Reviewer Rating: 4.75/5.0
4.75
Let’s play a game.
How many ways did FROM make you cry this week? My answer is five. Tell me yours so we can cry together.
Unfortunately, there are no winners in this game, but we will at least have each other.
FROM has a lot going for it, from its stellar cast to its cinematography to its engaging storytelling. They have the ability to scare you one moment and make you burst into tears the next.
The series has always been more than just a horror series, and hours like this, exploring the psychologically and emotionally draining aspects of the townsfolk, have always been the best.
Sometimes, you watch TV to escape. Laugh mindlessly and get lost in the illusion so you can forget about the upcoming deadline, the stress you have, or the thing you need but can’t afford.
Sometimes, you’re interested in a story because it’s relatable. You see something in a character or story that makes you feel seen.
Grief and loss are things we all experience as humans, from the mundane to the extreme.
Of course, things in FROM are amplified because this is still fiction, but a lot of us can relate to pain and suffering, albeit to varying degrees, and the series has always done a great job of exploring those emotions, Especially with tragic loss.
Tianchen’s death may be one of the most tragic losses to date.
Tianchen’s death at the end of the first episode of season three affected everyone in the town. Tianchen is a regular customer, and as the de facto owner of the restaurant and storage room, she has personal contact with everyone.
She was a familiar, friendly face who was loved not just for what she did for the town, but for what she meant to the town.
Tianchen always reminds me that you had that person, maybe in high school, that you could find in the hallway and they would give you a sense of calm.
The overwhelming sadness that filled the town after the news broke was heartbreaking. Everyone has a unique relationship with her, and I love that they allow so much time to exist in the sadness.
From Boyd to Ethan, from Donna to Jade, to Kristy, and of course Kenny, Chen Tian is loved.
It’s a sick little coincidence that Jim and Kenny are looking for food, something Tianchen is willing to risk to protect. Oh my god, Kenny just had a moment of letting go of the past as the reality of what happened while he was away comes crashing back at him.
Kenny went to the woods with Jim to help because he didn’t want Ethan and Julie to suffer the pain of losing their parents in that treacherous place.
Kenny is a fairly complex character, as we’ve seen different versions of him since the series began. He started out as Boyd’s lieutenant, but after feeling betrayed by Boyd, they separated, and for a while, he wasn’t the best character.
But deep down in his heart, Kenny is a good man, and he doesn’t let the undeniable anger and pain he must feel overwhelm him and turn him into someone he doesn’t want to be.
Ricky is here, and he does a tremendous job of containing Kenny’s anger, but when he does his best to work through the pain with Kristi in the restaurant, and later when he and Bo As Boyd headed to the tunnel, he broke out at various points.
The town takes everything from him and he decides to finally do something, which is reminiscent of what he told Boyd in the premiere that they need to start attacking, and it feels like this will be a recurring theme this season.
Monsters decide everything, right? Ultimately, everyone must be at the mercy of monsters if they want to survive. This means you are always behind the ball.
So, how do you get in front of it? That’s something they have to figure out and work on this season.
But back to Kenny, his decision to kill himself to rid the place of some monsters was motivated by his pain, but it was such an impactful moment.
Boyd and Kenny have a long history, and Boyd has no qualms about following Kenny’s lead while helping to shoulder some of the damage. He remembered Tianchen’s last words and made sure Kenny had all the information before making a decision. Lord, I cry just thinking about this right now.
When I chatted with Harold Perrineau ahead of FROM Season 3, I asked him about the various hats Boyd finds himself having to wear. The fatherly, elder hat he often had to don in times of struggle was so evident here.
Kenny walked away from it all and buried his mother properly, but it certainly wasn’t the end of the chaos he’d likely always feel.
Boyd is also in leader mode most of the time, often taking on the task of burying his feelings so that he can be who the town needs him to be. But judging from what he just witnessed, how does one do that?
Boyd is more acutely aware than anyone that the monster is becoming powerful in ways he may never have foreseen. He’s trying to balance that knowledge with other people’s pain, and oh my God, I’m exhausted from thinking about that internal struggle.
When he and Donna had a heated exchange, I understood where they were coming from, but Donna’s frustration kept her from seeing clearly.
