Don't Miss This Classic Stephen King Movie Before It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
The series Welcome to Derry is filled with references to the author's extensive library of stories. Apart from the clear links to the original story, the series includes a direct connection to The Shining via the appearance of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Now, as the narrative progresses, Welcome to Derry is integrating another beloved King story that deserves another look.
The Powerful Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
Although The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered horror, particularly compared to much of the author's additional writing, it is a haunting tale of a innocently imprisoned individual sentenced to spend the rest of his life inside a notorious prison. It is this specific penitentiary that becomes central here, since the Shawshank facility possesses considerable history across King's stories — a tradition which persists in It: Welcome to Derry.
Some of the stories which mention Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these stories, we learn about the awful conditions inside the state penitentiary and some of the inmates there, including the partner of one of Pennywise's early victims, who was found guilty of armed robbery.
So far, however, the majority we've learned about the prison has been via the perspective of the protagonist from The Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 film. The character Andy winds up in Shawshank after being wrongly convicted, then finds himself assaulted and abused by other prisoners, while exploited by those in officials in power due to his expertise in finance. It takes nearly three decades to dig an escape route from Shawshank, prior to crawling "through a river of shit" to reclaim his liberty.
The Prison's Role in Welcome to Derry
In relation to the series, viewers initially discovered of Shawshank's involvement 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 likely destined for Shawshank.
Though we know he did not responsible for the murders of children in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. A teaser for the next episode, "Now You See It," reveals a guard telling Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what they do to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Consequences for Hank and Ronnie
Given that the real murderer in the town is an ancient power from another world preying on and killing children, Hank's prospects of clearing his name appear slim. And even if he does go to Shawshank and the audience do not see him there, understanding what we do regarding Shawshank indicates that his experience would not be enjoyable.
More importantly, however, this situation would endanger his daughter. He acts as her guardian. Horrible things are happening around Derry which no one, child or adult, understands and Ronnie just has her recently formed circle of pals to rely on. She's going to need her father as the story progresses, but if the prison system plays a role, she may be out of luck.
One thing is apparent: Hank doesn’t have three decades to tunnel his way out.
It: Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now via the streaming service. Additional installments are released each week on Sundays.
