From (TV Series) Once Upon a Time... (2023) User Reviews

The Finale pretty much encompasses all that was good and bad about Season 2

[charlieedmond · 7/10 · 28 June 2023]

The boring new characters are put into positions where the audience is expected to feel something for them, after they do literally nothing the entire season.

The plot is expanded in minuscule amounts, but those minuscule amounts are what make the finale a 7/10.

Overall, it feels like the writers are unable to establish what they want to create and it is very likely, that they're going to write themselves into a circle. Looping endlessly around different developments without actually addressing the initial story elements. This is very evident from their focus on new characters as opposed to existing characters.

"From" needs to decide what it is, is it a horror/drama hybrid or is it a drama/family show, because this season felt like it kept bouncing between the two, and this will ultimately kill the show in the same way the The Walking Dead, died.

Good pacing, shocking twist and a brilliant ending to an average season

[HorrorAndGore · 9/10 · 25 June 2023]

Season 2 of From hasn't been a patch on Season 1, with the exception of 1 or 2 episodes, so the finale was going to be critical for the shows success - and they absolutely stuck the landing.

The writers finally give us answers to the cicada storyline this season and break it down for us... however, this entire storyline felt like it pushed the forest monsters to the side for most of season 2.

Going back to this episode, very clever pacing, several shocking moments, and the last 2 minutes of the episode... well, nobody was expecting that, to see Tabitha escape the town was exactly what the show needed.

Season 3 has potential to be brilliant. No more side plots, we're right back to the monsters, Jade looks like he could be on track to figure out how more of the towns secrets, and Tabitha, well, she's going to have the most interesting storyline in season 3, how will she cope with having escaped? How will she go back... and has she really escaped?

To summarise, very average season, but a finale that will definitely see me coming back in 2024.

Brilliant finale

[newpapyrus · 9/10 · 26 June 2023]

Brilliant finale!

I liked the fact that this season focused a lot more on character development while also providing some answers to many of the questions in the first season.

Where the creatures live has now been answered.

If the creatures sleep has now been answered Can the creatures be killed has now been answered What the creatures use to be has now been answered Whether the boy in white is good or bad has now been answered.

Whether, or not, this terrifying town can be escaped from has now been answered.

Two of the new characters that were added to the show were also very good.

I really look forward to the next season. Just add two more episodes. This season went by to quickly, IMO.

Yes Yes Yes!!!

[shipwrek-65365 · 10/10 · 27 June 2023]

Sure. I agree that this season has been slower than the first but if you've ever watched a tv show before you must understand that the first season is designed to grab your attention and then the next is character development. In order for a show to survive you need interesting characters and you need to follow their journey. The pacing and writing has been very good as well. I hate to keep comparing this show to Lost (because the creators of Lost made this show) but it really brings me back to how I felt when I watched Lost.

So many twist and turns and just when you think something has been figured out here comes another plot twist.

I won't spoil anything for this episode but there was a scene with Boyd that's just WOW!

I'm so excited where this show is going.

Wow 😮

[lorenzocorzosandino · 10/10 · 26 June 2023]

What a great way to end the season. It may have been lack luster in a few of the episodes but my god these last four have been amazing. I love that Jade gets more screen time and has a character arc, and we learn more about Victor and his family, talking about his sister and his mother. I give this episode a 10 because for a finale it has everything the audience wants and needs. Some action (Reggie, Julie, Randall, and Marielle with whatever they have inside them), some drama (Boyd, Sarah, and Tabitha and Jim) and a great cliffhanger with Tabitha escaping this messed up town. I liked a lot that we got maybe the last we will ever see of the bartender when he has his little dialogue with Jade. And how Ethan is growing up more and more every episode because he has to. Even though this season wasn't the best it was good in my opinion, and it had an amazing finale. I can not wait for SEASON 3!!

Setting up things for next season!!!

[BlueWolf1 · 9/10 · 27 June 2023]

By watching last episode, It has just raised many questions like, of tabitha escaping the environment--> Did others also escape; Was it just like that people were in Coma and having this dream, and by escaping it they wake up in reality like another series 'Alice in Boderland'; Did she really escaped or is in some other illusion.

