Season three started off with a relatively normal start. It was one that didn't dive too much into the action nor did it focus too much on the drama. A few more questions started up as a result of events that had taken place within the real world; one that connects the mysterious location the main characters are stuck inside with the regular outside world. Primarily related to the one character that everyone believes has been there the longest, having survived there since the time of a child way into adulthood. In the previous season we saw that he arrived there much earlier, and somehow managed to survive an event that killed off much of the previous civilians. None of what really happened got disclosed to us, and much of the location's past remains a strange mystery. This show loves its mysteries, so to get any answers whatsoever is a big deal even three seasons in now. But I'd say that this is one of the show's greatest strengths. Its slow burning ability to keep you watching and asking questions, branching off into more oddities that lead to more theories. Season two had its fair share of new mysteries being introduced, though I'm hoping that this isn't the case in the third season. Rather, a bit more of a focus on its initial theme would be nice: the threat of the night remaining, the strange beings that lurk it and provide a significant threat to those trapped within the area. I'd love to see more of that atmosphere utilised as the characters attempt to solve things.
Internal drama has been a bit more of a concentration as of late with characters struggling to understand where they are and who they are. There hasn't been a significant amount of character development in this case, very little that goes into their backstories, but more their current lifestyles in the strange space they're stuck in. The struggles of communities and families to maintain their sanity in the space, the attempts to keep family together as they each want to find their own ways to escape but also just survive. It seems as if much of the characters are lost, as if there is something behind their pasts that we don't quite know yet. Something that may have led to them being punished or led to this location. The idea of community remains but is loosely perceived. People still selfish, constantly at each other's throats. There's this constant idea of breaking people in the location, which is often mentioned by the show's main character Boyd; particularly strong in this season so far, the idea that he can't be broken remains. That the place will not break him, where it is clearly leading others to their breaking points.
This second season continues on with the drama that took place in the previous season. Mixing the struggles of food production and starvation as sabotage begins to unfold. I really found the little bits of dialogue in the regular world interesting as Victor's father is found and with much disbelief over the story he's given regarding the one person that managed to escape. I'm really curious as to where this is heading. Thankfully, the show doesn't linger on too much with that side of things and shows us the events in the strange place, to which everything is going crazy. Boyd on the point of close to breaking, the food problem, but most interestingly a particular character that seems to be suffering from some type of health issue, to which her teeth begin to fall out. This of course just adds to another mystery that's coming. It's interesting to see how characters take the events that are unfolding, each one with different reactions. I think this is what makes the show so strong. A genuinely interesting wide range of characters that each react and feel in their own ways. Though, that aforementioned character development just needing that extra push. I have no doubts that it's coming, it just isn't quite there yet.
One of the most notable parts of the episode takes place in the regular world, as our lone survivor talks with Victor's dad, to which he calls the police on her. Though her mentioning a tower and children reveals something that triggers something within him. He speaks of how Victor's mother had these dreams, to which she then claimed of hearing children, and mentions of a tower. This is probably the largest revelation in the show so far as it directly connects the real world to wherever it is that the characters are stuck inside. This is a huge answer as we now know that the story goes much deeper than the location, and really does connect somehow. There's a greater story to it all that definitely relates to a tower and some children. To which extent that is, we still have no idea. Whether it's something related to a cult, some devil worshipping, or something more strange. I like the moments in the show where the characters find the courage to explore more, where we see more of the location that they're stuck in. The movements of that location as it shifts its form.
In the previous episode we saw how two of the characters stumbled into an area while searching for one of the character's wife, the one that ended up in the real world without them knowing. A small housing area where we see strange manmade figures standing around, made of sticks and various other items. More mysteries! Oh, and our previously sick character is now eating rotten fruit after claiming to be incapable of eating anything and keeping it down! I think all of these oddities are what really makes From so good. None of it makes sense and there's just no answer to it. Each episode takes us on a new roller coaster to which we return almost back to the same place. A few new answers, more questions, more character interactions and events that just have us wanting more. This second episode in season three was just another strong one. And if you haven't started watching the show just yet, I really recommend starting for the month of Halloween.
Also, it's super hard to write these reviews without just trying to highlight all the major points of the episodes and go on major rambles on the potential theories! I try not to just mention the spoilers. That said, I'm really looking forward to the idea of revenge.
It's great to see how the characters struggle not only with the environment, but also with their own histories and traumas. Great post!