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The series It: Welcome to Derry is filled with nods to Stephen King's extensive universe of narratives. Apart from the clear ties to It, the show showcases an explicit connection to The Shining through the cameo of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the story progresses, Welcome to Derry is integrating another beloved tale from King which merits a revisit.

The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption

While Shawshank Redemption isn't typically classified as a horror film, especially compared to much of King's other writing, it is a gripping tale of a wrongfully convicted man condemned to spend the rest of his life in a infamous prison. And it's that very penitentiary which is central in this context, as the Shawshank facility holds significant lore throughout King's stories — a tradition which persists in It: Welcome to Derry.

Some of the stories which mention the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these narratives, we learn about the awful conditions at the state penitentiary plus some of the inmates there, including the boyfriend of a belonging to Pennywise's initial victims, who was found guilty of armed robbery.

Thus far, however, the majority we have discovered about the prison was via the eyes of the protagonist from Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in the 1994 movie. Andy winds up at the prison after being wrongly convicted, then experiences assaulted and raped by other prisoners, and exploited by the authority figures for his financial knowledge. It takes nearly three decades to dig his way out from Shawshank, prior to making his way "through a river of shit" to take back his liberty.

Shawshank's Appearance in Welcome to Derry

In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, audiences initially discovered of Shawshank's inclusion via an early trailer for the series, in which a prison bus appeared with the name displayed on its side. In episode 2, it is revealed which character is likely destined for Shawshank.

Although we know he was not responsible for the child deaths in the first episode, Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. The preview for the next episode, "Now You See It," shows a guard telling a jailed Hank, "Do you know what happens to child murderers in Shawshank?"

The Consequences for the Character and His Daughter

Given that the real killer in the town is a primordial entity from another world hunting and killing children, Hank's chances of clearing his name appear slim. And even if he ends up to Shawshank and the audience do not see him inside, understanding what we do regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his time there would not be enjoyable.

More importantly, however, this development would endanger Ronnie. Hank is her protector. Horrible things are happening around Derry that nobody, young or old, comprehends and she just has her new group of friends to depend on. She's going to need her dad as the story progresses, but if Shawshank plays a role, she may be without help.

One thing seems clear: Hank doesn’t have 28 years to dig to freedom.

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It: Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are currently available via the streaming service. New episodes are released each week each Sunday.