I loved the journey of the TV show LOST but hated the destination. I was skeptical when I heard that LOST producers Jack Bender and Jeff Pinkner were reuniting for a horror series with former castaway Michael (Harold Perrineau). Yet, after three late nights, I binged the first season of FROM, and I’m glad I did.
The story structure and framing owe a lot to LOST. The setup has many questions, minimal answers, and a slew of characters with which you will develop a love/hate relationship. The key differentiator is that FROM is 100% a horror/thriller that owes its genre-like style more to THE WALKING DEAD than LOST. And because of that, the key hook to the show outside of its mystery is its willingness to kill off lead characters just as their stories are about to start. That element is enough to drive audiences “from” start to finish of the first season.
Where FROM loses its way is that this is slow-burn horror. We are talking about characters discussing many dumb things, with trivial conflicts to pass the time while we wait for another violent after-dark killing. It’s frustrating TV. You know it’s not great stuff (see THE LAST OF US), but it’s good enough to pull you in to want to continue the journey.
If FROM were on any other streaming service than the little-used MGM+, this would be a bonafide hit. As is, it’s a horror series that deserves attention. I’m excited to start season two, and look forward to season three next month. However, I hope Bender and Pinkner learned their lesson with LOST and know where to take this story “from” to stick to the landing.
It’s available on MGM+.
