Warning: SPOILERS ahead for From season 3, episode 1!From season 3’s premiere revealed just how dangerous the town is about to become, which makes me feel unprepared for the devastating fallout Kenny (Ricky He) will have to endure in the episodes ahead. From season 3, episode 1 ended with the monsters releasing the town’s farm animals on the streets. As the characters in From work together to get them back into the pen and barn, Boyd (Harold Perrineau) and Kenny’s mom, Tian-Chen (Elizabeth Moy), are left to bring a cow into the barn. However, they’re ambushed by the creatures, who were waiting for them inside.
What follows is the monsters in From subduing Boyd, forcing him to watch as they slowly tear apart Tian-Chen. Given the brutal sounds and Boyd’s reaction at the very end of the episode, it’s safe to assume the beloved member of the town has been killed. This marks a dark turn for the show, as the town’s leader is now being targeted and tormented by the monsters at the expense of people he’s trying to protect. But I know Kenny will be impacted the most because of the circumstances around his mom’s death.
Kenny Wasn’t In Town When His Mom Got Killed
He Left To Help Jim Find Tabitha
While the town was being attacked by the creatures, Kenny wasn’t present, having left with Jim (Eion Bailey) earlier in the day to search for his wife, Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno). From season 2 ended with her at the lighthouse, getting pushed out by the Boy in White back into the real world. However, nobody in town knows what happened to her after she left, prompting Jim to leave in order to find her. Kenny decided to go with him, knowing it would be too dangerous for him to seek her out on his own.
By nightfall, the pair hunkered down in a small, abandoned village, with noises outside prompting Jim to decide they should go back to town in the morning. By the end of the episode, the pair are still in the village, with From season 3 not revealing Tian-Chen’s death to either of them. This makes me worried about what will happen to Kenny emotionally when he learns his mom is dead and he wasn’t around to stop the monsters from killing her. I’m most concerned because of how he’s reacted to losing someone close to him before.
From Has Already Shown Kenny Isn’t Good At Processing Grief
Losing His Dad & Sara’s Return Almost Pushed Him Over The Edge
During season 1, Kenny’s father, Bing-Qian Liu (Simon Sinn) is killed when voices tell Sara (Avery Konrad) to leave the clinic door open. This causes Kenny to spiral into fear and hopelessness, made worse when Boyd reveals he likely has onset Parkinson’s. However, he still latches onto the sheriff as a father figure, becoming a vocal dissenter in his attempt to go into the forest to find a way out of town. But, by the time season 1 ends, he becomes more of a leader than ever before, using the pain the town causes him as motivation to protect others.
Since Kenny and Jim are heading back to town, he’s likely going to find out about his mother’s death in the next few episodes.
However, his life takes a turn in season 2, when it’s revealed Sara is alive and Boyd wants to reintegrate her to help solve the town’s mysteries. Kenny is hostile toward her, still blaming her for Bing-Qian’s death, alongside her murder of her own brother, Nathan (Paul Zinno) and attempts to kill Ethan (Simon Webster). This leads him to push Boyd away, only embracing the group again when he realizes the larger forces at play. Since From season 3 reviews have been positive, I think Kenny’s reaction to his mother’s death will be equally devastating for his character arc.
How Tian-Chen’s Death Might Impact Kenny In From Season 3
Kenny Might Make Rash Decisions For Revenge
Since Kenny and Jim are heading back to town, he’s likely going to find out about his mother’s death in the next few episodes. When this happens, he’ll no doubt feel horrified and grief-stricken by the news. It will likely be all the more tragic because of his absence, which could cause him to blame himself. He’ll also discover the monsters in From won’t hurt Boyd, killing Tian-Chen in front of him because of the monster he killed back in season 2. This could drive Kenny to do something rash, attempting to get revenge on the creatures by endangering himself.
I’m convinced that Kenny’s devastating fallout in From season 3 will have lasting repercussions for his character, as him learning of his mother’s death sends him into another spiral. However, with Tabitha outside the town and potentially able to find out more about their situation, he could manage to survive long enough to escape with everyone. However, what happens to Kenny will only be determined by what he decides to do in response to his grief, and how far it takes him on a path toward revenge.
New episodes of
From
season 3 arrive Sundays on MGM+.
