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HBO's It: Welcome to Derry contains numerous connections to the author's vast library of stories. Apart from the clear links to the original story, the show showcases an explicit link to King's famous novel through the appearance of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Now, as the narrative unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in another beloved tale from King which merits a revisit.

The Powerful Story of The Shawshank Redemption

Although The Shawshank Redemption may not be considered horror, particularly in contrast with much of the author's additional work, it is a gripping story about an innocently imprisoned man condemned to spend the rest of his life inside a notorious prison. It is that very penitentiary which is important here, as the Shawshank facility possesses significant history across King's stories — a tradition which persists within Welcome to Derry.

Some of the tales which mention Shawshank include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these stories, we discover regarding the awful conditions inside Shawshank State Prison and several of those imprisoned there, such as the partner of a of Pennywise's initial victims, who was found guilty for robbery with a weapon.

So far, though, the most we have discovered concerning Shawshank was via the eyes of the protagonist from Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. Andy winds up in Shawshank following being wrongly convicted, and finds himself assaulted and raped by other prisoners, while taken advantage of by the authority figures due to his financial knowledge. He requires him 28 years to dig an escape route from Shawshank, prior to crawling "through sewage" to take back his freedom.

The Prison's Role in Welcome to Derry

In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, viewers first learned 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. During the second episode, we learn which character is probably headed to the prison.

Although it is known he was not commit the child deaths in the first episode, Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. The preview for the next episode, "Now You See It," shows a guard informing Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what they do to kiddie killers at that prison?"

The Implications for the Character and His Daughter

Given that the actual killer in the town is a primordial entity originating elsewhere preying on and killing children, Hank's prospects of proving his innocence appear slim. And even if he ends up to Shawshank and the audience don't follow him there, understanding what we do about that prison makes it clear that his time there would not be enjoyable.

More importantly, however, this situation would endanger Ronnie. He acts as her protector. Horrible things are occurring in the town that nobody, child or adult, understands and Ronnie only has her new group circle of pals to depend on. She's going to need her father in the coming episodes, but if Shawshank plays a role, she may be out of luck.

A single fact is apparent: Hank lacks 28 years to dig his way out.

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