From Season 4: Unpacking the Five Biggest Problems That Hold It Back

When the fourth season of MGM’s horror‑drama From rolled out, the buzz was unmistakable. Fans had waited a year, rumors swirled, and every teaser hinted at answers to the labyrinthine questions that have haunted the town of Murphy’s Grove for three seasons. Yet, after binging the ten‑episode run, the excitement fizzled into a peculiar mix of admiration and frustration. Why? Because beneath the slick production values and creepy ambience lie five persistent problems that keep the series from fully stepping into the light.

1. A Pacing Problem That Feels Like a Stutter
First off, the show’s rhythm is all over the place. Early episodes drag their feet with long, meandering conversations that feel more like filler than foreshadowing. Then, midway through the season, the narrative suddenly jumps into high‑octane action, as if trying to make up for lost time. This uneven pacing leaves viewers constantly resetting their expectations, which is a tired trick that undermines tension rather than building it.

In a genre where every minute counts, the drag‑and‑rush pattern makes it hard to stay immersed. It’s like walking through a foggy forest— you’re willing to keep moving, but you keep tripping over unseen roots.

2. Character Arcs That Forget Their Own History
Season 4 promises to deepen our beloved (and sometimes reviled) characters, yet many of them stumble over their own back‑stories. Take Nora, for example. In season 2 she was a grieving mother with a razor‑sharp resolve; now she’s suddenly flaky, making decisions that contradict everything we learned about her. The writers seem eager to thrust fresh conflicts onto the cast, but they forget to weave those conflicts into the characters’ established motivations.

This disconnect isn’t just a minor slip—it chips away at the emotional investment that the series painstakingly built over three seasons. When characters act out of character, the audience’s empathy starts to wobble.

3. Plot Holes Larger Than the Town’s Labyrinth
One of the show’s biggest charms has always been its intricate mythology. Unfortunately, season 4 introduces a few holes that feel more like gaping chasms. The most glaring? The rules governing the town’s “loop” shift without any clear explanation. Earlier seasons hinted that the loop was anchored to a specific event; later episodes casually ignore that logic, allowing characters to leave and return at will.

These inconsistencies may slip past a casual viewer, but for the dedicated fanbase, they’re a red flag that the writers are possibly running out of story juice and resorting to narrative convenience.

4. Tonal Swings That Leave You Guessing What Mood to Match
There’s a delicate balance between dread and dark humor in From. Season 4, however, seems unsure which side it wants to sit on. One moment you’re hit with a genuinely unsettling reveal, and the next you’re served a slapstick‑ish gag that feels out of place. The tonal whiplash makes it difficult to stay emotionally anchored.

While a little comic relief can be a breath of fresh air, in this case it often feels forced—like a character slipping on a banana peel just when you’re about to gasp in horror.

5. Over‑Reliance on Jump Scares Over Genuine Fear
Finally, the show leans heavily on jump scares to deliver its thrills, especially in the latter half of the season. The problem? Those cheap jolts mask a lack of deeper, lingering fear. Instead of cultivating an atmosphere that creeps under your skin, the series opts for sudden bangs that startle but quickly fade.

Effective horror is less about the loud crash and more about the quiet unease that sits with you long after the episode ends. Season 4’s dependence on the former suggests a creative fatigue that could have been avoided with more nuanced storytelling.

All that said, From still has plenty to offer. The set design is hauntingly beautiful, the score continues to send shivers down the spine, and there are moments—brief flashes of brilliance—where the series reminds us why we fell in love with this mysterious town in the first place. If the creators can tighten pacing, respect character history, iron out mythological inconsistencies, settle on a consistent tone, and move beyond cheap scares, the next season could finally feel like a satisfying continuation rather than a stumble.

Until then, fans will likely remain divided: some clutching the few glimmers of hope, others scrolling past, already yearning for a more cohesive, genuinely terrifying next chapter.