You Should Watch One Iconic Stephen King Film Before It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
The series It: Welcome to Derry is packed with references to the author's wide-ranging collection of tales. Apart from the obvious ties to It, the series includes a direct link to The Shining via the cameo of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the narrative progresses, Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more classic tale from King that deserves a revisit.
The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
Although The Shawshank Redemption may not be classified as a horror film, especially compared to much of the author's additional work, it remains a haunting story of a innocently imprisoned individual sentenced to live the rest of his life in a notorious penitentiary. And it's this specific institution which is central in this context, since Shawshank State Prison possesses significant lore throughout King's fictional world — a pattern that continues within Welcome to Derry.
Among the stories which mention Shawshank include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Via these stories, we learn regarding the awful life at the state penitentiary plus some of the inmates within, such as the partner of one of Pennywise's early victims, who had been found guilty of armed robbery.
Thus far, however, the majority we have discovered concerning Shawshank was via the eyes of the protagonist from The Shawshank Redemption, played by Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. Andy ends up at the prison after being wrongly convicted, and experiences assaulted and abused by fellow inmates, and exploited by the authority figures due to his financial knowledge. He requires nearly three decades to tunnel his way out of the prison, before making his way "through a river of shit" to reclaim his liberty.
The Prison's Role in Welcome to Derry
In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, audiences first learned of Shawshank's inclusion via an early trailer for the series, where a prison bus was seen bearing the title displayed on its side. During the second episode, it is revealed which character is probably destined for Shawshank.
Although 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 those offenses. The preview for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," shows a guard informing Hank in his cell, "Do you know what they do to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Consequences for Hank and His Daughter
Given that the actual killer in Derry is a primordial entity originating elsewhere hunting and murdering children, Hank's chances of proving his innocence appear slim. And even if he ends up to Shawshank and the audience do not see him inside, knowing what is known regarding Shawshank indicates that his experience would not be enjoyable.
More importantly, though, this development would endanger Ronnie. He acts as her guardian. Horrible things are occurring in the town that nobody, young or old, comprehends and she only has her new group of friends to depend on. She's going to need her father in the coming episodes, but if Shawshank has any say, she may be without help.
One thing seems clear: Hank lacks three decades to tunnel his way out.
Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are currently available via the streaming service. Additional installments air weekly each Sunday.
