FROM Season 3 Episode 8 Review: ‘Thresholds’

FROM Season 3 Episode 8 pushes the series’ mythology into new territory, both by answering some of the questions we’ve had all along and by giving us a giant new mystery to solve. When Julie crosses her threshold, is she actually going back in time as a silent witness to everything that happened — even, maybe, giving Boyd the very rope that saved his life? Or is she simply embodying someone else? Is there another explanation, maybe? Regardless of what the answer winds up being, it’s a shock that comes at just the right time because we’re so close to the end of the season but don’t want to be actually at the end of the story.

And, of course, Julie’s discovery isn’t the only big one in “Thresholds.” Between Victor remembering what he overheard “Jasper” telling Christopher decades ago with Tabitha’s help, and the folks at Colony House discovering Tillie’s body relatively early on, a lot happens in this hour. So much happens, in fact, that it really feels like we’re living through the relentless onslaught of big moments that change everything, right along with all the characters stuck in this place. Lucky for us, this is just entertainment — and of the best variety at that. But for the residents of Fromville, the situation seems to be about as dire as ever.

Thresholds

It probably goes without saying that Julie should’ve listened to Randall and avoided that arch in the woods like the plague. (Or, at least, the way we once thought folks would actually avoid plagues.) But, well. That’s not what happens in FROM Season 3 Episode 8, and while we completely understand her need to learn why this place made the screaming in her head stop, we do have to point out that bringing Ethan along was irresponsible. This kid will do anything to feel like he’s part of the story, but he’s just that — a kid — and Julie isn’t exactly much more than one either. Luckily, nobody really gets hurt here, but…choices were made is all we’re saying.

Now that we’ve gotten the criticism out of the way, can we just say…wow. Talk about a plot twist at just the right time. What does it all mean? And how much of a blast is it to watch Hannah Cheramy in those scenes, giving major Final Girl energy as she revisits (visits for the first time?) these events we thought we knew something about…but clearly didn’t. There may be no better word for those scenes than just delicious.

But what are we supposed to make of it all? Why does it happen in that specific place, and if Randall had taken the trip along with Julie, would he have seen the same things? Different things? Nothing at all? Also, why did these two go through something together, only to come out of it with different problems — locusts for him, screaming for her? We could probably come up with 100 more questions, but we’ll stop for now. Suffice it to say, this is truly a plot development that has the potential to change everything and make everything so far make sense. Can’t wait to see where it goes.

MORE: Like mother, like daughter? See what Catalina Sandino Moreno said about Tabitha’s quest to “keep digging” for answers.

“I’m probably the only guy in this whole place who can tell you that.”

FROM Season 3 Episode 8 features Jim being…as terrible and annoying as ever. But hey! At least we get to see Jade rip him a new one for trying to tell him not only what he can and can’t do, but also, what Tabitha can and can’t do. Because nothing says concerned and loving husband like treating your wife like a child who can’t make her own decisions. Like Jade tells Jim, Tabitha chose to come to him — he didn’t seek her out or make up some false narrative for her to mindlessly follow. She saw the drawings, and she recognized the red rocks. So, no, Jade’s not “filling her head with ideas.” Frankly, it’s gross to assume she has no agency here. So, as always, Jim can go.

“Tabitha’s a grownup. You got a problem with what she’s doing? Talk to her.”

Throughout the fight, we have no choice but to cheer Jade on — not just because he’s in the right here but because David Alpay brings it. Every time his level of intensity needs to go up a notch, it does. Again, and again, and again. We particularly love the absolutely frustrated, at wits’ end, delivery on “so what?! If it gets us home! Who gives a sh**?!” line. Oh, and we aspire to the level of petty he serves with the almost taunting way he’s all, “yeah, we f**kin’ are, Jim!” right at the end there. Kinda huge fans of Jade slamming that door in Jim’s face as he goes, too.

Now, the other thing that happens in that bar is Henry being messy and entertained as he listens in and watches. (Relatable). Wait. No. That’s not right. The other thing that happens is Henry being incredibly real with Jim:

“Maybe, sometimes, when you’re with your wife, you should…shut the f— up and listen.”

How many of us have wanted to say that to this man? To a lot of men? But, as Henry rightfully puts it, he’s the only one who might be able to make Jim listen to the advice and know that everything he’s saying — about Jim holding on out of fear — is the truth. Because he’s been here before. 40 years ago. So, he really knows. And he learned the hardest way imaginable by losing everything.

Robert Joy is phenomenal here, as always. Somehow, Henry manages to speak to his own regrets and really feel them…while also being kinda a bit drunk. The way he takes that beat to just…contemplate his drink is perfection.

