FROM SEASON 4 EPISODE 5: WHAT A LONG STRANGE TRIP IT’S BEEN

We get answers to things we already assumed… and more questions as FROM’s penultimate season hits the midpoint with its fifth episode!.

A frantic search for answers drives Boyd and Jade into uncharted territory as a simple food delivery transforms into a nightmare scenario at the settlement.

Director: Jack Bender

Writers: John Griffin & Brigitte Hales

Stars: Harold Perrineau, Catalina Sandino Moreno, David Alpay, et al.

(***Yep. I took a few days to post this because I wanted to see what the general consensus of this season has been with its audience, and I’ve come back, justified in my absence with one thought: “Man, isn’t this episode aptly titled?”).

As FROM’s audience has grown with the fourth season, it’s detractors have also risen in numbers. With its title taken from a Grateful Dead song, What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been, the boo-berries are becoming more vocal than the theorists as we reach the midpoint of the fifth season. Is their bitching that nothing is happening and we’re just moving in circles merited? Or is it a symptom of a generation of entertainment consumers who want answers NOW? I’m of the opinion it’s the latter. But before we get into that, let’s discuss what happened.

The biggest plot points of the episode include, but are not limited to: SCARECROWS AND GOLEMS AND A WEAPON TO FIGHT THEM? SPIDERS, SPIDERS EVERYWHERE BUT WAS IT A SPIDER THAT DRAGGED BOYD’S TENT… OR ONE OF THE SCARECROWS? TRIPPING ON GHOSTS AND THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME FATE… DRINKING MOONSHINE AND LAMENTING… ALL WHILE THE MAN IN YELLOW PLAYING HIS GAMES WITH ANYONE HE/SHE/IT’S NEARBY. EW! THAT WAS GROADY!

We got plenty of affirmations this week. I say affirmations because we’ve known for the last season Jade and Tabitha are reincarnations of the village’s original residents, that they are connected to the ritual and curse. Now we know who Jade’s incarnations are, and why they are continually murdered by the FROMville residents after he discovers how to break the curse. It appears now we must solve the riddle of how to break the curse without getting Jade murdered by his friends.

Flashbacks also lead me to believe Tabitha is not a reincarnation of Jade’s spouse, but of his child. This leads to the scarecrows, which seem to be giant sized versions of a doll the young Tabitha played with, and her father threw in the pond. The father character resembles one of Jade’s incarnations, in fact it’s the most revealing of them, as is indicated during his mushroom trip. These memories lead to the discovery of a new weapon to fight the monsters with, one that’s been right in front of their faces.

Kristi and Marielle are manipulated by the Man In Yellow, and Marielle’s waking nightmares of being imprisoned in the castle return. It’s obvious the entity is pulling these strings. We get more confirmation Tilly was an incarnation of the Man in Yellow based on Sophia’s choices in glasses in a previous episode, and drinking receptacles.

This leads us to asking “Is Donna going to be killed soon? Or is she a plant?” 

Hopefully we will get answers to this, plus more as we roll downhill to the season 5 finale, which promises to end in a blood bath of some sort. Remember, knowledge comes at a cost.

We only touched on Fatima and her golem, but are the scarecrows an omen of what’s to come with said golem? Acosta wasn’t in this episode, either, so one must assume she’s still investigating the room. And since it was made clear Jade never left the police station, we still have to reveal the presence of the door in Colony House’s basement to the others.

And yes, there is some great hilarity in seeing giant, hand stitched dolls raise from the depths next to a cabbage patch. The special effects in this section are hit or miss, in particular the gags. They both look muddy and I don’t know if they were bad CGI or bad AI. Or both? I hope this doesn’t become the aesthetic of the show’s gore effects.

Speaking of moving in circles, I believe this is by design. The town is stuck in a loop, so having the feeling we’re not getting anywhere is part of the horror of this show. This, I think, is a testimony to the writers and showrunner; whom much like pro-wrestling writers, have learned how to manipulate their audience. As a result, I interpret unhappy fans in the same manner I would a wrestling fan crying the storyline didn’t go the way they wanted. The fans do this with long story lines, in particular, and I’m reminded of Daniel Bryan’s three year title chase when I see the FROMily crying that nothing is happening. Speaking of moving in circles…

Episode 6, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, hits MGM+ this Sunday at midnight.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing. Thank you for understanding.