🔗 Share this article You Should Watch This Iconic Stephen King Cinematic Before the Series' Next Episode The series Welcome to Derry contains numerous references to the author's vast collection of tales. Beyond the obvious ties to It, the series showcases an explicit connection to The Shining via the cameo of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the story unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is integrating one more classic tale from King that deserves another look. The Haunting Story of The Shawshank Redemption Although The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered a horror film, especially in contrast with much of the author's additional writing, it is a haunting story of a wrongfully convicted man sentenced to spend the rest of his life inside a notorious prison. It is that very institution that becomes central here, as Shawshank State Prison holds considerable lore across King's fictional world — a tradition which persists within Welcome to Derry. Some of the stories which mention Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these stories, we learn about the awful life at Shawshank State Prison and several of those imprisoned within, including the boyfriend of one of Pennywise's initial victims, who had been found guilty for robbery with a weapon. So far, however, the most we have discovered concerning Shawshank has been via the eyes of Andy Dufresne from The Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. Andy winds up at the prison after being wrongly convicted, and finds himself beaten and raped by fellow inmates, and taken advantage of by those in authority figures due to his expertise in finance. It takes him 28 years to dig an escape route of the prison, before making his way "through sewage" to take back his freedom. Shawshank's Role in Welcome to Derry Regarding the series, viewers first learned of Shawshank's inclusion via an initial preview for the show, where a prison bus appeared bearing the title displayed on its side. In episode 2, we learn which character is likely headed to the prison. Though we know he did not responsible for the murders of children initially, the character Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for those offenses. A teaser for episode 3, "Now You See It," reveals an officer informing Hank in his cell, "Do you know what happens to kiddie killers at that prison?" The Consequences for Hank and Ronnie Given that the real killer in the town is a primordial entity originating elsewhere hunting and murdering children, Hank's chances of clearing his name do not look good. Even should he ends up in the prison and viewers don't follow him inside, understanding what is known about that prison indicates that his time there would be far from pleasant. Crucially, however, this situation would endanger Ronnie. He acts as her protector. Terrible events are happening in the town which no one, young or old, comprehends and she only has her new group of friends to depend on. She will require her father in the coming episodes, however should the prison system has any say, she could be out of luck. One thing is apparent: Hank lacks three decades to dig his way out. Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are currently available via the streaming service. New episodes are released each week on Sundays.