🔗 Share this article You Should Watch One Classic Stephen King Cinematic Prior to the Series' Next Episode The series Welcome to Derry contains numerous nods to Stephen King's extensive universe of narratives. Apart from the clear ties to the original story, the show also features a direct connection to The Shining via the cameo of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the narrative unfolds, Welcome to Derry is integrating another classic King story which merits a revisit. The Powerful Story of The Shawshank Redemption While The Shawshank Redemption isn't typically considered a horror film, especially compared to a lot of the author's additional writing, it remains a gripping story about an wrongfully convicted man sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a infamous prison. And it's that very penitentiary which is central in this context, since Shawshank State Prison possesses considerable lore throughout King's fictional world — a pattern that continues in It: Welcome to Derry. Some of the stories which mention the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Via these stories, we discover about the terrible conditions at Shawshank State Prison plus some of the inmates there, such as the partner of a of Pennywise's early victims, who had been convicted for robbery with a weapon. Thus far, though, the most we have discovered about the prison was through the eyes of Andy Dufresne from Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in that 1994 movie. The character Andy ends up at the prison following being wrongly convicted, then finds himself beaten and raped by other prisoners, and exploited by those in officials in power for his financial knowledge. It takes nearly three decades to dig his way out from Shawshank, prior to crawling "through sewage" to reclaim his freedom. Shawshank's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry In relation to the series, audiences initially discovered of Shawshank's inclusion from an early trailer for the series, in which a correctional transport appeared bearing the title painted on the side. In episode 2, it is revealed which character is likely destined for the prison. Though it is known he did not responsible for the murders of children in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for the crimes. A teaser for episode 3, "the upcoming installment," reveals an officer informing a jailed Hank, "Do you know what happens to child murderers at that prison?" The Consequences for the Character and Ronnie Given that the actual killer in the town is an ancient power originating elsewhere hunting and murdering kids, Hank's chances of proving his innocence appear slim. Even should he ends up in the prison and viewers don't follow him inside, understanding what we do regarding Shawshank indicates that his experience would not be enjoyable. Crucially, however, this situation would endanger his daughter. He acts as her protector. Horrible things are happening in the town that nobody, child or adult, comprehends and Ronnie just has her new group of friends to rely on. She will require her father in the coming episodes, but if the prison system plays a role, she could be without help. A single fact seems clear: Hank lacks three decades to dig to freedom. It: Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now on HBO Max. Additional installments are released each week each Sunday.