MGM+’s From is back with a fourth season of mind-bending horror that constantly turns in on itself, making viewers forget that they’re not trapped alongside the characters. For three seasons, the minds behind the show, including creator John Griffin, showrunner Jeff Pinkner, and director Jack Bender, have curated countless stories that twist around like threads on an investigator’s corkboard. The horror series has remained on a steady trajectory towards utterly berserk chaos and convoluted mysteries, but Season 4 takes an earned step back and lingers on the reminder of who we’re rooting for in between the nightmares.
What Is ‘From’ Season 4 About?

From Season 3 left many loose ends and burning questions for viewers to obsess over, and Season 4, six episodes of which were provided for review, picks up right where the story left off. The closing scenes of Season 3’s finale delivered the devastating scene of a short-haired, time-traveling Julie (Hannah Cheramy) sprinting through the forest to save her dad Jim (Eion Bailey) from the Man in Yellow (Douglas E. Hughes), only to reach him mere seconds too late. After revisiting that painful scene, Season 4 confirms the situation in town isn’t much better. Boyd (Harold Perrineau) is, as per usual, barely hanging on by a thread, especially when he has to break the news about the smiling monster he killed being reborn through Fatima’s (Pegah Ghafoori) strange pregnancy. On top of that, Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno) and Jade (David Alpay) are still reeling from the revelations about their past lives. They finally loop Boyd into their impromptu investigations, which become even more of a focus this season. While tensions are already stretched thin amid all the new threats and revelations, the town isn’t spared from the old tradition of new people arriving — this time, a priest and his daughter, Sophia (Julia Doyle), disrupt the already taut dynamics between townsfolk. From’s latest season still makes headway through the mysteries of this puzzle box, but mostly deals with the fallout of Season 3, testing everyone’s faith and resilience.
‘From’ Season 4 Makes a Necessary but Repetitive Break in Pace

Harold Perrineau in From Season 4 Episode 4Image via MGM+

Overall, From Season 4 goes back to basics. The first couple of episodes thoroughly explain and dissect what viewers have learned thus far, but more importantly, resonate with the emotional repercussions of those revelations. It’s as if we’ve returned to Season 1, where the fear of the unknown and the ideas of how to survive, to persevere and to hold tightly onto hope, are revisited. As a certain evil character in the series says: “It’s my favorite part… where they tear themselves apart.” There are two sides to this coin: taking a step back is a necessary strategic reprieve, but it can also be repetitive. How many times have we witnessed someone come barreling into town, barely believing the horror they’ve encountered and questioning the existing strategy for survival? Reliving the same conversations and narrative beats doesn’t necessarily make for entertaining TV; this season, it’s Acosta’s (Samantha Brown) turn to lose her nerve — and who didn’t see that coming? The dialogue and themes surrounding that subplot are truly just rinsed and repeated from previous seasons. On one hand, it thematically makes sense for the show and the painfully cyclical nature of the limbo these characters are trapped in, but it still disrupts the overall pacing.

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However, Sophia’s introduction sheds light on why this choice is necessary and, ultimately, effective for this point in From. Her religious perspective shifts the focus from monsters in the dark to the people’s shaken faith, leading to some provocative interactions. Mundane musings about gummy candy or folklore-inspired statues are rendered into moving scenes about holding onto humanity in extreme times, something that could not be more relevant now. Like the characters themselves, this is the season where From picks itself up from the pits of hell and rebuilds itself to go on. This season may decelerate, but it is how From ensures longevity.
‘From’ Season 4 Moves Forward in Its Mystery With a Character-Centric Core

It’s important to note that From’s pacing doesn’t mean the story is becoming stagnant; the show is still moving towards a seemingly definitive goal. Each episode offers another creepy question or even creepier answer, while also taking major strides in unpacking the larger mystery, and the surrounding storytelling meticulously and thoughtfully dissects the town’s dynamics. Also, it’s not From if there aren’t abrupt bursts of abject terror shooting out of the most unexpected places. If anything, the repetition lulls viewers into a false sense of passivity, turning them into puppets for the show’s fundamentally unpredictable nature. In doing so, the strongest element of this season is the character arcs, which are given far more weight than previously. If Season 3 dived into psychological horror, then Season 4 is about the emotional toll and potential recovery. The burden of depicting that falls more on the cast’s shoulders than ever before, and they carry it impressively, with Perrineau delivering an evocatively cathartic performance in the first episode, Ghafoori having a standout, wonder-filled monologue later on, and Cheramy and Avery Konrad’s Sara sharing the screen in an unexpectedly beautiful moment. It would also be remiss not to mention Alpay, who shoulders one of the wildest and most significant episodes in the series thus far. Episode 6, in particular, is where many of the arcs culminate, masterfully painting a haunting portrait of human fragility and tenacity.

From Season 4 may not be as exciting or tumultuous as past seasons, but it holds value in the wider scheme of the show. The storylines are more character-driven than their mystery-centric predecessors, which is surprising on its own; we never expected From to be this capable of slowing down and veering away from chaos, yet it does so with its usual mindful execution. Fans may not be fully satisfied with the pace, but in the long run, it’s the smartest move this show can make. From Season 4 premieres April 19 on MGM+.

Release Date

February 20, 2022

Network

Epix, MGM+

Directors

Jack Bender, Brad Turner, Alexandra La Roche, Bruce McDonald, Jeff Renfroe

Writers

Vivian Lee, Kristen Layden, Brigitte Hales, Jeff Pinkner, John Griffin

Pros & Cons

Slowing down benefits the show’s future trajectory and storytelling.
The character arcs and performances are more thoughtful and provocative than ever.
From makes major strides in the larger mystery to keep viewers hooked, albeit at a more controlled pace.

A lot of dialogue and narrative beats can be repetitive and thus occasionally sluggish.