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The series It: Welcome to Derry is filled with nods to the author's wide-ranging collection of tales. Beyond the clear links to the original story, the show showcases a direct link to The Shining via the appearance of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the narrative unfolds, Welcome to Derry is weaving in another beloved King story which merits another look.

The Powerful Story of The Shawshank Redemption

Although Shawshank Redemption isn't typically classified as horror, particularly compared to much of King's other writing, it is a haunting story of a innocently imprisoned man sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a notorious penitentiary. It is this specific institution that becomes central in this context, as Shawshank State Prison possesses significant history throughout King's fictional world — a tradition that continues in It: Welcome to Derry.

Some of the tales that reference the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Through these stories, we discover about the awful conditions at Shawshank State Prison plus some of those imprisoned within, including the partner of a belonging to Pennywise's initial victims, who had been found guilty for robbery with a weapon.

So far, though, the majority we have discovered about the prison has been via the perspective of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. The character Andy ends up at the prison following his wrongful conviction, and finds himself beaten and raped by fellow inmates, and exploited by the officials in power for his financial knowledge. It takes nearly three decades to tunnel an escape route from Shawshank, before making his way "through sewage" to take back his freedom.

The Prison's Role in Welcome to Derry

In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, audiences initially discovered of Shawshank's inclusion from an early trailer for the show, in which a prison bus appeared bearing the title displayed on its side. During the second episode, it is revealed which character is probably destined for the prison.

Though it is known he did not commit the murders of children initially, Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for those offenses. The preview for episode 3, "the upcoming installment," shows a guard telling a jailed Hank, "Do you know what they do to kiddie killers in Shawshank?"

The Consequences for the Character and Ronnie

Given that the real murderer in the town is a primordial entity from another world hunting and murdering kids, Hank's chances of proving his innocence appear slim. Even should he does go in the prison and the audience don't follow him there, understanding what we do regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his experience would not be pleasant.

Crucially, however, this situation would endanger Ronnie. Hank is her guardian. Terrible events are happening around Derry that nobody, young or old, understands and she only has her new group of friends to rely on. She's going to need her father in the coming episodes, however should Shawshank has any say, she may be without help.

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

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It: Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are currently available on HBO Max. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.