And now about Boyd solving the mystery by just lighting the lamp, writers here speeded it up too much, like someone cannot get idea to light the lamp to see the music box, just that easily-> They should have added atleast one full episode with whole storyline for Boyd to arrive at this conclusion to light the lamp.

I know for many viewers the season was slow at begining, but to catch-up they fast paced the last episode, but it was very fast paced I guess.

Now, also someone else commented that 1st season was to grab attention, 2nd season i.e. This one was for character development and even more mysteries (alsoo sometimes boring), just like the other great shows like The walking dead.

I think 3rd season will be very interesting and it has lot of potential. So I will be waiting for 3rd season.

Episode 210

[bobcobb301 · 6/10 · 25 June 2023]

Well, at least we did not get a mass shooting episode like it seemed as if they were teasing, but we also did not get much drama either.

A year after the season one finale we still know nothing about the voice on the radio, where electricity comes from, if this is an experiment etc.

We did get a Lost "we have to go back" kind of ending as Tabitha may be out of the area and in a real hospital. I say maybe because this could be a trap too. It looked like the background was fake so I am not buying it just yet.

It was not bad, but I think we all were hoping for a little bit more in this season finale.

WHAT A FINALE!

[kelbren-65512 · 10/10 · 27 June 2023]

Easily my favourite episode of the series yet. It got me tearing up in a really beautiful and sad scene showing how much the development of these characters during this season has definitely helped the audience feel for these characters more than season 1, which I liked and will take a couple slow episodes if it results in good character growth.

I was at edge for most of this episode and yes a few things felt a bit rushed but, not to the point where it ruined a big build up of the story.

I'm glad the acting is getting better and always a great performance by the actor playing Boyd.

Overall so keen for season 3, and what a cliffhanger it left us on... it really got me thinking it was a repeat of 'Lost' but thank god it's not.

Unanswered Mysteries and Boring Characters

[abdikhaliqaden · 3/10 · 26 June 2023]

I'm really confused about why this episode got a 10-star rating. This was the GRAND FINALE! And they took up soo much time with that lame marriage and side talks that had nothing to do with the plot. This episode was meant to answer some questions, but instead of resolving anything, all they did was have Boyd save three unlikable characters. He literally just guess how to save them with no answers to who or what did that to them, only some shady idea of how the antagonist looks like was given by Sarah. There wasn't much else besides that cliffhanger.

But seriously, have people forgotten what the show was originally intended to be? It started with episodes 1 and 2 which were super thrilling and suspenseful. Now, it looks like the focus has changed, and it's more of a drama series than a horror or thriller show. I don't care if these characters talk about how much they love each other - that's not why I watch this show!

Real humans wouldn't constantly hide secrets from each other and if do try to give some information to one another. Information that could them solve answers, they only reveal small details instead of telling them the full story. It's as if these people don't want to leave the town. These characters have a lot of knowledge that they don't feel comfortable discussing, despite its importance. For instance, Tabitha discovered the creature's sleeping location early in the season, yet it took her a staggering seven episodes to share this crucial information with just one person. Such delays can be incredibly frustrating for viewers. I mean it's clear that the writers wanted this season to revolve around the idea of keeping secrets from each other, but that is an incredibly boring concept.

Also, this filler dialogue is getting out of hand. I literally fast-forward some convos in this episode. It makes me so angry that the writers think the viewers would like characters talking and expressing love every episode for half the screen time of each episode. You can find other ways to make a character more entertaining than just them talking and explaining what they're going through. We don't care about how Ellis and Fatima got married. We don't care how Kristie and Marie talk about going through difficult times in their relationship. We care about the mysteries, them solving and not adding mysteries. We care about the horror and thriller of this series.

In each episode they always voice the same concerns and grievances, making it feel like the conversations never change. It gets too repetitive. This season, Ellis and Fatima, as well as Kristi and Marie, have been discussing the same topics. It's always the "I'm scared", "let's get married", " we can't let people die", "we need to love each other more", "look at me... we're in this together". Like there was so many side talks that are meaningless and have nothing to do with the story and it's not only them it's other characters too. Let's not waste screen time next season with this bs. That is if I'll watch this again.

