🔗 Share this article Don't Miss This Classic Stephen King Movie Prior to It: Welcome to Derry's Next Episode The series It: Welcome to Derry is filled with references to the author's extensive library of stories. Beyond the obvious links to It, the show showcases an explicit connection to King's famous novel via the cameo of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the narrative unfolds, Welcome to Derry is integrating one more classic King story that deserves a revisit. The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption Although Shawshank Redemption isn't typically classified as a horror film, particularly compared to a lot of the author's additional writing, it remains a haunting tale about an wrongfully convicted man sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a notorious prison. It is that very institution that becomes important here, since the Shawshank facility possesses considerable lore across King's stories — a tradition which persists in Welcome to Derry. Some of the stories that reference Shawshank include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Via these stories, we discover regarding the terrible life inside the state penitentiary plus some of the inmates there, such as the partner of one of Pennywise's early targets, who was convicted of armed robbery. Thus far, however, the most we have discovered about the prison has been through the perspective of the protagonist in The Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 film. Andy ends up in Shawshank following being wrongly convicted, then finds himself beaten and raped by other prisoners, and exploited by the officials in power for his financial knowledge. It takes him 28 years to dig his way out of the prison, before crawling "through sewage" to reclaim his liberty. Shawshank's Role in Welcome to Derry Regarding It: Welcome to Derry, audiences first learned about the prison's inclusion via an early trailer for the series, in which a correctional transport appeared with the name painted on the side. In episode 2, we learn who is likely headed to the prison. Although we know he was not responsible for the child deaths in the first episode, Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for those offenses. The preview for episode 3, "the upcoming installment," reveals an officer telling a jailed Hank, "Do you know what they do to child murderers in Shawshank?" The Consequences for the Character and His Daughter Given that the real murderer in the town is an ancient power originating elsewhere hunting and murdering children, Hank's prospects of proving his innocence do not look good. Even should he ends up in the prison and viewers do not see him inside, understanding what we do regarding Shawshank indicates that his experience would be far from pleasant. Crucially, though, this development would endanger Ronnie. He acts as her guardian. Horrible things are happening around Derry which no one, child or adult, comprehends and Ronnie just has her recently formed circle of pals to depend on. She's going to need her dad in the coming episodes, but if the prison system plays a role, she may be out of luck. A single fact is apparent: Hank lacks 28 years to dig his way out. It: Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now on HBO Max. Additional installments are released each week on Sundays.