Make Time For One Classic Stephen King Cinematic Before It: Welcome to Derry's Next Episode
The series It: Welcome to Derry is packed with nods to the author's vast universe of narratives. Beyond the clear links to the original story, the series also features a direct link to King's famous novel via the cameo of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the story unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in another beloved tale from King which merits a revisit.
The Haunting Story of The Shawshank Redemption
While Shawshank Redemption isn't typically classified as horror, particularly in contrast with a lot of the author's additional writing, it remains a haunting story of a innocently imprisoned man condemned to spend his remaining years in a infamous prison. It is this specific penitentiary which is important here, as Shawshank State Prison holds significant history across King's fictional world — a tradition which persists within Welcome to Derry.
Some of the stories that reference Shawshank include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Via these narratives, we learn about the awful life inside the state penitentiary and several of those imprisoned there, such as the partner of one of Pennywise's early victims, who had been convicted for robbery with a weapon.
So far, however, the most we've learned about the prison has been through the perspective of Andy Dufresne from Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 movie. The character Andy ends up at the prison following his wrongful conviction, then experiences beaten and raped by other prisoners, and taken advantage of by the authority figures due to his expertise in finance. He requires nearly three decades to tunnel his way out of the prison, before crawling "through a river of shit" to reclaim his freedom.
The Prison's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry
In relation to the series, viewers first learned about the prison's involvement from an initial preview for the show, in which a prison bus appeared bearing the title displayed on its side. In episode 2, we learn who is likely headed to the prison.
Though it is known he did not commit the child deaths in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for those offenses. The preview for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," shows an officer informing a jailed Hank, "Are you aware what happens to kiddie killers in Shawshank?"
The Implications for Hank and Ronnie
Considering that the actual killer 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. 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 time there would not be pleasant.
Crucially, however, this situation would endanger Ronnie. Hank is her protector. Horrible things are occurring in the town which no one, young or old, comprehends and she just has her recently formed of friends to rely on. She's going to need her dad as the story progresses, but if Shawshank has any say, she may be without help.
A single fact seems clear: Hank lacks three decades to tunnel to freedom.
Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are currently available on HBO Max. Additional installments air weekly on Sundays.
