IT: Welcome to Derry’s Bus Attack Sets Hank Grogan Free… For Now

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In the fifth episode of Welcome to Derry, we learn that Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider) broke out while being transferred to Shawshank Prison due to a problem with the transport bus. The HBO Max series is building the backstory of Pennywise the Dancing Clown and the town of Derry, Maine, and a key part of this story is what happened to Hank. He was wrongly accused of murdering the children found in the Capitol Theater in the first episode. Hank is also the father of Ronnie Grogan, who is part of an early version of the Losers’ Club and is determined to prove her father’s innocence.

Ronnie was already grieving her mother’s death, as shown in “Welcome to Derry,” and when her father was wrongly accused of a crime and faced imprisonment at Shawshank, she desperately joined the early version of the Losers’ Club. They tried to prove that Pennywise the clown was real, hoping to save her father. Unfortunately, the adults in Derry dismissed their claims, and her father was sent to prison. Everything changed, however, with a surprising turn of events in the fifth episode of the horror series.

Who (or What) Attacked the Bus In ‘Welcome to Derry’?

The fourth episode of IT: Welcome to Derry explained what Hank was doing the night of the murder. It was revealed he was secretly having an affair with a married white woman, a dangerous situation in Derry at the time, as interracial relationships were illegal. Hank feared for his life, stating that discovery would be worse than being sent to prison – “If anybody finds out, I won’t be headed to no Shawshank.” This explained his decision to falsely confess to the murders, even though he and those who knew the truth understood he was innocent.

The fifth episode of Welcome to Derry showed Hank Grogan being transferred to Shawshank State Prison, but the transfer was interrupted. A resident of Derry attempted to kill Hank in public, but police intervened. Charlotte Hanlon, who would later become Will Hanlon’s grandmother in the IT story, suspected that Pennywise was behind the attack.

Reports indicated that the bus Hank was traveling on to Shawshank was involved in a crash on Route 9 yesterday, resulting in several injuries and deaths. However, the latest episode of Welcome to Derry revealed that Hank actually survived the accident.

The newest episode revealed that the woman Hank slept with was actually Mrs. Ingrid Kersh, the housekeeper at Juniper Hill who has been assisting Lilly Bainbridge in dealing with the attacks from Pennywise. Hank and Mrs. Kersh reconnected after the bus crash, and he explained to her that the attack on the bus happened very quickly and he couldn’t react.

We don’t know what attacked Hank’s bus, but Pennywise is a likely suspect. He may have been trying to lure Hank back to Derry to continue tormenting Ronnie and exploit her fear.

Knowing about Hank and Mrs. Kersh’s affair, Pennywise might have intentionally made Hank suffer more by revealing it. He also realized he’d lose control over the situation if Hank was transferred to Shawshank prison. Sharp-eyed viewers of IT: Chapter Two will recall that Mrs. Kersh is a key character, ultimately becoming one of IT’s forms when it torments Beverly Marsh. (You can find more information about all the characters in the IT movies and their connection to the Welcome to Derry cast online).

Some believe Hank might be the key to how IT finally controls Mrs. Kersh, especially since the ancient evil knew she was the only adult supporting the children. Pennywise may have specifically wanted to kill Hank to push Mrs. Kersh over the edge and into insanity.

Will Hank Die in Welcome to Derry?

Okay, so in the latest installment, we find Hank Grogan in a seriously tough spot. Let’s just say things aren’t looking good for him – his current situation feels like a setup for a potentially fatal outcome. He’s on the run after that bus crash, the one that was meant to deliver him to Shawshank, and now he’s a wanted man. It’s a classic setup, really, and it definitely raises the stakes.

He’s more concerned with a terrifying, otherworldly clown hunting his daughter than with being a fugitive. Being wanted by the authorities is the least of his problems right now.

It’s likely Hank will die, either by the police or at the hands of Pennywise the clown. If Pennywise was responsible for the attack on the prison transport, it was probably a deliberate attempt to lure Hank back to Derry, Maine. This would allow IT to finish its plan – killing Hank to scare Ronnie even more.

If anything, this could be part of an elaborate trick of Pennywise to torment the kids further. 

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2025-11-24 05:35