🔗 Share this article You Should Watch This Classic Stephen King Film Before the Series' Next Episode The series Welcome to Derry contains numerous nods to the author's vast collection of tales. Beyond the obvious links to It, the series also features an explicit connection to The Shining via the cameo of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the narrative progresses, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in another beloved King story that deserves a revisit. The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption Although Shawshank Redemption may not be considered horror, particularly compared to a lot of King's other work, it is a haunting tale of a wrongfully convicted individual sentenced to live his remaining years inside a notorious penitentiary. It is this specific institution that becomes central here, as Shawshank State Prison holds significant lore across King's stories — a tradition that continues within It: Welcome to Derry. Among the tales which mention the prison include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these stories, we learn about the awful conditions inside the state penitentiary plus some of the inmates within, such as the partner of a of Pennywise's initial victims, who had been convicted for robbery with a weapon. So far, however, the most we have discovered about the prison has been via the eyes of the protagonist in Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. Andy winds up in Shawshank after his wrongful conviction, and finds himself beaten and abused by fellow inmates, while exploited by the officials in power due to his financial knowledge. It takes him 28 years to dig his way out from Shawshank, before making his way "through a river of shit" to take back his liberty. The Prison's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry Regarding It: Welcome to Derry, viewers first learned of Shawshank's involvement via an early trailer for the series, where a correctional transport appeared with the name displayed on its side. In episode 2, it is revealed who is probably destined for Shawshank. Although it is known he was not responsible for the murders of children initially, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for those offenses. A teaser for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," reveals an officer telling a jailed Hank, "Do you know what happens to child murderers at that prison?" The Implications for Hank and Ronnie Given that the actual murderer in the town is an ancient power originating elsewhere preying on and killing kids, Hank's chances of proving his innocence do not look good. And even if he ends up in the prison and viewers don't follow him inside, knowing what we do regarding Shawshank indicates that his time there would not be enjoyable. More importantly, however, this development would endanger his daughter. Hank is her guardian. Horrible things are occurring around Derry that nobody, young or old, understands and she only has her recently formed of friends to rely on. She's going to need her father in the coming episodes, but if Shawshank has any say, she could be without help. A single fact is apparent: Hank doesn’t have 28 years to dig to freedom. Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are currently available on HBO Max. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.