Ever since Jack decided to stay behind in 2010, I’ve been searching for something to give me the same feeling that Lost did. I crave a big mystery with a huge cast and more secrets than I can handle, something that prompts me and my friends to share nonsensical theories about what’s really going on. It’s been 16 years and my search has been filled with disappointment. Yellowjackets initially seemed like exactly what I wanted until its downslide began, while promising shows like 1899 were cancelled before they had a chance to really get started. It turns out that the perfect Lost successor has actually been airing for years, but because of the fractured nature of streaming, I almost missed it entirely.
From’s fourth season premieres on April 19th, and the parallels with Lost are unmistakable. It takes place in a small town somewhere in the US where people occasionally arrive but can never actually leave. To make things worse, monsters disguised as humans prowl at night, torturing and killing anyone who remains outdoors after dark or is silly enough to invite them into their homes. The town’s residents have to work together to stay safe and build something resembling a normal life, all the while seeking out answers about what the hell they’re doing there, and how they can get home. It’s like the Lost island except much more horrifying. (There is a lot of blood in the show.)
As with Lost, the secrets pile up at an incredible rate. If someone were to overhear you and a friend discussing From, it would sound like gibberish. There are magical talismans, evil ballerinas, electricity that comes from nowhere, and copious unexplained dream sequences. The cast is huge (and it grows at a few different points) and the show doesn’t skimp on shocking deaths. Also like Lost, there are key elements that make you rethink all of your assumptions about the show; a voice on a radio, for example, or a disappearing dungeon. From even begins with a Lost-esque “previously on” opening voiced by Lost alum Harold Perrineau.
So how did I miss this show? One that seems to have been designed in a lab to give me the exact dose of Lost I’ve been seeking? It’s simple: there are too many streaming services. From airs on MGM Plus, formerly known as Epix, which is under the Amazon umbrella but is inexplicably still a separate platform from Prime Video. It’s a service I’ve been vaguely aware of but hadn’t had much of a reason to check out, so aside from some mild curiosity about an adaptation of Stephen King’s The Institute, I never bothered to. Other exclusives like Robin Hood and Beacon 23 similarly failed to capture my attention. From’s forgettable title didn’t help much either.
The streaming landscape is dominated by a few big names, but there are plenty of others like MGM fighting for scraps. It’s a challenging space. Netflix got off to a head start and hasn’t looked back, while Disney has been able to leverage its enviable lineup of properties to lure in subscribers. Amazon and Apple are throwing a lot of money at the problem, but are still far behind the competition. In a world like that, something like MGM Plus was always destined to be a niche. Which means that it is now incredibly easy to miss shows altogether. Hell, it’s my job to follow the TV industry and it still happens to me. Things become even more difficult when you factor in just how busy the major platforms are, with Netflix expanding into everything from live TV to sports on top of its traditional programming. If I can’t keep up with what I already have, it’s a tough sell to also jump into yet another streaming service.
I don’t know what the solution is. It’s not like having one monolithic streamer with everything on it would be good, particularly in an industry that’s constantly struggling with the effects of consolidation. But I do know that the current state of streaming is difficult to navigate for everyone. There are too many options and they just keep getting more expensive. I currently have subscriptions to four different streaming services and I still pay for cable. It makes it easy for a show like From to slip through the cracks.
At least there’s one benefit to learning about a show late: binge-watching. From lends itself well to this, with its cliffhangers and revelations, along with seasons that come in at very manageable packs of 10 episodes. So if you have a similar Lost-shaped hole in your life, now is the exact right time to jump into From. It’ll just require one more subscription.
