From Season 2 Episode 1 Review: Strangers in a Strange Land

Fans have waited patiently for the return of the MGM+ original mystery horror series, and From Season 2 Episode 1 “Strangers in a Strange Land” has proven it was worth the wait.

This season picks up right where the first season left off which means fans have no time to catch their breath as they are dropped right back into the action.

We find Boyd (star Harold Parrineau) right where we left him with the walls feeling like they are closing in.

The thing about that pesky Faraway tree is it doesn’t seem to have many rules so we aren’t sure where he ended up or if it is really much better than where he was to begin with. Our reliable town sheriff is unable to help anyone including himself as he is trapped in what looks like a brick chimney.

With Boyd otherwise occupied, this means the cast as well as fans have to figure out how to get by without the person who has been the backbone of the show and the town it is about.

It’s a gutsy move by writers to sideline the star in the premiere, but it works as other townspeople are forced to step up in his absence and we are reminded of how remarkable the show’s ensemble is. This calculated move also allows room to introduce new cast members of which there are a few.

On this episode, the show gets its largest influx since the premiere when a literal busload of new people arrive. Good for us, bad for them.

And the ongoing search for Tabitha ropes in some of our new arrivals as they help Jim dig into the hole where she disappeared.

Because of this and the subsequent house collapse, town matriarch Donna has to skip the normal “you’ve stumbled into a horror movie” crash course that she or the sheriff typically give to new arrivals.

So before dark, and the terrifying monsters that come with it arrive, Kenny has his moment to shine when, with Donna’s help, he forces an uncooperative group of newcomers to safety. However, one of the episode’s biggest shocks was when we found out the pediatric nurse on the bus is Kristi’s fiance.

More exciting than the mediocre love triangle this creates (their reunion makes it clear Kenny never had a chance), is the fact that we know this can’t be a coincidence. It will be fun to see how this unfolds.

It is clear now who gets trapped here is less random than it may have previously appeared. It was also a smart way to make us more invested in new cast members right away as it is always challenging on a show where you never know who is going to live or die to get attached too easily. 

In addition to Kristi’s fiance, we have another bus rider who seems to have some inside information on why they do not want to be in this town when he jumps up Final Destination style and screams to stop the bus, claiming later he had a “bad dream.”

This is obviously far too simple an explanation for a show this complex. Is he too connected to someone in the town? Are any of the others?

The episode ends with Jim and several other people attempting to survive the night under nothing but tarps trapped in the rubble of the collapse.

Really? It hasn’t been long enough since Season 1 for us to forget what is out there and by now we all know they need more than tarps.

Jim seems to agree and says his goodbyes. It’s situations like this that amp up the terror on this show, the anxiety is real.

Next, we have Boyd, who escaped…but to what? He emerged to find the voice belonged to a man chained to a wall in what looked like surroundings from some kind of an old dungeon that looks nothing like the town.

More questions come with each answer, but that is what this show does best.

Fans of From will be relieved to find out that the quality hasn’t seemed to dip in this new season but they won’t be surprised at just how good it is. The only surprise here is why more people aren’t talking about this show.

In a sea of available TV to watch this is a rare hidden gem hopefully not to be so hidden for long. 

What did you think of this episode of From? Share your thoughts or comments below!

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From streams Sundays on MGM+. 

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