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HBO's Welcome to Derry contains numerous connections to Stephen King's vast universe of narratives. Beyond the obvious ties to It, the series showcases an explicit link to King's famous novel through the appearance of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the story progresses, It: Welcome to Derry is integrating another beloved King story that deserves a revisit.

The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption

While The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered a horror film, especially compared to a lot of the author's additional writing, it remains a haunting tale about an innocently imprisoned individual sentenced to spend his remaining years inside a infamous penitentiary. And it's that very institution that becomes central here, since Shawshank State Prison holds significant lore throughout King's fictional world — a tradition which persists within It: Welcome to Derry.

Some of the tales which mention the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these narratives, we discover about the awful conditions at Shawshank State Prison and several of the inmates within, including the boyfriend of one belonging to Pennywise's initial victims, who had been found guilty of armed robbery.

So far, however, the most we have discovered concerning Shawshank was through the perspective of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 film. The character Andy winds up in Shawshank after his wrongful conviction, and finds himself assaulted and abused by other prisoners, while exploited by those in authority figures for his financial knowledge. It takes nearly three decades to tunnel his way out of the prison, before crawling "through a river of shit" to reclaim his freedom.

The Prison's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry

In relation to the series, viewers first learned about the prison's involvement via an early trailer for the series, in which a prison bus appeared bearing the title painted on the side. During the second episode, we learn which character is probably headed to the prison.

Though we know he was not responsible for the child deaths initially, the character Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. A teaser for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," reveals an officer telling Hank in his cell, "Do you know what they do to child murderers in Shawshank?"

The Implications for the Character and His Daughter

Given that the actual murderer in Derry is a primordial entity originating elsewhere hunting and murdering kids, Hank's prospects of proving his innocence appear slim. Even should he does go to Shawshank and viewers don't follow him there, understanding what we do regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his experience would be far from enjoyable.

Crucially, though, this situation would endanger his daughter. Hank is her protector. Terrible events are occurring around Derry that nobody, child or adult, understands and she only has her new group of friends to depend on. She will require her father as the story progresses, however should the prison system has any say, she could be out of luck.

A single fact seems clear: Hank doesn’t have three decades to tunnel his way out.

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