You Should Watch One Iconic Stephen King Film Prior to the Series' Upcoming Installment
The series It: Welcome to Derry is filled with nods to Stephen King's vast collection of tales. Apart from the obvious ties to the original story, the show includes an explicit link to King's famous novel via the appearance of a young Dick Hallorann. Now, as the narrative progresses, It: Welcome to Derry is integrating another classic King story that deserves another look.
The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
Although Shawshank Redemption isn't typically classified as horror, especially compared to much of the author's additional writing, it remains a gripping tale of a innocently imprisoned man condemned to spend the rest of his life in a infamous penitentiary. And it's that very institution that becomes central in this context, as Shawshank State Prison possesses significant history throughout King's stories — a pattern that continues in It: Welcome to Derry.
Some of the tales which mention Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Via these narratives, we discover regarding the awful conditions inside Shawshank State Prison and several of those imprisoned within, such as the boyfriend of one of Pennywise's initial targets, who had been convicted for robbery with a weapon.
So far, however, the most we have discovered concerning Shawshank has been through the perspective of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 movie. The character Andy winds up in Shawshank after being wrongly convicted, then finds himself beaten and raped by fellow inmates, while taken advantage of by the officials in power due to his expertise in finance. He requires him 28 years to dig an escape route from Shawshank, prior to crawling "through sewage" to take back his liberty.
Shawshank's Role in It: Welcome to Derry
In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, viewers initially discovered of Shawshank's inclusion via an early trailer for the show, in which a correctional transport appeared bearing the title painted on the side. In episode 2, it is revealed which character is probably headed to Shawshank.
Though it is known he did not commit the child deaths in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. A teaser for episode 3, "the upcoming installment," reveals a guard informing a jailed Hank, "Do you know what happens to kiddie killers at that prison?"
The Implications for Hank and His Daughter
Given that the actual murderer in Derry is an ancient power originating elsewhere hunting and murdering kids, Hank's chances of clearing his name do not look good. Even should he ends up to Shawshank and the audience do not see him there, understanding what is known regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his experience would not be enjoyable.
Crucially, however, this situation would endanger Ronnie. He acts as her guardian. Terrible events are happening in the town that nobody, young or old, comprehends and Ronnie only has her recently formed of friends to depend on. She's going to need her father as the story progresses, but if Shawshank has any say, she may be out of luck.
A single fact is apparent: Hank doesn’t have 28 years to dig to freedom.
Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are currently available via the streaming service. Additional installments are released each week on Sundays.
