Make Time For This Classic Stephen King Film Before It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
HBO's Welcome to Derry contains numerous connections to the author's wide-ranging library of stories. Apart from the obvious ties to It, the series includes an explicit link to King's famous novel via the cameo of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the story progresses, It: Welcome to Derry is integrating another classic King story that deserves another look.
The Powerful Story of The Shawshank Redemption
Although Shawshank Redemption isn't typically considered horror, particularly compared to much of King's other work, it is a haunting tale about an innocently imprisoned individual condemned to spend his remaining years in a infamous prison. It is this specific penitentiary which is central in this context, since the Shawshank facility possesses significant history across King's stories — a pattern that continues within Welcome to Derry.
Among the tales that reference the prison include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these narratives, we learn about the terrible life inside the state penitentiary plus some of those imprisoned within, such as the boyfriend of a of Pennywise's initial targets, who was found guilty of armed robbery.
Thus far, though, the majority we've learned concerning Shawshank has been through the perspective of Andy Dufresne from Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 film. Andy ends up in Shawshank following being wrongly convicted, and experiences assaulted and raped by fellow inmates, while exploited by those in officials in power for his expertise in finance. It takes him 28 years to dig his way out from Shawshank, before making his way "through a river of shit" to reclaim his liberty.
The Prison's Appearance in Welcome to Derry
In relation to the series, audiences first learned about the prison's involvement from an initial preview for the series, in which a prison bus was seen with the name painted on the side. During the second episode, it is revealed which character is probably headed to Shawshank.
Though it is known he did not responsible for the child deaths in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. A teaser for the next episode, "Now You See It," reveals an officer telling a jailed Hank, "Do you know what they do to child murderers at that prison?"
The Implications for the Character and His Daughter
Given that the actual killer in Derry is a primordial entity originating elsewhere hunting and murdering children, Hank's chances of proving his innocence appear slim. Even should he does go in the prison and the audience don't follow him there, understanding what is known regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his experience would be far from pleasant.
Crucially, though, this development would endanger Ronnie. Hank is her guardian. Horrible things are happening in the town that nobody, child or adult, comprehends and she only has her recently formed circle of pals to rely on. She's going to need her dad as the story progresses, however should Shawshank plays a role, she could be out of luck.
A single fact seems clear: Hank doesn’t have three decades to dig his way out.
It: Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now on HBO Max. Additional installments are released each week each Sunday.