From Season 3 Episode 1 recap: ‘Shatter’

As a seasoned horror enthusiast who’s seen his fair share of chilling tales, I must admit that From Season 3 has managed to send shivers down my spine with its gripping narrative and unsettling visuals. The monsters in this show are truly terrifying, and the way they took over Fromville in the final sequence of Episode 1 was nothing short of heart-pounding.


In Season 3’s first episode, events take a chilling turn as if for the first time, and we discover the identity of the person Boyd was speaking with in the trailer, as well as unveil the truth about whether Tabitha exists in the actual world.

As we delve into Season 3, it continues to resemble a chilling, mystery-laden counterpart to the series Lost, with numerous enigmas remaining unsolved.

After the conclusion of the second season, several mysteries remain unresolved, such as: the spooky music box, the unsettling ventriloquist doll, the symbolic visions, the shifting seasons, the Child in White, and the “anghkooey” children – among others.

At the very close of Season 2’s final episode, Tabitha found herself hurled from the lighthouse and awakened in a hospital setting. However, one must ponder if this was truly reality or if she had ventured into another dimension instead. Caution: spoilers lie ahead!

From Season 3 Episode 1 kicks off with Tabitha

From Season 3 Episode 1 recap: ‘Shatter’

The opening scene picks up where we left off, with Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno) in the hospital. And after a long wait and many theories, a doctor finally reveals she’s in the real world – Camden, Maine, to be exact. 

She had no identifying documents on her person, only her garments and a lunchbox belonging to someone named Victor. Upon hearing from the doctor that the authorities would soon be arriving to interrogate her, she decided to flee the scene.

In the bustling town square, she spots someone who appears to be the White-clad Figure waving at her. Pursuing him, she confronts him in a nearby cafe, realizing it was merely a typical child. Given the mother’s evident displeasure, Tabitha offers her apologies and departs.

Fromville is falling apart

From Season 3 Episode 1 recap: ‘Shatter’

In the opening scenes of the second season, we find ourselves once again in Fromville. Here, Boyd (played by Harold Perrineau) is attending to the gunshots he sustained at the hands of Reggie (portrayed by Zach Faye), as seen in the climax of the previous season.

As I sit here, gaming it out, I’m not exactly solo anymore – more like a team of four now. Just as I thought things were quiet, ghostly Father Rudra (Shaun Majumder) saunters in, curious about how Julie (Hannah Cheramy), Randall (A.J. Simmons), and Marielle (Kaelen Ohm) are faring, following Boyd’s act of lifting their curse.

Boyd’s maintaining an optimistic outlook, yet Rudra seems intent on casting a gloomy shadow over him. Instead of encouragement, Rudra comments, “Remember, someone tried to assassinate you just three days ago, most of the town remains too scared to even sleep, and there’s no end in sight for our food scarcity issue.” He also points out, “I don’t think you’ve missed it, but the temperature is dropping quite rapidly outside.

Their conversation is interrupted by a ruckus outside. It’s Ethan (Simon Webster) being dragged back by Tian-Chen (Elizabeth Moy). He’d gone missing looking for his mom Tabitha, understandably leaving his dad Jim (Eion Bailey) worried sick. 

Thankfully, Victor (Scott McCord) let them know where he’d gone, although Ethan’s not too happy with him for telling. 

In the aftermath of the cicada assault that left her spirit captive within a dungeon until Boyd rescued her, Julie (Hannah Cheramy) is still struggling to cope with the ordeal.

Jim feels it’s time for a change and intends to spend a night in the forest, despite Boyd’s concerns that it could be dangerous. Jim emphasizes the importance of being with family, as he believes both Julie and Ethan require their mother, and he himself needs his wife.

In a conciliatory tone, Boyd advises him that he barely managed to escape unscathed when he entered with Sara (Avery Konrad). However, Jim seems resolute, so Boyd eventually suggests, “If you’re insisting on going, perhaps there might be a less risky approach available.

Their food supply is dwindling 

From Season 3 Episode 1 recap: ‘Shatter’

At the Colony House, Pegah Ghafoori’s character, Fatima, is experiencing symptoms of morning sickness. Her spouse, Ellis (played by Corteon Moore), expresses his concern, noting that now there are two lives he needs to be mindful of.

