From: Season 4: Episode 9: The Calm Before (recap and review)
- Brian Fanelli
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
This article contains major spoilers for the latest episode of From, titled "The Calm Before."
The latest episode of From sets the stage for what's likely to be an explosive Season 4 finale. By the final few minutes of "The Calm Before," several major characters face perilous circumstances, and it's unlikely that they're all going to survive to be part of the show's fifth and final season. "The Calm Before" is the season's most high-tension episode yet. Let's unpack what happened.
Tabitha and Jade go into the tunnels
Maybe to no one's surprise, Jade (David Alpay) and Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno) descend into the tunnels to dig up the bones of the sacrificed children. This makes sense, since they believe they've been reincarnated and keep returning to Fromville over and over again because it's their duty to set everyone free by digging up the bones. Initially, Kenny (Ricky He) was supposed to join the group, but Boyd (Harold Perrineau) tells him to stand down and stay behind. Should the plan fail, Boyd explains they need someone to keep order around the town. Kenny is the next in line behind Boyd.
The good news is that Jade and Tabitha do indeed find the bones, but not before they awaken the monsters that live in the tunnels. The episode ends with the monsters just a foot or two away from Jade and Tabitha. It's unlikely the fiends will kill both of them, but it does seem plausible Jade will sacrifice himself to save Tabitha, since she has to look after her kids, Ethan (Simon Webster) and Julie (Hannah Cheramy). Regardless, we have to tune in next week to see what fate will befall Jade and Tabitha and whether or not they'll secure the bones above ground and somehow evade the monsters.
The Man in Yellow/Sophia sets diabolical plans in motion
Meanwhile, the Man in Yellow (Douglas E. Hughes), in the form of Sophia (Julia Doyle), acts to stop the residents from unearthing the bones and returning home. First, Sophia lures in a resident name Carla (Katerina Bakolias). Apparently, when Carla first arrived in town, she made a deal with the Man in Yellow. Well, now he's come to collect. This causes Carla to undermine and undercut her fellow residents. Additionally, Carla poisons Fatima (Pegah Ghafoori). This occurs after the Sophia/the Man in Yellow mixes blood with Carla's, and then Carla drips blood into a drink she offers Fatima.
Near the episode's conclusion, Fatima awakes and writhes in pain. The black veins have spread throughout more of her body, and her hair falls out. Certainly, her fate doesn't look good. Meanwhile, her partner, Ellis (Corteon Moore), doesn't even know what's happening to Fatima because, so far, Boyd has veiled the truth from him. That's likely going to have major repercussions next episode.
Elgin's (Nathan D. Simmons) outcome doesn't look too great either. In the diner, he discovers an old photograph and believes a girl in it looks like Sophia. She confesses to him that it's her and she can change into anyone who's died in the town. Sophia commands Carla to lock the door and then grips Elgin's arm. This is also after Sophia sabotaged the rope ladder by cutting it, which again makes Jade and Tabitha's fate precarious. How will they escape the tunnel with a faulty ladder?
Victor warns about toppling the bottle tree
Victor (Scott McCord) is visited by the Boy in White, who warns him against uprooting the bottle tree. Victor tries to thwart the plan, but Boyd locks him up. It's still unclear if the Boy in White has good intentions or is trying to derail the plan. Because Sophia was so alarmed when Carla told her that Jade and Tabitha are going to locate the bones, it seems the Boy in White is also trying to delay or stop the group.
We have to wait until next week to see if Victor was right and whether or not uprooting the bottle tree will have profound consequences. We also don't know if Henry (Robert Joy), Victor's dad, will try to harm his son. Henry is still living in a delusion that Fromville isn't real and that he's actually in a hospital and to return home, he needs to cut the anchor, meaning his son.
Final verdict
Overall, "The Calm Before" was a damn gripping episode that sets all of the pieces on the board for the finale. It also leaves the fate of several major characters uncertain. Yet, unlike previous seasons, there's more hope than ever that the residents can finally return home. There are just several obstacles standing in their way, including monsters in the tunnels and the Man in Yellow/Sophia.
"The Calm Before" was a great lead-up to the finale that raises the stakes even more. It also foreshadowed that not every character is going to make it to the final season. In fact, it seems likely the Season 4 finale will be bloody and have more than one death.
Catch every episode of From on MGM+.
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