From – There and Back Again

By starrymag | October 20, 2024

By: Mariah Thomas

 

 

Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno) realizes she is back in the town. As she steps out of the ambulance, crows multiply by the second and crowd the sky. The police officer attempts to soothe her saying they will take another way, but Tabitha knows how hectic things are about to get. Back inside the town, the phone rings once more and Ethan (Simon Webster) answers. “Thomas” tells Ethan that mom is in trouble, and he needs to help her. He gives details on her reentry as Jim (Eion Bailey) walks in to stop the call.

 

Tension rises at the colony house. Back in season two, Kristi’s (Chloe Van Landschoot) girlfriend, Mari (Kaelen Ohm), was brought into the town on a bus with other passengers. Their sweet reunion is soon cut short when the reality of their situation is remembered. We learn Mari has a history with drug use and is also a nurse. While helping provide medical care for the residents, she uses some of the medications for her own addiction. In season three, she is clean and the leading medical person while Kristi is out.

 

She comes over to the colony house to check in with Fatima (Pegah Ghafoori) after the bird incident. We now know the birds signified Tabitha’s reentry. She tells her that she is looking stronger compared to last visit.

 

When we return to the ambulance, the driver is confused as to how they are still in the forest. They are still unaware of their unusual circumstances. Tabitha attempts to convince them to drive to the town for safety as night is quickly approaching.

 

Boyd (Harold Perrineau) is posted with Randall (A.J. Simmons) for the night on the bus. Initially, Randall was sent to live in the bus as punishment for a previous outburst. Boyd is confused as to why Randall chose to stay instead of staying in the sheriff’s station for the night. “If you have something that even has the slightest chance to get us out of here. I want to help.”

 

Kristi and the others are safe. Despite her injury, they were able to safely make it back to the cave. She is in immense pain and as a result Kenny (Ricky He) has calmed the sass down. Kenny is in the process of writing a letter to his mom and Kristi takes this moment to remind him that he’s not alone. “Everything I was fighting for is gone. Everything I thought I was going home to.” Kenny has been a leading force in previous seasons and protecting his parents was a big push for this. With them gone, he finds that confidence falters.

 

Victor (Scott McCord) has sought out the help of Sarah (Avery Konard) while closing himself off from others. He has been staying with her and confiding his secrets. Victor makes a sheet fort and tells Sarah the story of the night his family was killed. He stayed in the cellar, his sister didn’t. Victor spent a lot of time alone in the town but until now the weight of what he saw wasn’t explored. He recounts the bodies to her. Exiting the cellar and seeing the streets lined with neighbors and friends. Victor talks about meeting the boy in white, the same one Tabitha has talked with too. This confirms the boy’s existence dates back much further. He encouraged Victor to collect memorabilia from everyone to place in a suitcase and bury as a homage to them. He opens the suitcase and recalls memories of people as he pulls out each item. Sarah inquires, “Why do you need me?” to which Victor says, “You’re the scariest person here.” He believes if she isn’t scared of this, he has nothing to fear himself. He realizes a specific item is missing and begins to go into a panic over it. Sarah is able to comfort him. Victor recalls Christopher and Jasper the puppet – a man in his town with a ventriloquist doll he would use to entertain the children. He remembers how he slowly started spending more and more time alone. One day Victor saw Jasper talking on his own. He is determined to return to the creature’s caves and find him.

 

Back in the bus Randall comments how it’s strange they have yet to see any creatures. There are specific ones that taunt him each night and should be out by this time. Tabitha keeps trying to convince the ambulance to drive to town, and they continue to ignore her and write her behavior off as erratic. Boyd and Randall see the ambulance and quickly realize why the monsters aren’t out as their usual spots tonight. The paramedics see a body in the road. Tabitha knows this is just a monster attempting o to lead them to harm. She pleads for them not to get out and is handcuffed by the officer for acting erratic. The two paramedics get out to assist. As the officer rounds the ambulance, she sees the monster attack the paramedics. Officer shoots at it but it doesn’t do anything and continues to approach her as other monsters slowly come closer. The officer runs leaving Tabitha chained and Henry concussed. Having seen the ambulance himself and remembering what Ethan was told on the phone, Jim takes off running. He opens the ambulance doors and is reunited with Tabitha. They attempt to find a way to free her and seek safety. Boyd and Randall have come down too. Randall bravely offers to run back to the busy for a toolkit to break her free. The officer runs to the colony house and continues to shoot at monsters. She accidentally shoots at a window, injuring a colony house member. The officer is let into the house, and she is frazzled and confused. She quickly sees what she did and immensely feels guilty. Donna (Elizabeth Saunders) demands to know how she got here. Mari tends to the injured woman and removes the bullet from her side.

 

On the way back to the ambulance, Randall is surrounded by monsters. He holds the symbol for protection but learns it doesn’t work that way. As he turns to run in the other direction, bugs block his path back to the bus. He tosses Boyd the toolkit before falling to the ground attacked by the bugs. A monster offers the keys to drive to Boyd, but says they get to keep Randall as a condition. Boyd makes the decision to leave Randall and drive himself, Jim, Tabitha and Henry to safety.  Jim helps Tabitha and Henry into the house. Everyone is shocked to see Tabitha and the officer immediately removes her cuffs. She now sees she was telling the truth.

 

Back in the cave Jade opens up about his hallucinations to Kristi and Kenny. He tells Kenny how his mom helped him with this struggle and offered helpful journals. Kenny breaks his silence by telling Jade, “She really liked you, you know.” Kenny talks about his mom with admiration and a smile. Jade then says, “Finish that letter. Tell her we all say hi.” As this sweet moment comes to an end, they start to hear banging outside of the cave.

 

Boyd is overcome with emotion and breaks down to Donna about leaving Randall. He feels an intense level of guilt. Now in a private room to properly catch up, Tabitha tells Jim about her experience leaving. Downstairs, the woman shot dies and the officer watches in fear. Boyd, in anger, tries to push her to the body. He wants her to see what she’s done, and Donna quickly pulls him out. Boyd is ready to yell at her, but she breaks down crying. Boyd drops his anger and comforts her. She is the tough one but admits to being scared.

 

Fatima feels bad for being mean to the now deceased colony house member the day prior. She requests a moment alone and sits next to her body. Once alone she peels away the gauze and begins to stick her fingers inside her wound and licks the blood off her fingers. She goes back in once she sees this satisfies her craving.

 

Boyd and Donna see ambulance lights flicker and see the monsters have left Randall outside…alive.