You Should Watch This Classic Stephen King Cinematic Before the Series' Next Episode
HBO's Welcome to Derry is filled with nods to the author's wide-ranging universe of narratives. Beyond the clear ties to It, the show showcases a direct link to The Shining via the cameo of a young Dick Hallorann. Now, as the story progresses, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more classic tale from King that deserves another look.
The Powerful Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While Shawshank Redemption isn't typically considered a horror film, particularly compared to a lot of King's other writing, it is a gripping story of a wrongfully convicted individual sentenced to live his remaining years inside a infamous penitentiary. And it's that very institution that becomes central here, since the Shawshank facility holds considerable lore across King's stories — a pattern which persists within It: Welcome to Derry.
Among the stories which mention the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these stories, we discover regarding the terrible conditions inside the state penitentiary plus some of those imprisoned within, including the partner of a belonging to Pennywise's initial targets, who had been found guilty for robbery with a weapon.
So far, though, the most we have discovered concerning Shawshank was through the eyes of the protagonist from The Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 movie. Andy winds up at the prison after being wrongly convicted, and experiences assaulted and raped by fellow inmates, while exploited by the officials in power due to his expertise in finance. It takes him 28 years to tunnel an escape route from Shawshank, prior to making his way "through sewage" to reclaim his liberty.
Shawshank's Role in It: Welcome to Derry
Regarding It: Welcome to Derry, viewers initially discovered of Shawshank's inclusion via an early trailer for the show, where a prison bus appeared with the name painted on the side. During the second episode, it is revealed which character is likely headed to the prison.
Though we know he did not responsible for the murders of children initially, Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. The preview for episode 3, "the upcoming installment," reveals an officer telling a jailed Hank, "Are you aware what happens to child murderers at that prison?"
The Implications for Hank and His Daughter
Considering that the real murderer in the town is an ancient power originating elsewhere hunting and killing kids, Hank's prospects of proving his innocence do not look good. Even should he ends up in the prison and the audience don't follow him inside, knowing what we do about that prison indicates that his experience would not be enjoyable.
Crucially, however, this situation could threaten his daughter. Hank is her guardian. Terrible events are happening in the town that nobody, young or old, comprehends and Ronnie only has her new group of friends to depend on. She will require her father in the coming episodes, but if Shawshank has any say, she could be without help.
A single fact is apparent: Hank doesn’t have three decades to dig to freedom.
Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now via the streaming service. Additional installments are released each week each Sunday.
