Don't Miss This Classic Stephen King Film Before the Series' Upcoming Installment
The series Welcome to Derry is packed with connections to the author's wide-ranging universe of narratives. Apart from the obvious links to It, the show also features a direct connection to The Shining through the appearance of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Currently, as the narrative progresses, Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more classic King story which merits a revisit.
The Powerful Story of The Shawshank Redemption
While The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered a horror film, especially in contrast with a lot of King's other work, it remains a haunting tale of a innocently imprisoned individual sentenced to live the rest of his life in a notorious prison. It is this specific institution which is central here, as Shawshank State Prison holds significant history across King's fictional world — a tradition which persists within Welcome to Derry.
Some of the tales that reference Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these narratives, we learn about the terrible life at the state penitentiary and several of those imprisoned there, such as the boyfriend of a of Pennywise's initial targets, who had been found guilty for robbery with a weapon.
So far, however, the most we've learned concerning Shawshank was via the perspective of the protagonist in The Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 movie. The character Andy winds up at the prison following being wrongly convicted, and finds himself assaulted and abused by fellow inmates, while exploited by the officials in power due to his expertise in finance. He requires him 28 years to dig his way out of the prison, before crawling "through sewage" to take back his freedom.
The Prison's Role in Welcome to Derry
Regarding It: Welcome to Derry, viewers initially discovered about the prison's involvement from an early trailer for the series, in which a prison bus appeared with the name painted on the side. In episode 2, it is revealed which character is likely headed to Shawshank.
Though we know he did not responsible for the child deaths in the first episode, Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for the crimes. The preview for the next episode, "Now You See It," shows an officer informing Hank in his cell, "Do you know what they do to kiddie killers at that prison?"
The Implications for Hank and Ronnie
Considering that the actual killer in the town is an ancient power from another world preying on and killing children, Hank's prospects of proving his innocence do not look good. And even if he does go to Shawshank and viewers don't follow him inside, understanding what we do about that prison indicates that his experience would not be pleasant.
Crucially, though, this development could threaten Ronnie. Hank is her guardian. Terrible events are happening around Derry which no one, young or old, comprehends and she only has her recently formed circle of pals to rely on. She will require her dad as the story progresses, however should Shawshank plays a role, she could be without help.
One thing is apparent: Hank doesn’t have 28 years to tunnel his way out.
Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are currently available via the streaming service. New episodes are released each week on Sundays.
