Don't Miss This Classic Stephen King Movie Prior to the Series' Next Episode

HBO's Welcome to Derry contains numerous references to Stephen King's extensive collection of tales. Beyond the clear ties to the original story, the series showcases a direct connection to The Shining through the appearance of a young Dick Hallorann. Now, as the narrative unfolds, Welcome to Derry is integrating one more classic King story which merits a revisit.

The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption

While Shawshank Redemption may not be considered horror, especially in contrast with a lot of the author's additional work, it remains a haunting tale of a innocently imprisoned man sentenced to live his remaining years in a infamous penitentiary. It is this specific penitentiary which is central here, since the Shawshank facility possesses considerable lore across King's fictional world — a tradition which persists in It: Welcome to Derry.

Some of the stories which mention the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Through these narratives, we discover about the terrible conditions inside Shawshank State Prison and several of those imprisoned there, such as the boyfriend of one belonging to Pennywise's initial victims, who had been convicted for robbery with a weapon.

Thus far, though, the most we've learned about the prison has been through the perspective of Andy Dufresne from The Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 movie. Andy winds up at the prison following his wrongful conviction, and finds himself assaulted and abused by fellow inmates, while taken advantage of by the officials in power for his financial knowledge. It takes him 28 years to tunnel an escape route of the prison, before making his way "through sewage" to reclaim his liberty.

The Prison's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry

In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, viewers first learned about the prison's inclusion from an early trailer for the show, where a prison bus appeared bearing the title displayed on its side. In episode 2, it is revealed which character is probably headed to Shawshank.

Though it is known he was not commit the murders of children initially, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for the crimes. The preview for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," shows an officer telling Hank in his cell, "Do you know what happens to kiddie killers at that prison?"

The Implications for the Character and His Daughter

Considering that the real 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 does go to Shawshank and viewers do not see him inside, understanding what is known regarding Shawshank indicates that his experience would be far from pleasant.

More importantly, however, this development could threaten Ronnie. He acts as her protector. Horrible things are occurring around Derry that nobody, young or old, comprehends and Ronnie only has her new group of friends to depend on. She's going to need her dad as the story progresses, but if the prison system has any say, she could be out of luck.

One thing seems clear: Hank lacks three decades to dig to freedom.

It: Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now via the streaming service. New episodes air weekly each Sunday.