Tillie (Deborah Grover) comforts him by explaining that the initial months are particularly challenging. Once Fatima retires for sleep, Donna (Elizabeth Saunders) urgently approaches Ellis, asking for assistance in gathering their remaining small harvest before the winter sets in.

Switching to Boyd, he guides Jim to employ the hut containing the Talismans as a headquarters, asserting it’ll be more secure. Upon learning this, Kenny (Ricky He) elects to accompany – unwilling to witness Ethan and Julie potentially lose both parents within a week’s time.

In the middle of their talk, something smashes through the window of David Alpay’s residence (Jade). Do you remember that in Season 2, Jade was experiencing visions involving a cryptic symbol and the group of children known as “anghkooey”?

1) It seems he’s not doing well after it; Boyd and Kenny discover him drunk at home, reclining under a web of ropes mimicking tunnels.

He’s mumbling to himself that he “can’t see it,” while clutching his book containing drawings of the symbol. Boyd and Kenny hadn’t realized how bad of a state he was in, and decide to take him back to the station so he can sleep it off. 

Tabitha makes an important phone call

From Season 3 Episode 1 recap: ‘Shatter’

In the state of Maine, Tabitha finds herself at a flea market. Here, she requests to use a teenager’s phone, who initially hesitates but eventually consents. With this opportunity, Tabitha contacts her mother, causing understandable concern due to her distressed state.

According to her mother, it’s been months since the whole Matthews family has gone missing. Despite pleading with her to return, Tabitha understands that she must locate her husband and children before anything else.

She reassures her mom not to worry, and tearfully hangs up the phone before spotting a church across the street.  

At the Fromville diner, Kenny is seen with Kristi (Chloe Van Landschoot), collecting a large supply of provisions that his mother Tian-Chen had prepared for him.

They’re both worried about him, but he delivers the line that sparked speculation when it was revealed long before the From Season 3 premiere: “It’s gonna be fine. You guys worry too much.”

In the meantime, Jim assures Ethan and Julie he’ll take care. “I’ll return shortly,” he tells them. Following a farewell with Boyd, they venture into the forest.

Boyd gives a pep talk

From Season 3 Episode 1 recap: ‘Shatter’

Without a moment’s pause, Ellis beckons me over to the fields, and the sight isn’t encouraging – our vegetables are inedible. “All that made it through the storm has gone rotten,” laments Donna. “Boyd, we’ve run out of food.

Boyd is concerned that the news might spark a frenzy, but at this point, it seems to be too late. The residents of the town have stormed Tian-Chen’s house, as they are aware that a significant portion of the town’s food supply, intended for her diner, is stored in her basement.

On the farm, Randall makes off with one of Ethan’s goat friends for slaughtering purposes. Despite Ethan’s efforts to intervene, Randall pushes him aside. However, he is halted abruptly when Victor brandishes a firearm.

In a calm and authoritative manner, Boyd intervenes to soothe the situation. Noticing that Victor was armed, he quickly took action to disarm him. Recognizing the livestock as their sole sources of eggs and milk, Boyd firmly reminded everyone that these animals were off-limits.

Next, he shares a motivational speech, emphasizing the importance of unity and caution. In a similar vein to the Season 2 finale, he reminds them, “We won’t let this place defeat us.

Jim and Kenny’s creepy discovery

From Season 3 Episode 1 recap: ‘Shatter’

In the forest, it doesn’t take Jim and Kenny long to discover something unusual. Unlike ventriloquist dolls or civil war soldiers, they stumble upon a strange collection of skeleton-like figures crafted from sticks, which ultimately guide them towards a group of cabins.

Kenny plans to return to the cabin prior to sunset, yet Jim manages to persuade him to spend the night there, as there’s a Talisman hanging on the entrance.

Switching to Tabitha, we find her in a private room, attempting to share her difficulties with the priest without giving too much away (fearing possible institutionalization). In their conversation, he notices the presence of Victor’s lunchbox by her side.

Upon opening it, I found myself surprised to see a “return if found” label – and to my astonishment, it pointed towards Camden.

From Season 3 Episode 1 recap: ‘Shatter’

At Colony House, I find myself battling with my own fears. Sleep eludes me, for I dread the spectral lady might return, intent on causing me harm once more.

Although Boyd managed to lift the curse and can now rest peacefully, he remains worried. He confides in Tillie, “It feels as if I’m being watched.

