🔗 Share this article Don't Miss This Legendary Stephen King Film Prior to the Series' Upcoming Installment The series Welcome to Derry is packed with references to Stephen King's vast universe of narratives. Apart from the clear ties to the original story, the show showcases a direct connection to The Shining through the appearance of a young Dick Hallorann. Now, as the narrative progresses, It: Welcome to Derry is integrating one more classic tale from King which merits another look. The Haunting Story of The Shawshank Redemption While The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered a horror film, especially in contrast with much of King's other work, it remains a haunting tale of a innocently imprisoned man condemned to spend his remaining years in a infamous prison. It is that very institution that becomes central here, as Shawshank State Prison holds considerable history throughout King's stories — a tradition which persists within Welcome to Derry. Some of the stories that reference Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these stories, we discover about the awful life at the state penitentiary and some of those imprisoned there, such as the partner of one of Pennywise's early targets, who had been found guilty of armed robbery. Thus far, however, the most we've learned concerning Shawshank has been via the perspective of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 movie. The character Andy winds up at the prison after being wrongly convicted, and finds himself beaten and abused by fellow inmates, and exploited by those in officials in power due to his expertise in finance. It takes nearly three decades to dig an escape route from Shawshank, before making his way "through sewage" to take back his freedom. The Prison's Appearance in Welcome to Derry Regarding the series, audiences initially discovered of Shawshank's involvement from an initial preview for the show, where a correctional transport was seen with the name displayed on its side. In episode 2, we learn who is likely destined for the prison. Although we know he was not responsible for the murders of children initially, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. A teaser for episode 3, "Now You See It," reveals an officer informing a jailed Hank, "Do you know what they do to kiddie killers at that prison?" The Consequences for Hank and Ronnie Given that the actual killer in the town is an ancient power originating elsewhere preying on and killing kids, Hank's chances of proving his innocence appear slim. Even should he does go in the prison and the audience do not see him inside, understanding what we do about that prison makes it clear that his experience would not be pleasant. Crucially, though, this development could threaten his daughter. Hank is her protector. Horrible things are occurring around Derry which no one, young or old, comprehends and she just has her new group of friends to depend on. She's going to need her dad in the coming episodes, however should Shawshank plays a role, she could be without help. A single fact is apparent: Hank doesn’t have three decades to tunnel his way out. It: Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are currently available via the streaming service. New episodes are released each week on Sundays.