Make Time For This Classic Stephen King Cinematic Before the Series' Next Episode
The series Welcome to Derry is packed with connections to the author's wide-ranging universe of narratives. Apart from the clear links to It, the show showcases a direct link to King's famous novel through the appearance of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Currently, as the narrative unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is integrating one more beloved King story which merits another look.
The Powerful Story of The Shawshank Redemption
Although Shawshank Redemption isn't typically considered horror, particularly compared to much of the author's additional work, it remains a haunting story about an innocently imprisoned man condemned to live his remaining years inside a infamous prison. And it's that very penitentiary that becomes central in this context, since Shawshank State Prison possesses significant lore throughout King's fictional world — a pattern that continues within It: Welcome to Derry.
Among the stories which mention the prison include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these narratives, we learn about the awful conditions inside Shawshank State Prison plus several of the inmates within, such as the boyfriend of one of Pennywise's initial targets, who had been found guilty for robbery with a weapon.
So far, however, the majority we've learned about the prison has been through the eyes of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. The character Andy ends up at the prison following his wrongful conviction, then finds himself assaulted and abused by fellow inmates, and taken advantage of by the authority figures for his expertise in finance. He requires nearly three decades to tunnel an escape route from Shawshank, before crawling "through sewage" to take back his liberty.
The Prison's Role in Welcome to Derry
In relation to the series, viewers first learned of Shawshank's involvement from an initial preview for the series, where a prison bus was seen bearing the title displayed on its side. In episode 2, we learn who is likely headed to the prison.
Although it is known he was not commit the murders of children in the first episode, Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. The preview for episode 3, "Now You See It," reveals a guard telling Hank in his cell, "Do you know what happens to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Consequences for the Character and Ronnie
Considering that the actual murderer in Derry is a primordial entity originating elsewhere hunting and killing children, Hank's chances of proving his innocence do not look good. And even if he ends up in the prison and viewers don't follow him there, knowing what is known about that prison makes it clear that his time there would be far from enjoyable.
More importantly, however, this situation would endanger his daughter. Hank is her guardian. Terrible events are occurring in the town that nobody, child or adult, understands and Ronnie just has her new group circle of pals to depend on. She's going to need her father as the story progresses, however should the prison system has any say, she may be out of luck.
A single fact seems clear: Hank lacks 28 years to tunnel to freedom.
Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are currently available via the streaming service. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.