Boyd spent the entire day convincing people to get off the ledge, and then he was supposed to put all the food away. At that moment, there was no other way.
Donna may be angry with herself or Boyd, but they are not responsible for what happened to them. It’s easy to blame others when things go bad, but blame the damn monsters! It’s all this damn town’s fault!
Things may seem dire now, but when things get their darkest, you’ll persevere even more.
Elsewhere, a number of smaller, intimate stories are woven throughout that may have had a more significant impact.
Fatima had endured an exhausting, debilitating pregnancy, and losing her teeth finally gave her the push she needed to talk to others about it.
While Ellis feels scared and experiences many other emotions, his third level Marielle is a bit annoying. He might actually be concerned about her safety after what happened, but medical resources are limited in your place, so just take what you can get, man!
I’m not sure what the theory is about Fatima and this pregnancy, but I believe she is either pregnant with a monster or this pregnancy will somehow kill her from the inside out.
This theory was strengthened when Fatima went into town to eat the spoiled food.
This pregnancy was never going to be easy, but now it not only piqued my interest, it also made me so nervous.
I can already imagine a scene where a pregnant Fatima finds herself in a terrifying position in front of the monsters, while they slowly back away from her as she carries one of them inside her.
Ah, a chill ran up my spine!
Another interesting incident involves Sarah and Julie, who had a brief interaction after Sarah rescued Ethan and Julie the night before.
It makes sense in the world that Sarah is still persona non grata, even if she proves every day that she’s not a demon. In fact, she still caused great harm and should not be forgiven by anyone.
But it was great that Sarah brought Tianchen the dress she had always dreamed of wearing when she came home, and she was also happy to be the first one to contact Christie because she knew that even if she had to know, She’ll want to know too.
Jolie has been the walking dead so far, and can you blame her? Her mother died, and whatever happened when she was in that state took a toll on her that she might never be prepared for.
She must feel alone and out of control, something Sara can relate to. Can these two eventually become best friends? No.
An incredible moment came when Julie spoke to the audience and told her dad about himself! If you’re a Jim Matthews fan, I’m sorry, but he can be insufferable.
He had no right to leave those two kids alone in that place, and Julie had every right to tell him that he needed to step up. Hearing her tell him that she had become Ethan’s replacement after Thomas passed away was shocking to him.
In the first episode of Season 1, Julie was angry when the Matthewses landed, and now we know the one thing that makes her so upset. She is a big sister and enjoys her job, but she can no longer play the role of substitute parent. She shouldn’t have done this.
They both want Tabitha back, but they have to take care of themselves and each other to make that happen.
Speaking of Tabitha, she and Henry were at odds for a while. You can’t blame Henry for being suspicious. It had been years, and if he had gotten to the point where he wasn’t willing to accept it, Tabitha’s statement might have crushed him.
But once Tabitha breaks him down and he starts to understand what she’s talking about, the truth about the basement becomes truly shocking.
So, Miranda saw the town and heard the children’s voices before entering it. what does that mean? Was she recruited to the town through a dream?
If so, why would it make sense for her and the kids to end up there, but what about everyone else?
I wanted these photos and Henry’s vivid descriptions of what Miranda told him to help me understand the town, Victor, and even Tabitha better, but there was none of that.
This made me scratch my head and mutter “huh” out loud more than once, but it happens to me a lot when covering this show.
I wouldn’t want it any other way.
unresolved issues
- Jade is so attentive and sweet to Tianchen that I almost forgot how she accepted Jade in the beginning, even though he was the worst. The image of him sitting with her, holding her hand, will stay in your mind.
- I also loved seeing Jade and Christy working together.
- Thomas calling Jim at the end of the episode should have been a bigger shock, but they’ve been mentioning him a lot lately and as soon as the phone rang, I assumed it was him. This must be another example of the monsters engaging in emotional whiplash.
- I’m here for Boyd’s plan to capture the monster. I don’t know how they do it, but I’m ready for them to start taking action.
- Victor must have been overwhelmed. He’d better not yell at Ethan, but the mood was too high. He did love that little boy.
I got teary-eyed watching this hour and writing this, but this is a show worth worshiping. This cast is second to none!
There’s a lot more to discuss and speculate as we move forward, so leave all your thoughts below!
You can watch it Sunday at 9/8c MGM+.
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