Series Review – MGM+ ‘From’ Season 2

Season 2 of From MGM+ (formerly EPIX), promises to expand upon the mystery of the little town that won’t give up its living.

I’d never heard of From before a few weeks ago, even while it was quietly gaining steam towards its Season 2 premiere on Sunday April 23, 2023. So I gathered my favorite blanket, some popcorn and settled in for a marathon.

Take a town that’s equal parts Jerusalem’s Lot, Hobbs End, and Dunwich, where a felled tree in the middle of a winding state road marks the entrance of a place no one ever leaves. Whether you’re coming from Grand Rapids MI, Denver CO, or Jacksonville, FL, all roads lead to this spit of a place There are cars in ditches and clothes hanging on the line, and everyone walks everywhere. At sundown, Sheriff Boyd Stevens (Harold Perrineau) rings a bell that signals everyone inside to lock their doors and draw the curtains. The things that walk the streets when the sun goes down look friendly enough, with big smiles and soothing voices, but what they manage to catch, they don’t eat right away, and what they leave is nothing more than a gaping and empty hole on the floor.

From follows the displaced townspeople who, despite their geographic origins and professions, find themselves trapped in a town they can neither name nor leave. They survive by planting gardens, collecting food from new residents, and catching whatever wildlife wanders across the town’s mysterious borders. Every home and business is wired for electricity, but the cords aren’t connected to outlets. Radios pick up whispering and unknown voices, and the diner’s coin-operated tabletop jukeboxes play random oldies. As new people get settled and are made to comprehend the horror they face on a nightly basis, they not only deal with day-to-day interpersonal issues, but possible addiction, abuse, and mental illness. There’s no way to call for help, no way to get supplies, and it’s a minor miracle that nearly everyone gets along.

The season 1 finale of From brought no one any closer to discovering the mystery of the town, and that was a little frustrating. While every episode was rich with characters we could connect with and a steady progression of the storyline, the origin of the town, the Boy in White, Victor’s (Scott McCord) drawings, or Sara’s (Avery Konrad) visions don’t appear to drawing any closer to a conclusion. Sheriff Boyd still faces a chronic illness, Jade (David Alpay) is seeing that weird symbol and hearing screams, and Victor is trapped in his own head, unable to articulate through words what he draws with childlike intensity. Some of the weaker characters, like Tabitha Stevens (Catalina Sandino Moreno), have found strength through perpetual nagging and visions of strange children, while Kenny’s (Ricky He) only personality seems to be “his father died”, and there’s a mysterious Boy In White (Vox Smith) who can be seen in the daytime, but other than smiling and waving to a select few, seems to serve no real purpose. Even through the first five episodes of Season 5, which is half of the season, there are no easy answers – only more people as a bus from Grand Rapids Michigan pulls into town just before sundown, bringing more mouths and more conflict.

I’m looking forward to seeing how From wraps up Season 2, ideally with explanations. I love a good paranormal/lost town mystery, but I also like resolutions and season-long arcs.

From Season 2 premieres on Sunday April 23, 2023 on MGM+ (formerly Epix).