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The series It: Welcome to Derry is packed with nods to Stephen King's wide-ranging universe of narratives. Apart from the clear ties to It, the show also features a direct connection to King's famous novel through the cameo of a young future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the story unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is integrating another classic King story which merits a revisit.

The Powerful Tale of The Shawshank Redemption

While The Shawshank Redemption isn't typically classified as horror, especially in contrast with a lot of the author's additional work, it is a haunting story about an innocently imprisoned man sentenced to live his remaining years in a infamous prison. And it's that very penitentiary that becomes important here, since Shawshank State Prison possesses significant lore throughout King's stories — a pattern which persists within Welcome to Derry.

Among the tales that reference Shawshank include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these narratives, we discover about the terrible conditions at the state penitentiary and some of the inmates within, such as the boyfriend of one belonging to Pennywise's early targets, who had been found guilty for robbery with a weapon.

Thus far, however, the most we have discovered concerning Shawshank was through the eyes of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, played by Tim Robbins in that 1994 movie. Andy ends up at the prison following his wrongful conviction, then experiences assaulted and raped by fellow inmates, while taken advantage of by the authority figures for his expertise in finance. It takes him 28 years to tunnel his way out from Shawshank, prior to making his way "through sewage" to reclaim his freedom.

Shawshank's Role in It: Welcome to Derry

Regarding the series, audiences first learned of Shawshank's inclusion from an early trailer for the show, where a correctional transport was seen bearing the title displayed on its side. During the second episode, it is revealed which character is probably headed to Shawshank.

Although it is known he was not responsible for the murders of children in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for the crimes. The preview for episode 3, "the upcoming installment," shows an officer telling Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what they do to child murderers in Shawshank?"

The Implications for the Character and Ronnie

Considering that the real murderer in the town is an ancient power originating elsewhere hunting and murdering children, Hank's chances of proving his innocence appear slim. Even should he ends up in the prison and viewers do not see him inside, understanding what we do regarding Shawshank makes it clear that his time there would be far from pleasant.

More importantly, though, this development could threaten Ronnie. He acts as her guardian. Horrible things are occurring in the town that nobody, child or adult, understands and Ronnie only has her new group circle of pals to rely on. She's going to need her father as the story progresses, however should Shawshank plays a role, she could be without help.

A single fact is apparent: Hank doesn’t have 28 years to dig his way out.

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Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now via the streaming service. Additional installments are released each week each Sunday.