There are only a handful of TV shows that rage bait their audience and live to tell the tale. Fortunately, MGM’s From has survived four seasons of unsolved mysteries and overlooked subplots. Having said that, it in no way means that From has lost its way; it’s just that with a single season left to wrap up the story, we felt a bit disappointed with the lack of material in the latest season.
One of the most appreciable aspects of this modern horror gem is that it is a continuing story. There aren’t any time jumps, so a consistent set of events is meant to tie the story together. This means it's hard for the show to leave a particular subplot stranded, since there’s no time difference to compensate for overlooking it.
Unfortunately, that was exactly what was wrong with From season 4 because the previous installment ended on a high note with a promise to finally answer questions. However, in favor of turning the final iteration into an endgame-esque event, the latest season failed to resolve some of the most glaring questions and mysteries that would have set up the next story even more strongly.
Julie’s storywalking was cruelly ignored
When Julie appeared out of nowhere right before the MIY claimed Jim’s life, it felt as if From had hit a new high. Julie storywalking to that point was one of the most thrilling scenes in the entire series. It meant that the story was setting up a major shake-up with the residents finally finding some edge thanks to Julie’s newfound powers.
Unfortunately, not only did the show fail to utilize this potentially impactful subplot, but it also forgot about it to the point where it felt it never happened. In the first few episodes, Julie tries to make sense of her storywalking and ends up at some random yet important chapters of the town. However, they were reduced to just that – being random. Julie's encounter with the MIY in the past had almost no effect on the current storyline.
After two failed attempts, Julie gave up on her trump card altogether. What’s more, the MIY implied before Jim’s death that he and Julie had been at this point many times. Unfortunately, season 4 never circles back to this pivotal point in the story, let alone explain it to make sense of its lukewarm inclusion.
When did Sophia and Clara make the deal?
One of the most shocking twists in From season 4 was the revelation of Clara and Sophia's connection. She casually reveals herself to Clara, claiming it's time she kept her end of the bargain that they made when the latter first arrived in town. Although we understood, to some extent, why some residents did terrible things in the name of escaping the town, it still doesn’t explain how and when the MIY does so.
When did Clara arrive in town? How did Sophia appear to her? And as an extension of this mystery, the show should have provided some clarity on the Kimono Lady and whether it was, in fact, the MIY who had influenced Elgin. Unfortunately, there are too many plot holes when it comes to the influence of the town.
It’s hard to tell whether it’s the town itself or the MIY that's responsible for everything that's happened since the beginning. The increasing number of vague, open-ended scenes with supporting characters does nothing to elevate the suspense; on the contrary, it creates more confusion.
Let’s not forget about Martin
Who can forget about Martin? At one point, Martin’s secret identity was the biggest source of memes and running jokes for the From fandom. However, after the Music Box monster fiasco, his place in the overarching plot disappeared into thin air. The show never mentions him or cares to explain why he appeared or knew the things he did.
The remnants of the Music Box monster’s atrocity and torture appear throughout the seasons, but never once does the series lean into Martin’s identity. It’s likely the show is saving every answer for the final season, but by the looks of it, it seems that Martin is a thing of the past. His presence doesn’t seem to contribute to anything and will likely be destined to remain one of the show’s unsolvable mysteries.
Why did Marielle even have those visions?
Since her arrival, Marielle’s role in the series has been questionable. She didn’t have any impact other than being there for Kristi or suffering at the hands of the Music Box monster. It made sense why the monster chose Julie, but Marielle going through that experience and offering nothing in return felt unnecessary.
Even in season 4, Sophia caused her to experience the familiar pain, but it amounted to almost nothing. What was the reason to make her have those hallucinations again when she had to die? It served no purpose for her to have visions only for them to remain vague and unexplained in the broader sense. The show should at least have explained her role or the importance of her recent visions.
What is the Bottle Tree?
We’ve been hearing about the Bottle Tree and how it's “important” since the beginning. The show left a few crumbs here and there about its place in the lore, but none that would explain its origin and nature with certainty. Four seasons in, we still don’t know who planted it, why it's there, or what role it plays in the larger narrative.
When Jade and Tabitha found the clues inside the bottles, it seemed as if the tree had fulfilled its purpose. However, it popped back on the radar when the Boy in White suddenly warned against destroying it. Mystery is only effective when it pays off at some point, but piling them up only overcomplicates the plot.
Understandably, From is looking for a grand exit in the form of an explanatory fifth installment that will reveal all. However, it would have been better if the show had resolved a few mysteries to keep the balance. There’s a nagging feeling that the show keeps moving the goalposts to keep the suspense alive; hopefully, the constant deferral pays off, especially since potentially good shows have a bad history of fumbling their endings.
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