Looking around, Tille queries, “Isn’t that her?” Unbelievably, a sinister figure, resembling a woman, is found standing next to them, and she begins moving towards Elgin. As she gets closer, on the brink of reaching him, he stirs from his sleep. Indeed, it was just a frightening dream for him.

Knocking on Victor’s door

From Season 3 Episode 1 recap: ‘Shatter’

Discussing their food predicament, Boyd, Tian-Chen, and Donna find themselves in a challenging situation. Residents from Fromville have taken all of Tian-Chen’s provisions, while their own crops have spoiled.

Instead of one large crop field, Tian-Chen plans to grow smaller crops across various locations. However, these crops won’t be ready for harvest for several months. In case nothing else works out, they reluctantly conclude that hunting animals might become necessary as a last resort for their survival.

Ethan’s deeply saddened, yet agreeable under a single condition – they should put down his beloved goat, Alma, before anyone else on the farm, so she won’t witness the demise of her fellow animals.

In the real world, Tabitha arrived at Victor’s residence. The man instructed her to leave, but then noticed a lunchbox. “Where did you find this?” he inquired, and she responded, “Wow… Are you Victor’s dad?

At this moment, Jim and Kenny find themselves inside the cabin as darkness descends. They’ve begun to suspect that they may have veered off course since they haven’t encountered any of the spider webs Boyd had noticed during his last journey.

Following a disturbing noise outside, likely one of From’s fearsome creatures, Jim experiences an insightful moment. It’s not fair for Ethan and Julie to be without both parents, and Tabitha wouldn’t want him to jeopardize his life. Consequently, he and Kenny decide to head home at first light.

The smiling monsters take over

In the closing moments of Episode 1 from Season 3, we discover the identity of the woman screaming in the opening teaser – surprisingly, it wasn’t any of our guessed characters. Instead, it was Tian-Chen who appeared to be suffering torments reminiscent of a scene straight out of a Terrifier film.

Prior to that point, Fromville plunged into turmoil as grinning monsters flung open the gate, releasing the animals. Spotting the cows wandering by from the train station, Boyd and Jade realized their importance to the town at this moment. In an attempt to safeguard their community, the chief bravely risked his life to round up the cows and return them to the barn.

With a Talisman in hand, Boyd and Jade depart, trailed closely by Tian-Chen and Victor. For a moment, Julie and Ethan remain indoors, but as Alma walks by, Ethan inadvertently opens the door, unwittingly inviting one of the monsters into their home.

Instead of running out the back, they exited through the rear, with Sara quickly seizing them and urging them to conceal themselves among the bushes. Randall, who was peacefully asleep inside the dilapidated coach, was abruptly awakened by the commotion, and upon seeing the monsters rapidly approaching everyone, he began blaring the horn.

From Season 3 Episode 1 recap: ‘Shatter’

Sara, Ethan, and Julie dash towards the safety of the coach as they flee, while Boyd and Tian-Chen lead their surviving livestock into the barn, securing the entrance with a Talisman on top after witnessing one of their cows being brutally killed by monsters.

The main issue is that a large number of these monsters have already found their way in. As the darkness lifts, the scene depicted in the trailer comes to life.

The Cowboy Creature remarks, ‘Didn’t you tell me this locale wouldn’t crack you, Boyd?’ Can you recall that moment? ‘They won’t break me,’ you declared. That was your sentiment.

The monsters grab them both, tying Boyd to a pillar while holding Tian-Chen down in front of him. 

From Season 3 Episode 1 recap: ‘Shatter’

Spare my life, but let her go unharmed,” Boyd requests sternly, and the Cowboy Creature responds, “We won’t take your life, Boyd. It wouldn’t be entertaining. Don’t you think this place can make you crack? Let’s find out.

Afterward, they mercilessly torment Tian-Chen, initiating the ordeal by tearing away a piece of her scalp. This incident undeniably ranks among the most gruesome moments seen in From so far, with Tian-Chen crying out in excruciating pain throughout.

It’s unclear whether the monsters will kill her, but here’s hoping they don’t – that family has already been through enough. We’ll have to wait and find out in From Season 3 Episode 2, which drops on MGM+ on September 29. 

Until then, be sure to check out the best binge-worthy TV shows to watch right now, as well as the new series coming to streaming this month.

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2024-09-23 05:19