The mystery surrounding the eerie town in From has kept viewers on the edge of their seats throughout its first two seasons. Each time one of the burning questions is answered, it seems to raise more questions.
Season 3 Episode 8 takes a significant step toward answering some of the biggest mysteries, providing one of the most crucial revelations in the show’s history.
But before this major reveal, the episode opens with the aftermath of a grisly and sudden death that occurred at the end of the previous episode. The death leads to even more tension and confusion as the town’s residents struggle to make sense of the situation.
The Aftermath of Fatima’s Discovery
At the start of Episode 8, Fatima (played by Pegah Ghafoori) is in a state of emotional collapse after discovering that her pregnancy isn’t what it seems. This shocking revelation causes her to unravel.
She reacts with intense grief and anger, and in a moment of uncontrollable rage, she accidentally drives a pair of shears into Tillie’s (Deborah Grover) chest. The sudden death of Tillie only adds to the chaos in the town and the unraveling situation around Fatima.
Ellis (Corteon Moore) finds Fatima weeping over Tillie’s body in the greenhouse and realizes the severity of the situation. He immediately enlists his father Boyd (Harold Perrineau) to help. Boyd knows that the best course of action is to protect Fatima from the townspeople, who might turn against her in the wake of the killing.
Boyd quickly takes Fatima to a rundown shack deep in the woods, hoping to keep her away from the townsfolk while they figure out what to do next. Boyd urges Fatima to regain her composure for Ellis’s sake, but he also understands the need to think rationally in such a chaotic situation.
However, things take a turn for the worse when Tillie’s body is discovered. The news of the murder spreads quickly throughout the town, and the community erupts into panic. A manhunt is launched, and the townspeople are especially suspicious of Sarah (Avery Konrad), the town’s known murderer. The residents demand justice, and suspicion falls on Sarah once again, adding to the already tense atmosphere in the town.
Julie’s Growing Connection to the Ruins
As the chaos in the town unfolds, Julie (Hannah Cheramy) becomes increasingly consumed by thoughts of the ruins. After her unsettling encounter with Randall (A.J. Simmons) in the forest, she cannot shake the feeling that the ruins hold some deeper significance.
Still from From Season 3 (Credit: MGM)
Julie decides to visit Randall, who is now staying at the doctor’s residence, hoping to discuss what they both felt during their brief visit to the ruins. When she arrives, she asks Randall if he, too, felt a strange connection to the place.
Randall confirms that he did feel something, but he insists that it’s best to stay away from places that evoke such unsettling emotions. His advice to Julie is clear: avoid the ruins. But Julie, determined to find answers, chooses to ignore his warning.
She returns to the ruins with her younger brother Ethan (Simon Webster) in tow. As they stand at the edge of the ruins, Julie asks Ethan what a hero from his stories would do in that moment. Ethan describes a scene he calls a “Threshold,” a point where the hero summons the courage to move forward.
Julie, inspired by Ethan’s words, decides to step beyond the Threshold. As she does, she begins to collapse and seizes up, her body wracked with convulsions. In a hallucinatory state, Julie is transported back to the dungeon where Boyd had previously found the three victims chained up.
She covers her ears, screaming in agony alongside the victims. The pain overwhelms her, and when it subsides, the old man who had initially given Boyd the blood-bug infection from Season 2 appears before her.
The old man seems to offer cryptic advice, urging Julie to throw a rope down a well in the center of the room. This is the same well that Boyd had used to climb up in a previous season. When Julie turns to question the old man, he mysteriously disappears.
Undeterred, Julie proceeds to enter the adjacent room, where she finds herself in the dark tunnels she has heard about before. The eerie voice of her mother echoes through the darkness, and Julie begins to hear the children chanting “anghkooey,” which disorients her further.
Julie’s strange journey continues, and while she remains unconscious in the ruins, her younger brother Ethan runs back to the town to get help. He encounters Kenny (Ricky He) and Acosta (Samantha Brown), who are in the midst of questioning townspeople about the recent murder.
Still angry about Boyd’s actions and questioning the town’s leadership, Acosta becomes frustrated with the situation. Her complaints are interrupted when Ethan frantically cries out for help. Kenny and Acosta rush to Julie’s aid, dragging her away from the ruins and severing her connection to the dark, mysterious forces within the dungeons.
The Shocking Revelations About the Town’s Origin
Meanwhile, back in town, Jade (David Alpay), Jim (Eion Bailey), and Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno) are trying to make sense of the situation. After returning from the homestead, Jade begins sifting through his notes once again. He finds Henry (Robert Joy) asleep at the bar and invites him to stay.
Their quiet conversation is soon interrupted by Jim, who storms in to confront Jade. Jim accuses Jade of interfering with his family, specifically brainwashing Tabitha and putting her in danger.
As Jade storms off, Henry offers Jim a piece of advice, warning him not to hold onto his family too tightly. He shares the tragic story of how he lost his own family, recounting how his wife and children were taken after he refused to listen to his wife’s warnings about the children. Jim and Henry sit together in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, as Jim stares at a tall glass of whiskey.
