You Should Watch This Classic Stephen King Film Prior to It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
The series Welcome to Derry is packed with connections to the author's extensive library of stories. Apart from the clear links to the original story, the show also features an explicit connection to King's famous novel via the cameo of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Currently, as the story unfolds, Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more beloved tale from King which merits a revisit.
The Powerful Story of The Shawshank Redemption
While Shawshank Redemption may not be considered a horror film, particularly compared to a lot of King's other writing, it remains a haunting tale of a innocently imprisoned man condemned to spend the rest of his life inside a notorious prison. And it's that very penitentiary which is important here, since Shawshank State Prison holds significant lore across King's stories — a pattern which persists in It: Welcome to Derry.
Among the tales which mention Shawshank include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these stories, we discover about the awful life at the state penitentiary plus several of the inmates within, including the boyfriend of one belonging to Pennywise's early victims, who was convicted of armed robbery.
So far, though, the majority we've learned about the prison was via the perspective of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 movie. Andy winds up at the prison following his wrongful conviction, and experiences assaulted and abused by other prisoners, while taken advantage of by those in officials in power due to his expertise in finance. He requires him 28 years to tunnel an escape route of the prison, prior to crawling "through a river of shit" to take back his freedom.
Shawshank's Appearance in Welcome to Derry
Regarding It: Welcome to Derry, viewers first learned about the prison's involvement from an initial preview for the show, in which a correctional transport appeared bearing the title painted on the side. In episode 2, it is revealed which character is probably destined for Shawshank.
Though it is known he did not commit the murders of children initially, the character Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. The preview for episode 3, "Now You See It," reveals a guard telling Hank in his cell, "Do you know what happens to child murderers at that prison?"
The Implications for the Character and His Daughter
Considering that the real killer in Derry is a primordial entity originating elsewhere preying on and killing children, Hank's chances of proving his innocence appear slim. And even if he does go to Shawshank and the audience don't follow him inside, understanding what is known about that prison indicates that his time there would be far from enjoyable.
Crucially, though, this situation could threaten Ronnie. Hank is her protector. Terrible events are happening around Derry that nobody, young or old, understands and she only has her new group of friends to depend on. She's going to need her father in the coming episodes, however should the prison system plays a role, she may be out of luck.
One thing is apparent: Hank lacks three decades to dig to freedom.
It: Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are currently available on HBO Max. Additional installments are released each week on Sundays.