There's other ways you can showcase charecter developement beyond simply expressing love and care for one another. Here's a few other ways to depict character growth: Personal Goals and Ambition, Collaborative Problem-Solving (they do thisone poorly), Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Choices, Learning from Mistakes, Confronting Fears or Weaknesses, Acquiring New Knowledge or Skills, Changing Perspectives or Beliefs, Internal Reflection and Self-discovery.

So what happened this season? Not much really, it's as if the writers spent their time stalling the viewers from what they really want. They had no idea which direction to take in this season and just improsied each episode as it goes along.

To end things off here's a quick run down of mysteries solved this season:.

Ep 1. No mysteries solved.

Ep 2. No mysteries solved, but more mysteries added.

Ep 3. No mysteries solved.

Ep 4. No mysteries solved.

Ep 5. No mysteries solved, but more mysteries added.

Ep 6. No mysteries solved.

Ep 7. No mysteries solved, but more mysteries added.

Ep 8. No mysteries solved, but more mysteries added.

Ep 9. No mysteries solved.

Ep 10. No mysteries solved, but more mysteries added.

The only mystery is how the writers managed to get paid of this

[CeeBeeGeeBee · 2/10 · 27 June 2023]

So disappointed with this show. The first episode set up a brilliant premise with great promise. Everyone was "from" somewhere but able to leave, there are monsters in the night and a malevolent force that could get inside people heads. In the 19 subsequent episodes that story has barely progressed. Instead we have a frustrating day-time soap opera largely driven by the characters inability to communicate (or even finish a sentence sometimes).

The ex-machina conclusions to the main story arc (Boyd get access to the music box by lighting a torch) is good example of how flat out lazy the writing is in season 2. Perhaps the writers thought they needed to cover this so decided to have him shot just beforehand.

My one hope is that a near death experience with being cancelled will engender a change of tact. It could have been a brilliant show but it more likely to be a cautionary tale.

I won't be watching season 3.

[elderpampar · 5/10 · 26 June 2023]

Overall, this season was awful!

We had about 8 episodes of dialogue, boring characters, poor acting, crying, arguing, etc. I thought I was watching a mystery horror? Not a god damn soap opera!

We had more mysteries thrown at us and not a single answer to anything.

Fool me once (Lost), but fool me twice (From)? No thanks! I am not sticking around to have my time wasted, get poor or no answers and a dire grand finale like we had in Lost.

I will not be sticking around for Season 3. There are much better series out now I.e, Silo that has mystery, good acting and you get answers.

I am certainly not falling for these Lost writers again. In the end From will be about some stupid good and evil place that stops evil from spreading to the world *rolls eyes* (reference to Lost).

Go watch a well written and acted series instead is my advice.

From got Lost

[annabrostrom · 4/10 · 25 June 2023]

Season one was great. New, scary and puzzeling. Unfortunally I went from plesantly surprised (S01) to unpleasantly disapointed (S02).

Season two is just soo boring. They talk and then talk some more.

Almost like a daytime soap opera. Very few scary moments, nothing makes sense and almost nothing substantially really happens in 10 episodes. The plot got confused and scattered.

It seems like the producers (and they are not the only one nowdays) makes it top priority to milk as many seasons possible with this show.

How nice it would have been if they instead had made one good season and finished it off with a good strong ending and conclusion.

More questions, zero answers

[Kingsbauer7 · 3/10 · 10 July 2023]

2 seasons of droplets of questions and interesting mysteries with absolutely zero answers. Every episode this season basically consisted of a character finds a piece of information, keeps it a secret, comes up with an idea, nobody wants to go along with it, character spills a little bit of information to only one person, they follow through on idea, doesn't work, back to the town. That takes up 3 episodes and then the same process with another pair of characters. The rest of the characters are spent having the same conversations every episode. About how they're angry about something, but how they love each other and want to work together to get out of this place, all while keeping a million and one secrets from each other. That's my review of this season.

