You Should Watch One Legendary Stephen King Movie Prior to the Series' Upcoming Installment
HBO's Welcome to Derry contains numerous connections to the author's wide-ranging library of stories. Beyond the obvious ties to It, the series showcases a direct connection to King's famous novel through the appearance of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the story unfolds, Welcome to Derry is weaving in another beloved tale from King that deserves another look.
The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption isn't typically classified as a horror film, especially compared to a lot of the author's additional writing, it is a gripping tale about an innocently imprisoned individual sentenced to spend his remaining years inside a infamous penitentiary. It is that very institution which is central here, since Shawshank State Prison possesses significant history throughout King's fictional world — a pattern that continues in It: Welcome to Derry.
Among the stories that reference Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these narratives, we discover regarding the awful life at the state penitentiary and some of those imprisoned there, including the partner of one of Pennywise's initial targets, who was found guilty of armed robbery.
So far, though, the majority we've learned about the prison has been through the eyes of the protagonist in The Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 movie. The character Andy ends up at the prison after being wrongly convicted, and experiences assaulted and abused by fellow inmates, while exploited by those in officials in power for his financial knowledge. He requires him 28 years to dig an escape route of the prison, before making his way "through a river of shit" to reclaim his liberty.
Shawshank's Role in It: Welcome to Derry
In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, viewers first learned about the prison's involvement from an initial preview for the show, where a correctional transport was seen with the name painted on the side. In episode 2, we learn who is likely headed to Shawshank.
Though it is known he was not responsible for the child deaths in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. The preview for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," shows an officer informing Hank in his cell, "Do you know what happens to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Consequences for Hank and Ronnie
Considering that the real killer in Derry is a primordial entity from another world hunting and murdering kids, Hank's prospects of clearing his name appear slim. And even if he ends up in the prison and viewers do not see him there, understanding what is known about that prison indicates that his time there would not be pleasant.
Crucially, though, this situation would endanger his daughter. Hank is her guardian. Terrible events are occurring around Derry that nobody, child or adult, comprehends and Ronnie just has her recently formed circle of pals to depend on. She will require her dad in the coming episodes, however should Shawshank plays a role, she could be without help.
One thing is apparent: Hank doesn’t have 28 years to dig his way out.
Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are currently available via the streaming service. New episodes are released each week each Sunday.
