u/WhatisLOTR

Season 4’s ending, instead of being the cycle endgame turned out to be just the intro to the cycle's outcome.

The creators keep leaving us wanting more, and season 4 finale is another cliffhanger. They built big expectations for the Season 4 ending by releasing a trailer and a sneak peek that suggested more would happen in S04E10.

Nonetheless, I believe they already explained the title.

The conversation between MIY and BIY is clear: to break the cycle, they need the bones and the bottle tree.

BIW already showed Tabitha where the bottle tree is able to teleport her (to the lighthouse, which is the way out).

I think this leaves us with a simple conclusion: the bones of the children need to be taken FROM this place!!!

The whole group is left without all or most of the talismans and without an easy way out through the bottle tree. They are no longer safe in the houses.

They may have one to three talismans left. The show kept this open. Boyd may have one, there may be another in the clinic and third in the basement of colony house. Maybe they will divide: most of the residents stay together in Colony House and the most important characters go for the expedition through the forest, looking for a way to reach the lighthouse, and maybe some creatures will follow them.

There will be a lot of new places in the forest where they will find answers about Fromville’s origins (as we know, the creators stated that season 5 will clear the origin story). Maybe Jade and Tabitha will start to remember what they have done. Maybe Julie will find bookmarks to storywalk and get more answers,

They will probably meet the ballerina monster again, since we know it resides in the forest (the creators have implied its return).

The show has already foreshadowed what is inside the forest through Martin’s remark that the town is just the tip of the spear.

What do you think about the title theory, and what do you expect in Season 5? I would love to hear some insights!!! 😊

I see there are many comments rejecting theories about Tabitha’s and Jade’s involvement in the ritual and their possible, darker role in the origins of the story.

Many people disagree with these theories based on the scenes where Tabitha and Jade start remembering their past lives, after Jade plays the violin under the bottle tree.

But what Tabitha actually says in this scene is: “We were supposed to help them, but we failed.”

It doesn’t necessarily mean “we were trying to rescue them.” It can also mean that someone was supposed to be something, but did not fit his or her role.

Jade and Tabitha had contact with children “born and raised in the dark” – kept isolated for a specific reason: the ritual. Singing lullabies and telling stories seems caring, right? But is it really caring in this context, when the children have been isolated from the world since birth and raised like pigs for slaughter? Doesn’t it seem more like consoling them for different reasons? They could have helped them all this time instead. This close contact also implies their involvement in preparing the ritual; otherwise, they probably would not have had access to the children.

Why could Tabitha and Jade be capable of sacrificing their own daughter? Since she was one of the ghoulish children, she was also “born and raised in the dark,” and they knew from the beginning where and in what kind of harsh conditions she lived.

Fromville constantly tests people and pushes them to their limits, forcing them to make impossible moral choices. In circumstances like that, people are often not reasonable. They get scared and behave completely differently. They lose something, and then they change their minds about things.

It is possible they wanted to save more people, to fight illness, hunger, or suffering for the whole town or population. It is possible they wanted to regain something so badly that they ignored the cost.

Thomas keeps being mentioned from s01e01 onward, again and again, which probably isn’t a coincidence in a show constructed like this. Maybe the original Tabitha also lost her child and wanted to resurrect him so badly that she went through with the ritual, and Jade, who deeply loved her, could not bear her suffering and complied. And maybe the outcome wasn’t what they expected. Maybe. All of this is possible based on what we know so far.

At this point, the show is still extremely open to many different outcomes. This is clearly how the creators are writing it, and this is why we can have so much fun with so many different theories. I don’t know about you, but I genuinely love this part of the show, because it allows us to explore both our analytical mind and our imagination. 😉

He said in one of his feeds that the key thing to understand about Jade is that he loves Tabitha very deeply and would do anything for her.

This remark seems important when we look at it in the current setup. Tabitha might not just be important — she could have a dominant role in the original story, potentially tied to something darker.

It made me think about Jade’s line about the children needing to be saved in the trailer for the Season 4 finale. It doesn’t feel like a random line — I think it is foreshadowing. His story is lining up for an emotional, purpose‑driven sacrifice.

