Make Time For One Legendary Stephen King Movie Prior to the Series' Upcoming Installment

HBO's Welcome to Derry is packed with references to Stephen King's vast universe of narratives. Apart from the obvious ties to It, the show includes a direct connection to The Shining through the appearance of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the narrative unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more classic King story that deserves a revisit.

The Haunting Story of The Shawshank Redemption

While The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered a horror film, especially in contrast with much of King's other work, it is a haunting story about an wrongfully convicted man sentenced to live the rest of his life in a notorious prison. And it's that very institution which is important in this context, as Shawshank State Prison possesses significant history across King's stories — a pattern which persists in Welcome to Derry.

Some of the stories which mention Shawshank include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Through these stories, we learn regarding the terrible life inside the state penitentiary plus some of the inmates within, such as the partner of a of Pennywise's initial victims, who had been found guilty of armed robbery.

Thus far, however, the most we have discovered concerning Shawshank was via the eyes of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 movie. Andy winds up at the prison following being wrongly convicted, then experiences beaten and abused by fellow inmates, and taken advantage of by the officials in power due to his financial knowledge. It takes nearly three decades to tunnel his way out from Shawshank, prior to crawling "through sewage" to take back his freedom.

The Prison's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry

Regarding It: Welcome to Derry, audiences initially discovered about the prison's involvement via an initial preview for the series, where a prison bus was seen with the name painted on the side. In episode 2, it is revealed who is probably destined for the prison.

Though we know he was not commit the murders of children in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for the crimes. A teaser for episode 3, "the upcoming installment," reveals an officer informing a jailed Hank, "Do you know what happens to kiddie killers at that prison?"

The Consequences for the Character and His Daughter

Given that the real murderer in the town is an ancient power from another world hunting and killing kids, Hank's chances of clearing his name appear slim. And even if he does go in the prison and the audience don't follow him inside, understanding what we do regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his time there would be far from pleasant.

Crucially, though, this development would endanger Ronnie. He acts as her guardian. Terrible events are happening around Derry that nobody, young or old, understands and Ronnie only has her recently formed circle of pals to depend on. She will require her father in the coming episodes, but if Shawshank plays a role, she may be out of luck.

A single fact is apparent: Hank lacks three decades to dig his way out.

Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are currently available on HBO Max. Additional installments are released each week each Sunday.