Of all the shows to release over the last couple of years, there is perhaps no series that brings with it more self-imposed baggage while simultaneously being as intriguing as From. Though by no means the most popular of shows in the vast streaming landscape, it became a bit of a sleeper hit and boasted being the most-viewed original series premiere on what was formerly known as Epix, now relaunched as MGM+. Now entering its second season, it is still anchored by a strong lead performance by the great Harold Perrineau as it explores more of its characters both new and old as well as the mysterious forces that have trapped all of them in this town. In the first five episodes of the ten-episode second season shared with critics, the show thrives best when it gives room to the growing tensions that are starting to bubble over. Although it often gets caught up in repetitive cycles of meandering conversational scenes, From has moved beyond the discovery of the first season and started to uncover something more unsettling than even the ravenous monsters that continue to hunt in the dark of night.
Season 2 picks back up with Boyd (Perrineau) stuck in a hole, where he was teleported after stepping into a tree at Sara's (Avery Konrad) urging. While this story element is a bit of a misstep that originally sought to shock with a twist, Boyd soon claws his way out and begins to understand that there is more out there that he'll have to contend with. Without tipping off anything that is revealed in this first half of the season, the bus that pulled up has brought with it a whole new group of characters. Some represent potential disruptions to the society that has been built. One has a connection to someone already trapped which results in a painful reunion; while they now get to be together, it is only because now each of them is in this Hell on Earth. What proves even more interesting is that another character seemed to know the peril that awaited all of them and began panicking at the sight of where the bus was headed.
Just when all these people and more pull up, there is also the matter of what happened to Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno) who had been digging under her house while her husband Jim (Eion Bailey) attempted to make radio contact with the outside world. The house collapsed when Tabitha discovered that the chords which supposedly gave them power didn’t connect to anything, though she escaped with the troubled Victor (Scott McCord) serving as her guide. Jim did make contact with someone, but they seemed more threatening than they were helpful as they told him his wife, who they were presumably watching, shouldn’t be digging.
This is the beginning of From flirting with some potential answers about what it is that is going on. Clearly, Jim has discovered that there is at least someone out there who knows where they are and their predicament. Who this person is and what role they may play remains unknown, as Season 2 takes its sweet time before even referencing this exchange again. Instead, the characters must deal with a series of escalating crises before they can stop to catch their breath enough to take stock of what has happened. There is some speculation that this someone is actually watching them for the purposes of an experiment. However, nothing has been made concrete by any means.
Much of this can feel like the show is spinning its wheels, leaving a lack of urgency to many of the developments as we wonder why no one is mentioning this rather significant event that occurred. At the same time, to give it credit, it is also nice to take some time to re-familiarize ourselves with the major players in the town as well as get to know the new ones. Character development was something that the first season was lacking in and, while there are still some pacing issues, this season smartly devotes more to establishing what it is that each distinct person is going through. All have been through a lot and will continue to do so as long as they remain trapped in the town where death comes knocking at your door each night.
This culminates in the season’s best scenes so far, ones which begin like many of the others though stumble into something far more unexpectedly engaging. They are not built around big, explosive twists, empty without the emotional depth to back them up, as was the case in the first season. Instead, it is smaller character moments where we see Boyd just talking with various others that prove to be the most engaging. In one, he bursts out laughing at the prospect of being told to avoid stress after he sustains a strange injury that is more than this town or any other could really do anything to help. It is initially alarming, but his laughter proves to be infectious. In another, the stress in his voice is audible as he tries to de-escalate a situation while also dealing with the fact that his expedition in the hope of finding a way to escape did not produce results. In all these moments, the performance of Perrineau shines brightest. Just as was the case in Lost, he is able to make a complex character seem alive as all his flaws come to the surface. The fact that he is essentially the main character in From does wonders for the series as it navigates its many peaks and valleys. As long as Perrineau remains at the helm, we are along for the ride — if only for the moments when he commands the screen.
There are still plenty of scenes without Perrineau that leave less of an impact, as Season 2 of From falls into a formula of characters breaking off into groups of two and having a discussion that can end with the sense that it is just filling time. Much of this is because of the constraints of the premise, as there is often little to do in the small radius of their world, but there is much left to be desired when it comes to momentum. This is not just in reference to the narrative, but the characters that populate it. For every character that seems to go through a transformation, there are others that are just repeating their motivations in a loop of conversations. It can end up feeling busy while not accomplishing much at all. The best parts of the show are when it pulls back from this to delve deeper into their respective psyches and how this terrifying purgatory of a world continues to take a toll on all of them.
When each character's interior strife is subsequently made exterior in scenes where emotions burst free in front of others, the series draws you back in again despite the drudgery it can often risk succumbing to. Much like the road to nowhere that all the characters are trapped in, From Season 2 can feel like it is bouncing around the same elements. There are enough sparks of life to keep it moving, but it still has much to do as it continues to stumble into darkness.
Rating: B-
From Season 2 premieres April 23 on MGM+.