Make Time For One Legendary Stephen King Cinematic Before the Series' Next Episode
HBO's It: Welcome to Derry contains numerous references to Stephen King's wide-ranging collection of tales. Apart from the obvious ties to It, the series also features an explicit link to King's famous novel through the cameo of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the narrative progresses, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more beloved tale from King which merits a revisit.
The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While Shawshank Redemption may not be considered horror, especially in contrast with a lot of King's other writing, it is a haunting tale of a wrongfully convicted individual condemned to spend his remaining years in a infamous penitentiary. And it's this specific penitentiary which is central in this context, as Shawshank State Prison possesses significant history across King's fictional world — a tradition which persists in Welcome to Derry.
Among the stories that reference Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Via these narratives, we learn about the awful life at the state penitentiary plus some of the inmates within, such as the boyfriend of a belonging to Pennywise's early victims, who was convicted of armed robbery.
So far, however, the majority we have discovered about the prison has been through the eyes of Andy Dufresne from Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. The character Andy ends up at the prison after his wrongful conviction, then experiences beaten and abused by other prisoners, and taken advantage of by the officials in power due to his financial knowledge. He requires him 28 years to dig an escape route from Shawshank, before crawling "through sewage" to reclaim his liberty.
The Prison's Role in It: Welcome to Derry
In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, viewers first learned about the prison's inclusion via an early trailer for the show, in which a correctional transport appeared bearing the title painted on the side. During the second episode, it is revealed who is probably destined for the prison.
Although we know he did not commit the murders of children initially, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. A teaser for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," reveals an officer informing Hank in his cell, "Do you know what they do to kiddie killers at that prison?"
The Consequences for Hank and Ronnie
Considering that the actual murderer in the town is an ancient power originating elsewhere preying on and killing children, Hank's chances of proving his innocence do not look good. And even if he ends up in the prison and viewers do not see him inside, understanding what is known about that prison indicates that his experience would be far from enjoyable.
Crucially, however, this situation would endanger Ronnie. Hank is her guardian. Terrible events are occurring around Derry which no one, child or adult, comprehends and she only has her new group of friends to rely on. She's going to need her dad in the coming episodes, however should the prison system has any say, she may be out of luck.
One thing seems clear: Hank lacks 28 years to dig his way out.
Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now on HBO Max. New episodes are released each week each Sunday.