It’s also fascinating how those scenes at the bar go so quickly from “rawr, rawr. Angry men letting their rage out and fighting over a woman” to, simply, something more quiet and introspective. Sure, there are other scenes in between to help with that tonal shift, but it’s really all down to the brilliant acting and the raw truth in the dialogue.

“Jim, I — I — I — I…I look at you right now. All I see is me, standing there 40 years ago. I was so sure I could fix her. It never occurred to me she wasn’t broken.”

…but do we think Jim will take Henry’s advice? Kinda doubtful. Especially after what happened to Julie. Imagine if, as a father, he actually paid attention to what his children were doing instead of bouncing to start a fight with Jade.

“You’re not good enough.”

While Jim’s busy telling everyone what Tabitha can and can’t do, Tabitha’s…doing something that actually matters and helping Victor. As it turns out, Jasper the dummy doesn’t actually have any secrets to tell. Because he’s just a doll. Now, we’re honestly not sure how we feel about this development. Adding a possessed dummy to the mix would certainly have been a move, but we also like what unlocking Victor’s actual memory tells us. Namely, it’s a great reminder that memory isn’t always accurate, and sometimes, what a child’s imagination does to help him protect his mind can, in some ways, be scarier than reality. After all, wasn’t the boy in white supposed to be Victor’s friend? And yet, he remembered a creepy doll instead.

“The people they loved. People they trusted. He said the children were born in the dark. And then, they were murdered. In the dark. But someone who loved them told them a story. The story gave them hope. And when the children laid on the stones, they poured their hope into the roots that made the symbol, and those roots became the tree.”

FROM Season 3 Episode 8 finally gets to the bottom of why and how the Faraway Trees were formed. We also unlock another piece of Victor’s memory. He told his mom what the boy in white said — he’s the reason she left and, ultimately, died. And somewhere, deep down, he knew this all along. It’s why he’s been so determined to solve this puzzle, to get “Jasper’s” secrets back. And it’s why, in a remarkable performance from Scott McCord earlier in this episode, Victor is in such a terrible state when he can’t get the dummy to speak.

He is (quite literally) beating himself up, flying into fits of rage, telling himself he’s not good enough over and over because he knows. Because he thinks he failed his mom, and his sister, and everyone else. And now, he has the chance to make it right by saving these people — by saving his father, most of all. But can he actually do anything about the situation? As far as we can tell, knowing about the origins of this story — the roots of the tree, if you will — doesn’t exactly answer the question of what the numbers mean. Without that information, the people in Fromville still might not get out of here. But at least they have something to point them in some kind of direction now. That has to count for something, right?

MORE: See what Scott McCord had to say about Victor’s fear of failure in our interview.

“It’s just not yours.”

A very large part of FROM Season 3 Episode 8 is dedicated to the fallout of Fatima murdering Tillie at the end of Episode 7. And as he tries to buy Fatima and Ellis some time, Boyd is “not thinking so straight,” as Elizabeth Saunders put it during our interview. His plan to hide the truth was never going to work out well, but we can’t exactly blame him for wanting to protect his daughter-in-law and son. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that Boyd isn’t just the sheriff looking out for the whole town. But he’s also a human being, who lost his wife to whatever madness this place caused her to have — took her life himself, even — and is concerned about something similar happening to Fatima.

…but still. Fatima killed Tillie, and the people who are stuck in this place have enough to worry about with the monsters that come out at night and any number of other weird, supernatural things that happen here without also having one more thing to fear. Even knowing this, it’s heartbreaking to watch Boyd and Ellis both desperately trying to find a way to protect Fatima. And, it’s equally heartbreaking — if not moreso — to watch Donna have to absorb the news and be the one to press Boyd on making the right decision. When she begs Boyd not to make her have to be the one to tell people, it’s just gutting.

But, of course, it’s Fatima herself who’s most affected by all of this. She has to live with the guilt of what she’s done and the fear of what made her do it. Then, of course, there’s the end of FROM Season 3 Episode 8. Hearing Elgin tell her there is a baby but it’s not hers, then add that him trapping her in the root cellar is “for the best” has got to be some of the most terrifying material this series has brought us to date. It’s close, maybe too close, to a reality that so many people face. A lack of autonomy, being trapped by someone else’s beliefs — and boy, Elgin is a true believer in the episode’s final moments — of being dragged back down into the depths of despair just as you think you might get free.

…and all this while a man tells you it’s “for the best.”

Terrifying.

MORE: Check out our interview with Pegah Ghafoori to see her take on Fatima’s pregnancy.

