Don't Miss One Classic Stephen King Cinematic Prior to the Series' Next Episode
HBO's Welcome to Derry is packed with connections to the author's vast library of stories. Beyond the clear ties to the original story, the series also features a direct connection to King's famous novel via the cameo of a young Dick Hallorann. Now, as the narrative progresses, Welcome to Derry is integrating one more classic tale from King which merits a revisit.
The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
Although The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered horror, especially compared to much of the author's additional writing, it remains a gripping story about an wrongfully convicted individual sentenced to live his remaining years in a notorious penitentiary. And it's that very penitentiary which is important in this context, as the Shawshank facility possesses considerable history across King's fictional world — a tradition that continues in Welcome to Derry.
Among the stories which mention the prison include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Via these stories, we discover regarding the awful conditions at the state penitentiary plus some of those imprisoned within, including the partner of a of Pennywise's initial victims, who had been found guilty for robbery with a weapon.
So far, though, the majority we've learned concerning Shawshank has been via the eyes of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in that 1994 movie. The character Andy winds up at the prison after being wrongly convicted, and experiences beaten and abused by fellow inmates, and taken advantage of by the authority figures due to his financial knowledge. It takes nearly three decades to tunnel an escape route from Shawshank, prior to making his way "through sewage" to reclaim his freedom.
The Prison's Role in Welcome to Derry
Regarding the series, audiences first learned of Shawshank's inclusion from an early trailer for the show, in which a correctional transport appeared bearing the title displayed on its side. In episode 2, it is revealed which character is likely headed to the prison.
Although it is known he was not commit the murders of children initially, the character Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. The preview for the next episode, "Now You See It," shows a guard informing Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what they do to child murderers at that prison?"
The Consequences for Hank and Ronnie
Considering that the actual murderer in Derry is a primordial entity from another world preying on and murdering kids, Hank's chances of proving his innocence appear slim. And even if he does go to Shawshank and the audience don't follow him inside, understanding what is known regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his experience would be far from enjoyable.
Crucially, however, this situation would endanger his daughter. Hank is her guardian. Horrible things are happening in the town that nobody, child or adult, understands and she just has her new group circle of pals to depend on. She will require her father in the coming episodes, but if the prison system plays a role, she may be out of luck.
A single fact seems clear: Hank doesn’t have three decades to tunnel to freedom.
Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now on HBO Max. Additional installments air weekly each Sunday.
