Don't Miss This Legendary Stephen King Film Prior to It: Welcome to Derry's Next Episode

The series It: Welcome to Derry is filled with references to Stephen King's vast collection of tales. Beyond the obvious ties to the original story, the show also features an explicit connection to The Shining via the cameo of a young Dick Hallorann. Currently, as the narrative progresses, Welcome to Derry is integrating another classic tale from King that deserves a revisit.

The Powerful Tale of The Shawshank Redemption

Although The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered horror, especially compared to much of King's other work, it is a haunting tale of a innocently imprisoned individual condemned to live the rest of his life in a notorious prison. And it's that very institution that becomes important in this context, since the Shawshank facility holds considerable lore throughout King's stories — a tradition which persists within Welcome to Derry.

Among the stories which mention Shawshank include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these narratives, we learn regarding the terrible conditions at Shawshank State Prison plus some of the inmates within, such as the partner of a of Pennywise's early victims, who had been found guilty for robbery with a weapon.

So far, though, the majority we've learned concerning Shawshank was through the perspective of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in that 1994 movie. Andy winds up in Shawshank following his wrongful conviction, then finds himself beaten and abused by fellow inmates, while taken advantage of by those in authority figures due to his expertise in finance. He requires nearly three decades to dig his way out of the prison, prior to making his way "through sewage" to take back his freedom.

The Prison's Role in Welcome to Derry

In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, audiences initially discovered about the prison's inclusion via an early trailer for the show, in which a correctional transport was seen with the name displayed on its side. During the second episode, we learn which character is likely headed to the prison.

Although it is known he did not responsible for the child deaths initially, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. The preview for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," shows an officer informing a jailed Hank, "Are you aware what they do to child murderers in Shawshank?"

The Implications for the Character and Ronnie

Considering that the real murderer in Derry is a primordial entity from another world hunting and killing children, Hank's prospects of clearing his name do not look good. And even if he ends up to Shawshank and the audience do not see him there, knowing what is known about that prison makes it clear that his time there would be far from enjoyable.

Crucially, though, this situation could threaten Ronnie. He acts as her protector. Horrible things are happening around Derry that nobody, child or adult, understands and she just has her recently formed circle of pals to depend on. She's going to need her father in the coming episodes, however should the prison system plays a role, she could be out of luck.

One thing seems clear: Hank doesn’t have three decades to dig to freedom.

Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now via the streaming service. Additional installments air weekly on Sundays.