Make Time For This Legendary Stephen King Film Before It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
HBO's Welcome to Derry is packed with connections to the author's wide-ranging library of stories. Apart from the obvious links to the original story, the show also features a direct connection to The Shining via the appearance of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Currently, as the story unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more beloved tale from King that deserves another look.
The Powerful Story of The Shawshank Redemption
Although Shawshank Redemption isn't typically considered a horror film, especially compared to much of the author's additional writing, it remains a gripping tale of a innocently imprisoned man condemned to live the rest of his life in a notorious prison. And it's this specific institution which is important here, as the Shawshank facility possesses considerable history across King's stories — a tradition that continues in It: Welcome to Derry.
Among the tales 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 conditions at the state penitentiary plus some of the inmates there, including the boyfriend of a belonging to Pennywise's early targets, who was convicted for robbery with a weapon.
Thus far, though, the most we have discovered about the prison was via the eyes of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. Andy winds up at the prison following being wrongly convicted, and experiences beaten and raped by other prisoners, while taken advantage of by the authority figures for his financial knowledge. It takes him 28 years to tunnel his way out of the prison, prior to making his way "through a river of shit" to take back his liberty.
Shawshank's Role in Welcome to Derry
In relation to the series, audiences first learned about the prison's inclusion via an initial preview for the series, where a correctional transport was seen bearing the title painted on the side. During the second episode, we learn who is probably headed to Shawshank.
Though we know he did not responsible for the child deaths initially, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. The preview for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," shows a guard telling Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what they do to kiddie killers at that prison?"
The Consequences for Hank and His Daughter
Considering that the real killer in Derry is a primordial entity originating elsewhere preying on and killing kids, Hank's chances of clearing his name appear slim. Even should he ends up to Shawshank and viewers do not see him there, knowing what is known regarding Shawshank indicates that his time there would not be pleasant.
More importantly, however, this development would endanger Ronnie. He acts as her guardian. Horrible things are happening in the town that nobody, child or adult, understands and she just has her new group of friends to depend on. She's going to need her dad as the story progresses, but if Shawshank plays a role, she could be without help.
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. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.
