When the television event that was Lost was at its peak, it was all anyone could talk about - and for good reason. Mysterious and intriguing, it followed a group of characters trapped on an island who must find a way to survive after a plane crash as well as piece together what is happening around them. None of this is likely new information as it was also one of the most-watched shows on television. From week to week, people far and wide would be united in trying to piece together what exactly was happening to these unsuspecting island dwellers.

It should also come as no surprise that there are many shows that have tried to recapture that initial spark that made the show such an enduring experience. Enter Epix’s From, a new horror series from the Russo Brothers, whose first three episodes were just released. Set in a small town from hell, the premise is that all who are unfortunate enough to enter are soon trapped there. It gets worse as, in addition to finding themselves unable to leave, monstrous creatures emerge at night to kill whoever isn’t locked inside with a talisman to protect them. Thus far, it has proved to be a solid enough opening to a show, though there is the inescapable feeling that From is living in the long shadow cast by what has come before.

If you have seen anything related to this new series, be it a full trailer or even just a poster, you will know that it is “from executive producers of Lost.” Said producer is Jack Bender who directs the first four episodes and also worked on the messy Stephen King adaptation Under the Dome which this feels eerily similar to as well. Additionally, it also stars Harold Perrineau who was first known to many from Lost as the father Michael Dawson who was doing everything to protect his son. Now, he is playing the gruff Boyd Stevens who has taken on the role of being the town’s sheriff. In a cast of characters where many line deliveries and scenes fall flat, it is Perrineau’s performance that has already made Boyd the most compelling character by a mile. As a man who is committed to showing strength through stoicism, the moments where we see cracks in his armor when facing down unending calamity prove to be the most engaging emotional core to the story.

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In addition to these clear markers of similarity to Lost, From has a deeper narrative connection in how its story has been structured. Even in just the early stages, you can already see how the show is laying out a whole list of questions about its world in the hopes of luring you in. It recalls the form of so-called “mystery box storytelling” that Lost co-creator J.J. Abrams used to describe his approach to narrative in a somewhat rambling 2007 TED Talk. The most interesting part of the speech is that it is Abrams basically admitting he didn’t really have any idea of what the answers to any of the questions would be in his hit show. Some of this was due to the fact that he and co-creator Damon Lindelof had to quickly throw a story together. The other, more significant element, was the fact that the show was all about the tease.

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For Lost, the story was almost all about this teasing of revelation without ever delivering on what was actually going on. By the time it all reached its end, many were left unsatisfied at how most questions were left unanswered. Of course, this is not to say that everything needs to be spelled out. As Lindelof later showed with his outstanding and devastating series The Leftovers, it was more impactful to just let the mystery be as the show laid out explicitly in its second season opening credits. The people in the story were what made us latch on to the story. Abrams hints at that in his speech about his form of storytelling, something reflected in how the final season of Lost ended up being much more about the characters. It is strange as the show placed a lot of emphasis on the mystery in a way that shows like The Leftovers smartly eschewed in favor of showing the emotional impact of living in an uncertain world. As someone who doesn’t hate the ending of Lost, it is unfortunate to see what many shows took away from the story's success was the emphasis on creating a mystery box of their own as opposed to thinking about the characters and the people that make up your world.

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Image via Epix

That is now where we find ourselves with From. In the first few episodes, there are already so many questions bouncing around. Why are people trapped here? What is the force preventing them from leaving? How did the monsters come to haunt the town at night? And who is that creepy kid that keeps showing up in visions? Asking a boatload of questions like this can be an initially alluring way of storytelling where you keep your audience guessing and holding their breath for each new revelation. Unfortunately, it can also risk getting far too caught up in focusing on questions that will never get answers. Clearly, the show is putting a lot of emphasis on these central mysterious elements and inviting the audience to recall how Lost was able to capture our imaginations so thoroughly.

The issue is that From will never quite be what Lost is just as a whole host of other shows haven’t been able to. Television itself has changed and trying to make your show just another version of a previous story is only going to feel derivative as opposed to inventive. There is still room for From to avoid these trappings and become a show all its own, though there is also plenty of reason to be nervous about the season's remaining seven episodes. While trying to recapture the magic of a show like Lost is an intriguing television experiment, it is one that is difficult to imagine being successful. Despite this, the show seems hellbent on throwing so many different threads of mystery at the wall in the hope of finding one that sticks. Whether this narrative decision will be remembered as the writing on the wall that marked how the show was never able to find its own original direction remains to be seen. That element of how such a recreation will work will, for better or worse, keep us curious about where exactly From is coming from in its intentions. Is it a copycat or something more? Time will tell.