From: Season 4: Episode 2: Knowledge has a cost (recap and review)

Image courtesy of MGM/Amazon

Warning: this article has major spoilers for From: Season 4's second episode, "Fray."

By the conclusion of From's Season 4 premiere, the residents remained unaware that longstanding series regular Jim (Eion Bailey) had been killed brutally by the Man in Yellow (Douglas E. Hughes). However, it was only a matter of time before the town found out Jim's grisly fate, and boy, do they ever in the second episode. This has major ramifications for Jim's wife, Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno), and his children, Julie (Hannah Cheramy) and Ethan (Simon Webster). Most likely, those ramifications will play out for the remainder of the season, perhaps with some serious consequences.

Other than the reaction to Jim's death, there are a few other plot points worth noting. Boyd (Harold Perrineau) threatens Elgin (Nathan D. Simmons) not to tell anyone else the means of torture Boyd employed against him at the end of last season. This continues the dark path Boyd keeps walking, and it's unclear how that will eventually play out. Hopefully, Boyd finds his moral compass again and soon. The town needs him. Meanwhile, Elgin retorts that the truth always finds a way, and most likely, he's right. It's unlikely Boyd can keep his torture tactics under wraps for very long. How the rest of the town will react to that is unknown, but it'll likely be a plot thread later this season.

In perhaps the most absurd part of the episode, Acosta (Samatha Brown) steals the ambulance and drives around the town in circles, determined to find a way out. She's joined by Kristi (Chloe Van Landschoot), who jumps in the ambulance, despite the fact she still relies on crutches, to ensure Acosta doesn't do anything too crazy. The two do have some interesting conversations about the very concept of hell, though out of everything that occurs in this episode, this narrative thread is by far the weakest, and of course, Acosta finds no way out.

From: Season 4 reckons with Jim's death

Eventually, Jim's fate would surface. About halfway into the episode, the town discovers a bloody sack hanging from a sign. Tabitha, Julie, and Ethan immediately suspect it's Jim, since he never returned home the previous night. However, in a gruesome fake out, they discover a dead animal in the sack and Jim hanging from the barn, gutted, with the message, "Knowledge comes at a cost," painted on the wall. Julie and Ethan discover him after Tabitha tells her children to check on the animals. She thought it was Jim in the sack. This also reveals just how evil the Man in Yellow can be and how much the nefarious forces will push back if the residents get too close to answers.

Everyone processes their grief differently. Tabitha turns against Jade because maybe they got too close to the truth and uncovering the mystery of the dead children at the end of last season. Julie tries to "story walk' and go back in time to save her dad, but it fails after one of the monsters nearly kills her. And Ethan ventures into the woods, to the site of his family's crashed RV. He takes the radio and maybe will commune with the dead later this season. In a surprising twist, he encounters his father's spirit, and Jim tells him to recall the dream he had the night that they crashed. The dream involves a lake of tears, and most likely, this will have significance later on.

Final verdict on "Fray"

Overall, "Fray" has some powerful moments, specifically the town's reaction to Jim's horrific fate. Moreno especially gives a strong performance, showcasing Tabitha's profound grief. Julie and Ethan, however, continue making poor decisions, like wandering into the woods, or trying to go back in time to stop what occurred, despite the severe risks.

I hope Acosta is given more to do soon, other than lash out at everyone, justifiably criticize Boyd's leadership, or drive the ambulance around in circles. There's a lot of potential with her character, but so far, it's been underutilized. Maybe, as a fellow law enforcement officer, she can be the one to help Boyd rediscover his morality. As for some of the other characters, especially Fatima (Pegah Ghafoori), Victor (Scott McCord), Mari (Kaelen Ohm), and Ellis (Corteon Moore), they had little to do this episode. That said, "Fray" focused on the aftermath of Jim's murder. These other characters will probably get their time to shine later this season. We also have yet to see the full extent of the Man in Yellow's diabolical plan, now that he's transformed into Sophia (Julia Doyle) and has infiltrated the group.

The third episode of From: Season 4 will premiere on Sunday, May 3.