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The series It: Welcome to Derry is filled with references to Stephen King's wide-ranging collection of tales. Beyond the clear links to the original story, the series also features an explicit link to The Shining through the appearance of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Currently, as the narrative unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in another beloved tale from King which merits a revisit.

The Haunting Story of The Shawshank Redemption

Although Shawshank Redemption may not be classified as a horror film, particularly compared to much of the author's additional work, it remains a haunting tale about an innocently imprisoned individual condemned to spend his remaining years in a infamous prison. It is this specific institution which is important in this context, as the Shawshank facility possesses considerable lore throughout King's fictional world — a tradition that continues within Welcome to Derry.

Some of the tales which mention the prison include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Via these narratives, we discover about the awful life inside Shawshank State Prison and several of the inmates within, including the partner of one of Pennywise's initial victims, who had been found guilty of armed robbery.

Thus far, however, the most we've learned concerning Shawshank has been through the eyes of the protagonist from Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in the 1994 movie. The character Andy ends up at the prison after his wrongful conviction, then experiences assaulted and raped by fellow inmates, and exploited by those in authority figures for his financial knowledge. It takes nearly three decades to tunnel his way out of the prison, prior to crawling "through a river of shit" to reclaim his liberty.

The Prison's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry

In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, viewers initially discovered about the prison's inclusion via an initial preview for the show, in which a prison bus was seen bearing the title displayed on its side. During the second episode, we learn which character is likely headed to the prison.

Though it is known he did not responsible for the murders of children initially, Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. The preview for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," shows a guard telling Hank in his cell, "Do you know what happens to kiddie killers in Shawshank?"

The Consequences for the Character and His Daughter

Considering that the real murderer in Derry is an ancient power originating elsewhere hunting and murdering kids, Hank's chances of clearing his name do not look good. Even should he ends up to Shawshank and viewers don't follow him there, understanding what we do about that prison indicates that his time there would not be enjoyable.

Crucially, though, this situation could threaten Ronnie. He acts as her guardian. Terrible events are occurring around Derry that nobody, young or old, understands and Ronnie just has her new group circle of pals to depend on. She will require her dad as the story progresses, however should Shawshank plays a role, she may be without help.

A single fact seems clear: Hank doesn’t have 28 years to dig to freedom.

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Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now on HBO Max. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.