Meanwhile, Victor (Scott McCord) and Sarah continue their efforts to get Jasper, the ventriloquist dummy, to talk. They are unsuccessful, and Victor becomes increasingly frustrated. In an attempt to calm him, Sarah suggests that they bring Tabitha in to help.
Tabitha takes charge of the situation, encouraging Victor to face his fears and unlock his memories. Together, they help him recall a significant memory from his childhood. He remembers seeing Christopher talk to Jasper, but upon revisiting the scene, he realizes that it wasn’t Jasper who was talking to Christopher—it was the boy in white.
Victor’s memory is triggered, and he reveals a key part of the town’s origin. The mystery surrounding the town’s origins all began with the children: they were born in the dark, and they were murdered in the dark. The children’s bodies were then placed on stones, and vines formed into the ominous symbol that haunted Jade in Season 2. This event also marked the establishment of the faraway tree and all its strange, magical properties.
Victor’s revelation marks a turning point in understanding the town’s history. He recalls that Christopher refused to take action when he first learned about these dark secrets. But young Victor overheard the conversation and told his mother about it.
In a moment of realization, Victor understands that his mother’s disappearance and her journey to the faraway tree were directly linked to him. He had blocked out the memories because he realized that he was the reason she went in search of the children—and ultimately disappeared.
Elgin and Fatima’s Strange Intersection
While Victor uncovers the truth about the town’s past, Elgin’s (Nathan D. Simmons) storyline continues to raise questions. Elgin has been haunted by the vision of the illusory kimono lady, and his journey takes a strange turn in this episode.
Elgin receives more mysterious Polaroid pictures from his camera. He follows the clues, starting with a picture of a blood bag. This leads him to the hospital, where he meets Randall. Their interaction is tense, but they manage to exchange a few words. Elgin apologizes for his previous actions, and Randall apologizes for his harsh treatment on the bus.
However, Elgin’s journey takes an unexpected turn when another image arrives, leading him to follow it further. Meanwhile, Boyd and Ellis are caught up in tense discussions about what to do with Fatima.
Still from From Season 3 (Credit: MGM)
Ellis wants to tell the town the truth, but Boyd disagrees, knowing it will only make things worse. Eventually, the two agree to flee into the woods, but when they reach the shack where Fatima is hiding, they find it empty.
The episode ends with a shocking turn of events. Elgin, seemingly unaware of the danger, leads Fatima to a secret bunker. He claims that Ellis will meet her there, but as Fatima steps into the small, cell-like room, she realizes that Elgin’s intentions are far more sinister.
Elgin reveals that Fatima is pregnant, but the baby isn’t hers. When she tries to escape, Elgin grabs her and drags her into the room, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats.
The first eight episodes of From Season 3 are available to stream on MGM+ in the U.S.
The finale of The Penguin brought the ongoing battle between Sofia (Cristin Milioti) and Oz (Colin Farrell) to a dramatic climax. As the tension between them reached its peak, the episode gave fans several shocking twists, a devastating death, and a sense that the story was transitioning toward something bigger.
The episode, titled “A Great or Little Thing,” marks a turning point in the series, wrapping up the current chapter while setting the stage for The Batman Part II.
Francis Cobb Has Always Known the Truth
From the very start of the series, it’s clear that Oz has deep issues with his mother. The relationship between the two characters has always been complicated, but in the finale, it becomes much darker. After the chaotic shoot-out at Monroe’s bar, where Oz and Francis once danced, Oz barely manages to escape after being stabbed by his mother.
She stabbed him because of the murder of his brothers. At first, it seemed like a simple conflict of family loyalty, but this event sets off a deeper chain of emotions that will haunt Oz for the rest of the series.
Oz visits his mother, Francis (Deirdre O’Connell), later in the hospital after rising to the top of Gotham’s criminal world. Unfortunately, he is met with devastating news—his mother had suffered a stroke, leaving her in a vegetative state.
Their already strained relationship becomes even more tragic as it evolves into something nightmarish. At the end of the episode, Oz has placed his mother in a hospital bed at the top of his penthouse. He walks in, and seeing Francis unable to fully respond, he pathetically tells her, “I know, it’s everything you wanted.”
Francis’s single tear rolling down her cheek is heartbreaking, but Oz’s lack of empathy is glaring. He seems to believe that fulfilling his promise to her is enough, but it’s clear he’s doing so for his own sense of validation.
Oz Kills the Only Family He Has Left
Oz’s rise to the top of Gotham’s criminal underworld is thanks in no small part to Victor (Rhenzy Feliz), a key ally who has helped him maneuver through the city’s complex criminal network.
Victor, who is loyal and has been by Oz’s side since the beginning, is an instrumental figure in Oz’s ascent to power. He played a significant role in orchestrating coups within the Gotham criminal world, making the path easier for Oz to follow.
Still from The Penguin (Credit: HBO)
In a rare quiet moment, Oz and Victor sit together on a park bench overlooking the Gotham waterfront. Oz, though a man of few genuine emotions, acknowledges that without Victor, he wouldn’t have made it to where he is now. The two share a rare moment of camaraderie as Oz admits, “I wouldn’t be here without you.”
