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HBO's It: Welcome to Derry contains numerous references to Stephen King's wide-ranging collection of tales. Beyond the obvious links to It, the show also features an explicit connection to King's famous novel via the appearance of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the narrative progresses, Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more beloved tale from King that deserves a revisit.

The Powerful Tale of The Shawshank Redemption

While The Shawshank Redemption may not be classified as a horror film, especially in contrast with much of King's other writing, it is a gripping story about an wrongfully convicted man sentenced to live his remaining years in a notorious penitentiary. It is this specific institution that becomes central in this context, as the Shawshank facility holds considerable lore throughout King's stories — a pattern that continues within It: Welcome to Derry.

Among the tales which mention Shawshank are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Via these narratives, we discover regarding the terrible conditions at Shawshank State Prison plus some of those imprisoned there, such as the partner of one belonging to Pennywise's early targets, who had been convicted of armed robbery.

So far, however, the majority we've learned concerning Shawshank was via the eyes of Andy Dufresne from The Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 movie. The character Andy winds up at the prison following his wrongful conviction, then experiences assaulted and abused by other prisoners, while exploited by the authority figures for his financial knowledge. It takes him 28 years to tunnel an escape route of the prison, before crawling "through a river of shit" to take back his freedom.

The Prison's Appearance in Welcome to Derry

Regarding the series, audiences first learned of Shawshank's inclusion from an early trailer for the series, where a correctional transport was seen with the name displayed on its side. In episode 2, it is revealed which character is likely headed to the prison.

Although it is known he did not responsible for the murders of children in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for the crimes. A teaser for the next episode, "Now You See It," shows a guard informing Hank in his cell, "Do you know what happens to kiddie killers at that prison?"

The Implications for the Character and His Daughter

Given that the real murderer in Derry is a primordial entity originating elsewhere hunting and killing kids, Hank's chances of proving his innocence do not look good. Even should he ends up in the prison and the audience don't follow him there, understanding what is known about that prison indicates that his time there would be far from enjoyable.

Crucially, though, this situation would endanger Ronnie. Hank is her guardian. Horrible things are happening around Derry that nobody, child or adult, understands and she just has her new group of friends to depend on. She's going to need her dad in the coming episodes, but if Shawshank plays a role, she may be without help.

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

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Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are streaming now on HBO Max. Additional installments air weekly on Sundays.