This article contains spoilers for MGM + ‘s From Season 4 Finale
Season 4 wrapped filming before the show was renewed for a fifth and final season. That makes the season finale’s ending even more interesting. With many episodes building up the big escape plan, the finale mostly delivered. It brought in a few great twists. Thinning the herd also leaves fans with a pretty satisfying conclusion, but still with so many questions.
Let’s get the immediate question out of the way: how did the plan go? Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was a disaster. The ramifications will be felt through Season 5.
Jade and Tabitha Head Into the Tunnels
Jade (David Alpay) and Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno) go into the tunnels and gather the children’s bones. They are about to be overrun by the creatures in the tunnels when, above them, the gang pulls the bottle tree out by the roots. The light stops the creatures from advancing.
However, the rope ladder, sabotaged by Sophia (Julia Doyle), breaks, sending Tabitha crashing down. In a surprising twist, it suddenly grows dark in the middle of the day — something new — accompanied by violent tremors. Jade and Tabitha are forced to flee deeper into the tunnels, while everyone above ground must leave in the vehicles they arrived in. The creatures are quickly advancing on them.
Meanwhile, at the clinic, Fatima (Pegah Ghafoori) and Mari (Kaelen Ohm) are cleaning up after the tremors when Fatima has a vision that Smiley is coming. Before they can put the fallen talisman back on the door, he bursts in, and they are cornered in a room. Here, two things happen quickly.
RELATED: ‘Paranormal Activity’ Stage Actor on the Horror Hit’s Terrifying Live Experience (Exclusive)
The first was Mari being fatally struck by Smiley. The second was Fatima screaming at him in the creature’s voice, which caused him to revert to a semi-human form. He then remarks, “Interesting,” before walking out. The incident leaves Mari bleeding out and Fatima even more confused than before.
While all of this is unfolding, Sophia isn’t just sitting around waiting to see how things turn out. At the diner, she talks with Elgin (Nathan D. Simmons), trying to bring him over to her side with the promise of escape, as she did with Clara (Katerina Bakolias). Clara is at the diner too, blocking Elgin’s path to escape, though he could likely blow by her if he wanted.
Sophia corners Elgin in the kitchen, giving him one final chance. After he refuses and begins to pray, she takes his hands, brings him to his knees, and kills him. She leaves, instructing Clara to dispose of the body.
The episode’s pace quickens as several events unfold in rapid succession. Boyd (Harold Perrineau) tries to comfort Kristi (Chloe Van Landschoot) after Mari’s death. Strange lightning erupts from the tunnels into the sky, then shoots purplish bolts.
Fatima Discovers a New Ability
Meanwhile, Henry (Robert Joy) finds bullets in Victor’s (Scott McCord) room, leading him to believe it’s the sign his visions were warning him about. He goes to the police station, where Donna (Elizabeth Saunders) tells him Victor’s gun is kept, and he confiscates it. Later, he has a tense, very well-executed confrontation with Victor.
At the same police station, a radio signal comes through, indicating that Jade and Tabitha may still be alive. Boyd, Fatima, and Ellis (Corteon Moore) head down into the tunnels to find them. They find Jade and Tabitha, but the creatures appear. Fatima tells them to go; she’ll buy them time.
RELATED: ‘The Voices of Our Mother’ Interview: Mark O’Brien & Sheila McCarthy on Demons and Family Trauma (Exclusive)
In theory, this makes sense given her new power/scream ability and her connection to Smiley. However, as she tried to hold them off, she began to change into one of them, the last thing the group saw as they escaped.
While all this is happening, Sophia spends time collecting the talismans that protect the building. In the forest, she meets the boy in white and talks with him. They seem very familiar with each other, but don’t agree on everything. The last shot shows Sophia dumping all the talismans into a transport tree to be sent to who knows where, a big smile on her face.
The From Season 4 Finale Leaves Many Questions
There is a lot to take in during the From Season 4 finale, not the least of which are the deaths of Mari and Elgin. The showrunners didn’t shy away from them, making it feel even more deadly to be in this town.
There are so many questions, though. What are the long-term consequences of pulling up the Bottle Tree? What is the purplish lighting? Is Fatima going to turn into one of the creatures? How will the town survive going forward without talismans to protect them at night?
There were also a few curious decisions. Both Ethan (Simon Webster) and Julie (Hannah Cheramy) had little to do in the finale, even though they have keen insights and powers in this town. Elgin could have escaped. Perhaps he was frozen in fear. Donna was pretty much a bystander.
That said, “If a Tree Falls in the Forest…” didn’t play it safe. It was a tense episode, full of twists and a few character deaths. The wait for Season 5 won’t be easy, but it will give fans time to look back and find any clues they might have missed.
The From Season 4 finale is now streaming on MGM+.