Victor, visibly touched, responds with, “You’re family to me.” This moment seems to hint at a bond between the two that is beyond business, yet it quickly becomes clear that for Oz, “family” has always been a complicated term.
Despite their shared history and Victor’s unwavering loyalty, Oz sees no room for him in the next phase of his journey. As Victor smiles, believing they are in a place of mutual respect, Oz moves in closer. What happens next is both chilling and heartbreaking: Oz wraps his arm around Victor’s shoulder and suddenly tightens his grip around his throat, choking the life out of him.
Victor, helpless, begs for his life, but Oz remains cold and emotionless. As Victor’s breath fades, Oz speaks softly, “You’re a good man, Vic. You got a good heart. It wasn’t for nothing.” These words only make the betrayal more gut-wrenching.
Oz acknowledges that Victor was a good man, but in his world, that is precisely why he cannot afford to let him live. As Victor dies, Oz calmly takes his wallet, retrieving the cash inside.
He then pulls out Victor’s ID, looks at it briefly, and tosses it into the river. With that, he washes his hands of the man who helped him reach his goal, leaving him lying lifeless in the streets with no name, no identity.
Sofia Loses the War Against Oz
Sofia (Cristin Milioti), once a major adversary to Oz, finds herself in a situation she never thought possible. Throughout the series, Sofia has done many terrible things, but at her core, she is still a woman traumatized by the betrayals of her past.
She has been tossed aside by her family, and her desperation has led her down a dangerous path. At the start of the finale, Sofia takes a bold step by placing a bounty on Oz’s head. She decides to leave her family’s legacy behind and offers a reward to anyone who can capture Oz, even setting fire to the Falcone mansion as she walks away from her past.
For a brief moment, it looks like Sofia might win the war. As Oz is cornered, Sofia seems ready to die, looking almost at peace with the prospect of her own death. She fully expects Oz to kill her. However, in a twist of fate, Oz does not kill her. Instead, he pins the blame on her and her alleged alliance with Maroni (Clancy Brown).
He then strikes a deal with Councilman Hardy (Rhys Coiro), who is eager to increase his political power. Oz convinces Hardy that Sofia is dangerous and unhinged, painting her as a madwoman who escaped Arkham Asylum and went on a violent killing spree.
Oz spins a narrative about saving Gotham from a crazed woman, and the deal is too tempting for Hardy to resist. Sofia is captured once again and thrown back into Arkham. The episode ends with her sitting in her cell, near catatonic, unable to react to anything around her—until she receives a letter from Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz).
The letter is a small glimmer of hope in Sofia’s bleak existence. When she opens it, a small smile cracks across her face and Selina’s familiar musical theme plays. While it’s unclear what will happen next, it’s a small, emotional moment of connection in an otherwise tragic situation.
The Penguin Rises to the Top, But Batman Is Back
As the finale reaches its climax, Oz stands victorious, reigning over Gotham’s criminal empire. With Victor eliminated and Sofia defeated, he appears to have achieved his ultimate ambitions. Yet in Gotham’s unforgiving realm, dominance is never permanent, and the throne is always precarious.
As Oz returns to his penthouse, he is greeted by Eve (Carmen Ejogo), who is dressed in his mother’s sequin dress. This dress holds sentimental value for Oz, as it was worn by Francis during a night they went to Monroe’s bar.
Oz and Eve share a slow dance in the penthouse, and for a moment, it seems like their relationship might still have a future. Though their relationship is mostly transactional, there is a strange sense of intimacy between them.
However, even in this tender moment, Oz’s Oedipus complex takes center stage. He looks at Eve and demands that she tell him she loves him and that she’s proud of him. Eve coos, telling him that nothing is standing in his way anymore. At that moment, as they continue to dance, Oz says, “I did it, Ma. Tell me I did it.”
The scene is both disturbing and tragic. Oz is clearly lost in his desire for validation, using Eve as a replacement for his mother. But just as everything seems to be going in his favor, the camera pans out.
The iconic Bat Signal lights up in the distance, signaling the return of Batman. This final image leaves viewers with a sense of foreboding, hinting that Oz’s reign at the top may soon be challenged.
Still from The Penguin (Credit: HBO)
The episode ends with a powerful visual that ties into the larger world of The Batman. While Oz has reached the pinnacle of his criminal empire, the looming presence of Batman reminds us that no one, not even the Penguin, can hold onto power forever. With the Bat Signal flashing, it is clear that Gotham’s protector is not far behind, and Oz’s troubles are far from over.
This finale sets up several intriguing possibilities for the future. Will Oz continue his reign in Gotham, or will Batman put an end to his criminal empire? And what will happen to Sofia, who has lost everything?
With the Bat Signal in the sky, it’s clear that The Penguin’s story is far from finished. Whether this sets the stage for The Batman Part II or a second season of The Penguin remains to be seen, but for now, the story of Oz, Sofia, and Gotham continues to unfold in dark and unexpected ways.
All episodes of The Penguin are available to stream on Max.
