Lullaby

"From" Season 2: Episode 5 - "Lullaby" fails to live up to the horror and drama that initially captivated me. Clocking in at 53 minutes, this episode struggles to deliver a compelling narrative, relying heavily on frustrating characters and recycled conflicts from the first season. The episode revolves around Sara, who finds herself facing the repercussions of multiple murders in the town upon her return. Meanwhile, an unlikely bargain is struck between Victor and Jade. Unfortunately, the execution falls flat, leaving viewers disappointed and yearning for more.

One of the major drawbacks of this episode is the reliance on unending arguments among the characters. These repetitive conflicts recycle the same doubts about being trapped in the town and the existence of the menacing monsters that haunt the night. This lack of progress and character development leaves the audience feeling frustrated and unengaged. The character drama that dominated the previous episode continues to take center stage, but the performances fail to impress. The acting feels lackluster and fails to inject the necessary depth and emotion into the scenes. As a result, the impact of pivotal moments is diminished, leaving viewers disconnected from the story.

Furthermore, "Lullaby" suffers from spending too much time treading familiar ground. Rather than pushing the narrative forward with fresh and compelling storylines, the script feels stagnant, as characters run in circles with conflicts that lack intrigue. The lack of meaningful progression stifles the episode's potential and leaves viewers craving more substance. Additionally, the relationship between Kristi and Mari in "From" Season 2 feels disappointingly half baked. While Kristi has been established as a character who has been in the town for a significant period, Mari's introduction feels like an afterthought. Unfortunately, Mari's character suffers from being more of an accessory to Kristi's storyline rather than having her own well-developed arc.

The lack of depth and exploration of Mari's character leaves the audience with a sense of detachment. We are given little insight into her background, motivations, and personal struggles, making it difficult to fully invest in her as a character. Instead, Mari feels like a mere plot device to facilitate Kristi's character development. This forced dynamic between Kristi and Mari further exacerbates the issue. Their struggle and connection feel contrived and lacking in authenticity. It becomes evident that Mari's sole purpose is to serve as a catalyst for Kristi's growth, rather than being a fully realized and integral character in her own right. This imbalance in focus undermines the potential for a more nuanced and compelling relationship between the two.

Furthermore, it is worth mentioning the absence of Harold Perrineau's character, Sheriff Boyd, throughout the season. Perrineau, who is undeniably one of the strongest actors in the series, seems to have minimal presence in the episodes. It almost feels as though he was not on set at the same time as the other actors, resulting in his scenes being filmed separately. The disjointedness of Perrineau's appearances raises questions about the overall cohesion of the production. With limited screen time, the audience is left craving more of Sheriff Boyd's commanding presence and nuanced performance. His absence is keenly felt, and it hampers the overall impact and effectiveness of the season.

Furthermore, the sudden shift in Victor's behavior towards Jade in "From" Season 2 feels contrived and lacks proper justification. In the previous episode, Victor and Jade were portrayed as being at odds with each other, with Victor harboring anger towards Jade. However, in this episode, Victor inexplicably seeks out Jade's assistance, which feels forced and lacking in believable character development.

In conclusion, "Lullaby" falls short of expectations. The frustrating characters, recycled conflicts, and underwhelming performances overshadow the episode's few redeeming qualities. As the series progresses, it's essential for the showrunners to inject fresh ideas and reignite the gripping narrative that initially drew audiences in. Hopefully, the second half of the season will deliver on the promise of the first season's potential.

(Shortened summary in the bottom of the review)

It is beginning to worry me if they even had a plan with season 2, because it cant be right that im already half through the season and nothing special have happened other great instructed character development, but you this ain´t a biopic, it cannot only be about building the characters when you have this crazy interesting and scary horror story that this show is based on, like come on. Its a horror show it has to have something more than just good character development.

All in all a great episode, but just nothing special when we haven´t had anything crazy happening yet, which we always had in season 1.

(8/10)

Shortened summary: Another slow paced character development episode done right, but the show is in dire need of something action if it wants to survive!!

I don't know where this show is going. You can skip two episodes and not losing anything to the main story. Season 2 is just like a drama show with a little bit of monster here and there. The monsters are just spices to the show.

You don't get anything for the whole 50 minutes of the show! The whole episode it's just random unimportant talks here and there between the characters in the show. Some sheriff that is acting nonsense. A country girl that is also nonsense to the community and even herself.

Come on, this show used to be a very good show in season one! I can't stand another 5 episodes in the second season and I hope it gets better real soon. If it is not, please stop it and don't torture us for third season!

Season 1 was good, but the producers evidently decided to stretch things out because of its success. Too bad the extended storylines are a snooze. I can see where "From" is going - it will jerk us around for a few seasons and then come up with a stupid ending like Lost (fortunately I didn't commit too much time to Lost, and I will avoid making that mistake here).

Some of the acting is not good (Tabitha, the teenage daughter and Fatima in particular) and this adds to the torture.

You know a show is going badly when you keep checking how many minutes are left before an episode ends. In this episode I found myself checking the clock multiple times.

I regret the sunk costs associated with getting into this snoozefest.

Unfortunately we live in a world where everyone believes they are a critic. The poor reviews is the reason I decided to write something about this show. Not every episode is going to be climactic and full of excitement. There needs to be a story and character development.

This episode is exactly that. It continues to take us on the journey and like Lost the show is going to be a roller coaster ride.

I can't wait to see where this show goes and I'm hoping enough people watch and enjoy so that the show can continue. I'm not sure if everyone understands putting a bad rating can actually affect the future of a show.

8/10.