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The series Welcome to Derry is packed with nods to the author's extensive collection of tales. Beyond the clear ties to It, the series includes an explicit link 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 weaving in another beloved King story which merits a revisit.

The Haunting Story of The Shawshank Redemption

While The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered a horror film, especially in contrast with a lot of King's other work, it remains a gripping story about an wrongfully convicted man condemned to live his remaining years in a infamous penitentiary. It is this specific penitentiary which is important here, since the Shawshank facility possesses considerable history throughout King's stories — a tradition which persists within It: Welcome to Derry.

Some of the stories which mention the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these stories, we discover about the terrible life at Shawshank State Prison and some of those imprisoned within, such as the partner of a belonging to Pennywise's early targets, who had been found guilty of armed robbery.

So far, though, the most we've learned about the prison has been through the perspective of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, played by Tim Robbins in the 1994 movie. Andy winds up in Shawshank after being wrongly convicted, then experiences beaten and abused by other prisoners, and taken advantage of by the officials in power due to his expertise in finance. He requires him 28 years to tunnel his way out of the prison, prior to crawling "through a river of shit" to take back his freedom.

Shawshank's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry

Regarding the series, viewers initially discovered about the prison's inclusion from an early trailer for the show, in which a prison bus appeared with the name painted on the side. In episode 2, we learn who is likely headed to the prison.

Though we know he did not commit the child deaths initially, the character Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. The preview for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," reveals an officer informing Hank in his cell, "Do you know what they do to kiddie killers in Shawshank?"

The Consequences for the Character and His Daughter

Given that the real murderer in the town is a primordial entity from another world hunting and murdering kids, Hank's chances of clearing his name appear slim. And even if he does go in the prison and the audience don't follow him there, understanding what we do about that prison indicates that his time there would not be pleasant.

More importantly, however, this situation could threaten Ronnie. Hank is her protector. Horrible things are happening around Derry which no one, young or old, understands and she only has her recently formed of friends to rely on. She's going to need her father in the coming episodes, but if the prison system plays a role, she could be without help.

A single fact seems clear: Hank doesn’t have 28 years to dig 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 each Sunday.