Don't Miss One Classic Stephen King Cinematic Prior to It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
HBO's Welcome to Derry is packed with references to Stephen King's wide-ranging library of stories. Apart from the clear ties to It, the series showcases a direct connection to The Shining via the cameo of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the narrative unfolds, Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more classic King story that deserves another look.
The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
Although The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered horror, especially in contrast with much of the author's additional work, it is a gripping story of a innocently imprisoned man sentenced to live his remaining years in a infamous penitentiary. And it's this specific penitentiary which is important in this context, as Shawshank State Prison possesses considerable lore across King's stories — a pattern that continues within Welcome to Derry.
Some of the stories that reference the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these stories, we discover regarding the terrible life inside Shawshank State Prison plus several of those imprisoned there, including the partner of a belonging to Pennywise's initial targets, who was convicted of armed robbery.
So far, however, the most we've learned about the prison has been via the eyes of the protagonist from The Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 movie. The character Andy ends up in Shawshank following being wrongly convicted, and finds himself assaulted and raped by other prisoners, while exploited by those in officials in power for his financial knowledge. It takes nearly three decades to tunnel his way out of the prison, prior to crawling "through sewage" to take back his freedom.
The Prison's Role in Welcome to Derry
Regarding the series, viewers initially discovered of Shawshank's involvement via an early trailer for the show, in which a prison bus was seen with the name painted on the side. In episode 2, it is revealed which character is likely destined for Shawshank.
Though we know he did not commit the murders of children initially, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for the crimes. The preview for episode 3, "Now You See It," reveals an officer telling a jailed Hank, "Are you aware what happens to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Consequences for the Character and His Daughter
Considering that the actual killer in the town is a primordial entity from another world preying on and murdering kids, Hank's chances of proving his innocence do not look good. And even if he ends up in the prison and the audience don't follow him inside, understanding what is known about that prison indicates that his time there would be far from enjoyable.
Crucially, however, this situation would endanger his daughter. He acts as her protector. Terrible events are happening in the town that nobody, young or old, comprehends and she just has her recently formed of friends to depend on. She will require her dad as the story progresses, but if the prison system plays a role, she may be out of luck.
One thing is apparent: Hank lacks 28 years to dig his way out.
Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now via the streaming service. New episodes air weekly each Sunday.