As for the finale in general. The episode gets three stars for Victor and the cliffhanger with Tabitha. Other than that, boring episode. Jade goes into the cave and learns absolutely nothing. Boyd is able to save everyone in a 3 minute timespan over a throw away line from his son during their wedding. Also, what was the point of that wedding scene. Just complete nonsense that lacks any emotion because they've spent all season showing the same conversation between Ellis and Fatima. What was the point of the guy stealing the gun? I think the total screentime of that whole conflict was probably 30 seconds total. Kills guy, steals gun, tried to kill Boyd, gets shot, Boyd moves on?

I think unless the creators of the show announce that season 3 will be the last and that all questions will be answered, I won't be watching.

I feared they might pull this

[vesselageorgieva · 1/10 · 30 June 2023]

All the time I was thinking "Please, don't let this be another purgatory show" but surprise, surprise. I expected this and I'm still disappointed. The crows when they see the tree gave it away but I was really hoping that they'd spin this some other way. Season 3 is on the way and there is still some hope that they'll fix this mess but I highly doubt it.

At least the finale had some kind of action, unlike most of the episodes this season, I'll give them that. Overall, season 1 was intriguing and season 2 was a huge letdown. I now have to go apologize to all the people I've told to watch this show.

boring

[Lythas_85 · 3/10 · 17 December 2023]

Like reviewer abdikhaliqaden said:

"This was the GRAND FINALE! And they took up soo much time with that lame marriage and side talks that had nothing to do with the plot. This episode was meant to answer some questions, but instead of resolving anything, all they did was have Boyd save three unlikable characters."

the junkie gf that appeared with the people in the bus and got between kristi and kenny..

the daughter.. extremely annoying with her overreactions

randall... need I say anything?

Now for some reason they are focusing on the car that had his gf or was it sister.. killed by the bugs... they needed someone to die by the bugs but didnt want to use any of the regulars... the bar guy being killed off was a mistake.. he is the wisdom dude.. just kill the junkie.. or the bald guy or any other useless character but dont kill victor, sarah or kennys mom.

Jade going to the cave alone... instead of calling boyd.. ok then.

Tabita interacting with victor.. that was beautiful.. like jade with him in that violin scene... anyway, victor giving her his lunch box with snacks..

that dumbass shooting boyd.. my God.. why did they create this character other than to make boyd struggle in his journey? That was that guys only point.. and he killed that random eugene from the walking dead character.

Boyds wife talking to him.. it was kinda obvious she didnt want to help.. that is what the demons do, right?

The ending with tabitha leaving the place.. ok, it was an interesting ending.. she just wanted a way to help her daughter and ended up leaving the place.. of course, she will try to find her way back in.. and let us be honest here.. millions of people living in the country and only a few dozen got into the whatever place that is.. so her odds of finding it again by just driving around would be close to none.. but she will of course be able to get back in..

and yeah once again.. the characters not talking to each other.. so jade went into a cave and did nothing.. boyd found how to save people just by some random thing with elgn and then sarah... and nobody besides jim knew what tabitha was doing.. that is crazy.. that in such a small place, nobody finds the time to talk to each other.. boyd saw the lighthouse when he went to the forest with sarah but he never mentioned it to anybody...

anyway... lazy writing and boring stories.. even tho the show had so much potential.. what a shame..

A Little Hope. Mostly Nope.

[jamericanbeauty · 5/10 · 27 June 2023]

I dislike manipulative storytelling. It makes me feel like I wasted my time. Showrunners should never take its audience for granted. We pay not follow and support your future projects (insert Game of Thrones duo D. B. Weiss and Benioff). From's Season 2 finale answered nothing for most of the episode, then hits you with a shocking ending, as if that makes up for the idleness that proceeded it. Harold Perrineau's Sheriff Boyd continues to deliver in the acting area, despite the anti-God/faith dialogue spewed out of his mouth in the makeshift church scene. It was downright disrespectful to call God a muthaf×#ker and very unnecessary. The scene with the tech guy and his subconscious, in the form of the dead bartender, talking about strategy and morality was well-done. Boyd's son getting married was nicely done. The love felt real. Sheriff Body learns via his ghost-Wife that the elusive energy of the forest feeds off of hope, not fear is a new development. Speaking of hope, the final minutes were hopeful and horrifying to me. Is this a civilized reality or something else?