Make Time For This Classic Stephen King Film Before It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
HBO's Welcome to Derry is filled with references to the author's extensive library of stories. Beyond the obvious links to It, the series also features an explicit link to King's famous novel through the cameo of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the narrative unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is integrating another classic King story that deserves a revisit.
The Powerful Story of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption isn't typically classified as a horror film, particularly in contrast with a lot of the author's additional writing, it is a haunting tale of a wrongfully convicted man sentenced to live his remaining years inside a notorious penitentiary. It is that very institution that becomes important in this context, as the Shawshank facility possesses considerable history throughout King's stories — a tradition which persists in Welcome to Derry.
Some of the stories which mention the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these stories, we learn about the terrible life at Shawshank State Prison plus some of those imprisoned within, such as the partner of a belonging to Pennywise's initial targets, who was found guilty of armed robbery.
So far, though, the majority we've learned concerning Shawshank was via the perspective of the protagonist from Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. Andy winds up in Shawshank after being wrongly convicted, and experiences beaten and raped by other prisoners, and taken advantage of by those in officials in power for his expertise in finance. It takes nearly three decades to tunnel his way out of the prison, before making his way "through sewage" to reclaim his liberty.
The Prison's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry
Regarding It: Welcome to Derry, viewers first learned of Shawshank's involvement via an initial preview for the show, in which a prison bus appeared bearing the title painted on the side. During the second episode, it is revealed who is probably destined for the prison.
Though we know he was not commit the murders of children in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for those offenses. The preview for episode 3, "Now You See It," shows an officer informing a jailed Hank, "Do you know what they do to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Implications for the Character and His Daughter
Given that the real murderer in the town is a primordial entity originating elsewhere preying on and killing kids, Hank's chances of proving his innocence appear slim. And even if he does go to Shawshank and viewers do not see him there, understanding what we do regarding Shawshank indicates that his time there would not be enjoyable.
More importantly, however, this development could threaten his daughter. 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 will require her father as the story progresses, but if Shawshank plays a role, she may be without help.
A single fact seems clear: Hank lacks 28 years to dig to freedom.
Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are currently available on HBO Max. New episodes are released each week on Sundays.
