through the cameo of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Now, as the narrative unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is integrating another classic King story that deserves another look.
The Haunting Story of The Shawshank Redemption
Although The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered horror, especially compared to a lot of the author's additional work, it remains a haunting tale of a wrongfully convicted individual condemned to live the rest of his life in a infamous penitentiary. It is this specific penitentiary which is central here, since Shawshank State Prison holds significant history throughout King's fictional world — a tradition which persists in Welcome to Derry.
Among the stories which mention Shawshank include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Through these narratives, we discover regarding the awful conditions inside the state penitentiary and some of the inmates there, such as the boyfriend of one of Pennywise's early victims, who was convicted of armed robbery.
Thus far, though, the majority we've learned about the prison has been through the eyes of Andy Dufresne from The Shawshank Redemption, played by Tim Robbins in the 1994 film. The character Andy ends up at the prison after his wrongful conviction, then finds himself assaulted and abused by fellow inmates, while exploited by the officials in power due to his financial knowledge. He requires nearly three decades to tunnel an escape route from Shawshank, prior to making his way "through sewage" to take back his liberty.
The Prison's Role in It: Welcome to Derry
In relation to the series, viewers first learned of Shawshank's inclusion via an initial preview for the show, where a prison bus was seen bearing the title displayed on its side. During the second episode, we learn which character is probably destined for Shawshank.
Though it is known he was not commit the murders of children initially, the character 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 an officer informing a jailed Hank, "Do you know what they do to kiddie killers in Shawshank?"
The Implications for the Character and His Daughter
Considering that the actual killer in Derry is a primordial entity from another world preying on and murdering kids, Hank's chances of proving his innocence do not look good. And even if he ends up to Shawshank and the audience do not see him there, knowing what we do regarding Shawshank indicates that his experience would not be pleasant.
Crucially, though, this situation could threaten his daughter. He acts as her protector. Horrible things are happening around Derry that nobody, child or adult, comprehends and she only has her new group of friends to rely on. She's going to need her father as the story progresses, but if the prison system plays a role, she may be without help.
A single fact seems clear: Hank lacks 28 years to dig his way out.
Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are currently available via the streaming service. Additional installments are released each week each Sunday.