More on FROM Season 3 Episode 8

Ghafoori kills this episode, right from minute one. Obviously, the end scene is fantastically done, but even right from the very beginning, she is just so good. She delivers us a Fatima who’s visibly shaken by the rage that came over her, guilty, afraid, putting her trust in Boyd yet knowing he probably can’t help her — because no one can. And it’s just. So. Good.
“There’s no way forward.” So relatable right now. Whew.
“I need you to be strong right now. Ok? I need you — Ellis needs you to be strong. please.” The fact that Boyd knows Fatima’s love for Ellis might be the only thing holding her together…
Anyone else notice how the camera angles are frequently, like, aimed up at the people in the scenes? What’s watching down below??? Is it us? Is this the h-e-double-hockey-sticks or something? (We’re totally there.)
Another nerdy visual to point out: When Tabitha walks away from Jim after they get back to the house, that shot is set up so we really see major, major distance between them.
They really had me with the creepy setup for the Henry reveal — Jade with that bottle, like he really thought he could use it as a weapon, and all.
“Who the F are you?” “Sorry. I’m, uh…Henry Kavanaugh.” “…” “You probably know my son Victor.” “Oh. Right. Nice to meet you.” A comedy, I say.
“Thank you, Randall. For letting me stay at the place that Marielle and Kristi are letting you stay at.” No but seriously is she for real trying to flirt? Or just trying to convince him to go to the ruins with her by any means necessary?
“Well, typically, when a place makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up, it’s enough for me to stay away.” Not Randall being the smart one.
I know I talked about it a lot up above, but one more thing on Victor beating himself up like that over not being good enough: We’ve all been there, right? …or is it just me.
Thank you, Sara, for interrupting and getting Jim to shutup with his gaslighting. We’ve been here already!
“Hey. I’m sorry I was so hard on you. On the bus that day. I guess you were right. We should’ve turned around.” “Sorry I, uh…threw up. All over your shirt.” “Yeah.” This is such a real, human moment between Randall and Elgin. Kinda makes what Kimono Lady convinces Elgin to do that much worse.
I feel so bad for Sara. She’s tried so hard to help Victor but, ultimately, wasn’t the person he needed. And yet, she still just kind of…hangs around and looks out for him, so worried the whole time.
Meanwhile, Tabitha mothers him so incredibly well. Possibly better than she’s doing with her own kids these days. That’s not even a dig, even if it may sound like one.
“What exactly makes you think you’re gonna be the one to figure this out? I imagine a lot of pretty smart people have tried.” “I’m smarter.” Once upon a time, this would’ve annoyed me and made me be like “this MF.” Now, though? That’s my arrogant hero!!! Because he is smarter — and he’s not giving up unless he’s dead.
“…sanctimonious blue collar BS” indeed.
“That was productive.”
“Whatever this is, we are stronger than this.” Love me a good Fatima/Ellis moment, and this is prime example of one of the best ones. Ellis is pleading with her to believe him, trying so hard to convince her they’ll be ok because he needs to also convince himself. And she is so utterly and completely defeated the second he leaves.
“You’re at a threshold. It’s gonna be scary, but the hero has to be brave. We can go in together if you want.”
The dark shadow on Julie’s back on that sunny day, versus Ethan’s side of the shot.
That “???” look Ethan gave Julie when she asked him what she should do was basically our reaction. Girl, you’re the grownup here.
You can clock the fraction of a second when Victor remembers where he saw the Jasper/Christopher thing through McCord’s performance. Amazing.
“You won’t be safe from her.”
No but how does he know Julie’s name for real.
Did she…did she change Boyd’s fate with that rope?
NO BUT WHAT IS HAPPENING.
“…because they don’t believe in you anymore. Not like they did.” Boyd genuinely looks wounded here, possibly even slightly surprised. But…was he not at the town meeting???
“He said the answers to the end are in the beginning.” But how do we get there?
“If things get worse. You promise me that you…” The way he stops himself, looks away, looks down…
“If you had the chance, if you and mom could’ve ran even after she did what she did, what would you have done?” I couldn’t decide what my favorite scene for Harold Perrineau and Corteon Moore was in this episode, but after watching a few times, I think it’s this one. Just the way Perrineau doesn’t even look at Moore when Boyd responds to this line — and all his “response” is, is to just tense up, pat his son on the face, and keep going — is a whole story in and of itself. These are two characters who hate this whole situation but are resigned to it. And they hate the only comparable situation they’ve got that they can use for trying to make the best decisions in the moment, too.
…but Ellis losing it when they find the shack empty might be Moore’s best-best stuff in the episode. Or maybe it’s way earlier when Ellis is terrified of Fatima winding up in the box. Something else, perhaps. Basically, it’s all strong work.
WHY ELGIN WHY.