Cast: Harold Perrineau, Catalina Sandino-Moreno, Eion Bailey, David Alpay, Elizabeth Saunders, Scott McCord, Ricky He, Chloe Van Lamdschoot, pegahGhafoori, Corteon Moore, Avery Conrad, Hannah Cherany, Simon Webster, Elizabeth Moy, AJ Simmons, Nathan D Simmons

Streaming Service: MGM plus

Release Year: 2023

Length: 10 episodes

Audio Description Provided By:

Written By:

Narrated By:

What is It?: that’s the big question.Not even the characters in the show could explain it. From is a horror fantasy show set in some kind of reality that people just find themselves in. Everyone comes from different areas of the country, and they all enter the same way, seeing the same things. In season 2, we’ve just seen what happens when Jim builds a tower on top of colony house, and also what happens when you venture too far into the woods. they already know the danger that lurks at night, but is it possible there’s something worse than the monsters? Season 2 picks up with the arrival of a bus full of strangers who are finding this concept really hard to grasp, along with a house collapsing, a character infected with something, and a ballerina that spells danger whenever the music stops. All of this leads to a stunning revelation at the end of the season.

What Works: I hate to bluntly say everything works, but any problems are so nitpicky and small they don’t actually affect the way I enjoy the show. This was the one program I was waiting for MGM Plus to add audio description for, because I knew it would be up my alley, and it has been. As I’m a member of several awards bodies, I’ve had the opportunity to vote for From, and I have. it does an excellent job of building lore on top of lore, and by somehow not giving us the rule book for how the world works aside from a few basics. We don’t know that much about each character, or how long everyone has been here, but we know this has been going on long enough for Victor to be an adult, when he came here as a kid. For viewers looking for the next great science fiction, fantasy, or horror based mythology laden series, From is making a play for the crown more than any show since Lost. even Stranger Things explains things quicker, and has a more definable rule book to it. But the first couple seasons of Lost were nothing but confusing world building without the promise of concrete answers. From goes a step further, and tosses out flashbacks of these characters establishing what they were like before getting here. For horror fans, this series is unapologetically gory. If you die, it is not in a nice peaceful way. It’s the kind of terror that would make most people hide in a corner. In season two, we get to see where the monsters sleep during the day, the idea that there might be something else at play other than just these monsters, as well as expanding each of the main characters. Jim tries to not die in a collapsed home, and becomes excited when one of the new residents has a drone. But, that new resident may end up being more trouble than he’s worth. he does pose an interesting question about coming into this world, and the possibility that someone amongst them is part of this place, and not who they say they are. Unfortunately, he also thinks that’s Donna, who has steppped up quite a bit in terms of leadership and keeping people alive.

But Boyd has the biggest narrative, as his journey into the great unknown left him with some thing that lives under his skin, causing hallucinations. He does eventually put it to good use, but soon learns that the silver bullet effect may have just been the plan all along for something far more sinister. There are lighter moments too, mostly between Fatima and Ellis, as they continue to prove you can find love in a dark place. The return of Sarah poses a lot of interesting problems for Boyd and the residents. Season 2 reminds you there is more to be afraid of than simply the monsters that come out at night.

What Doesn’t Work: I have so little quarrel with the show. the show is so driven by the need to push the mythology that it rarely slows down. It must be hard to live in this hellscape, but there’s a church. Does anyone actually use it? We don’t get to see much use of it really ever as the thing it is. Also, what happened to the bartender? There was one. Did he die?

Randall, one of the new characters, didn’t always make sense. he’s the one convinced that this is some weird simulation, except he was on a bus with other people he would have met before coming here at least in passing, and many of those people didn’t make it. His attitude on day one makes sense, but he starts to wobble as an antagonist as he claims to want proof when he’s gotten proof.

The Audio Description: I’m not sure how MGM Plus commissioned audio description for the show, but Season 1 has better audio description. It isn’t a huge gap, but it is enough. If I remember correctly, the season also starts off having to rename all the characters we met in season one, which is a little odd. This tells me either the studio behind the AD has some weird base line rules, or MGM Plus commissioned audio description out of order. Like, Season 2 was done before Season 1, so when they did it they thought those would be the first intros to those characters.

Why You might Like it: you’re a fan of Lost, Twin Peaks, X-Files, V, Stranger Things,Silo, Severance, and many shows that are based in the “genre television” field. more importantly, you like your shows a little scary,a and pretty gory.

Why you Might Not Like it: It’s full of jump scares and gore, and for some, that is a turn off.

Final thoughts: From is one of the best shows on air, and a breath of fresh air for those looking for shows boldly asking questions, and never answering them. It has the strong writing to be able to continue to develop characters in a world with very little resolution for the audience, like the grand plan is worth waiting for, whenever it comes.

Final Grade: 9.6/10