So here’s my theory: Jade sacrifices himself in the tunnels so Tabitha can escape. If the MIY doesn’t want her dead yet, it could mean the creatures would be operating under his rules — possibly allowing only one person to leave.

What makes this more convincing is Boyd's appearance in the trailer. When he comes out of the clinic, he has blood on his shirt. The scene is set exactly when the storm starts (probably when the red entity appears).

That timing makes it look like this scene is happening after the attempt to pull out the bottle tree and everything that went down in the tunnels with Tabitha and Jade. I think the blood isn’t random — it implies that someone died during the sequence.

Jade fits that setup almost too perfectly.

This is actually a very short remark, and I'm sorry if someone has already pointed it out.

In the last episode:

1. BIW told Victor, "Don't cut the tree."

2. MIY tried to sabotage the tree extraction by cutting the rope.

Could this be a clue that BIW is not a good entity after all?

At first I wrote a comment on the theory that MIY is Martin, but while writing and connecting more dots I decided it deserves to be another theory.

Why, in my opinion, MIY is not Martin

1. Using blood magic to transform the worms

Blood magic appears to be common in this place.

We have reasons to suspect that Jade used it in his original life as well (drinking blood from the skull). Maybe Tabitha too.

Probably anyone can use blood magic there if they know how to do it—if they know the correct way to perform the ritual or speak the incantation. Boyd did it with Smiley, and he doesn’t know anything about magic.

Just like MIY said, “In a place like this, it matters how you do things.”

2. Martin knew about Abby and the way she died

Down in the dungeon, Marielle’s sensations closely echo what Martin is going through. Like the others, she doesn’t clearly remember what happened down there, until MIY “helps” her remember through a hallucination. In that vision, Marielle is chained like Martin and overwhelmed by the pain of all the souls trapped in Fromville.

Marielle’s soul wasn’t trapped in the dungeon at that time, so what she heard wasn’t tied to the dungeon itself. She only experienced a hallucination of that sensation, which was given to her by MIY.

After Smiley's death voices in Sara’s mind were laughing that Boyd had “brought it back to the town." MIY knew what kind of entity was responsible for killing Smiley, what allowed him to give Marielle that specific hallucination.

Martin, trapped in the dungeon, was hearing and feeling exactly the same thing as Marielle, but much more strongly, since it wasn’t a hallucination. He heard and felt the pain of every soul trapped in Fromville after their deaths.

Among all those voices, Abby’s was there too—and Martin felt every moment of her pain, knowing what she did and why.

Because Martin was hearing all the souls trapped in Fromville, he could have learned about Abby after she died. MIY’s influence on Abby was confirmed by him doing the same thing with Henry. He did it while she was still alive.

So Martin and MIY could have different sources of knowledge about Abby.

Big difference is MIY feeds on bodies; he isn’t connected to souls. The Red Entity, on the other hand, seems to feed on the pain and suffering of the souls trapped in Fromville. It’s the Red Entity that made a bargain to claim the souls of the children.

Martin kept saying “they are coming.” I suspect “they” are not people, or beings who used to be people, but some kind of demons. His line about “the town being only the tip of the iceberg” suggests there are far worse entities tied to Fromville than the humans who made their bargains.

Martin was likely under the influence of the Red Entity, which appears to be responsible for gathering all the souls in Fromville.

The Red Entity is also linked to the crows—in the ritual drawings, the crows appear beside it. They’re probably its eyes, and through them it decides who gets trapped in Fromville, since everyone sees the crow and the tree. Remember when the crow stopped the tarot reading? That happened while Tillie and Fatima were inside the colony house. That would mean it can see or hear almost everything and pass any information it pleases to MIY or Martin.

If MIY and Martin are connected to the Red Entity, it may explain why they use the same method of manipulation —dream analogies: Martin with Boyd, and MIY with Abby and Henry.

3. MIY's physical form

It seems Martin was another soul trapped in Fromville and he wasn't immoral; just look at Marielle, Julie, and Randall, whose bodies were still in the town while their souls were imprisoned in the dungeon.

Martin himself described being in town as a regular human who arrived there like everyone else, which fits the pattern of a soul trapped after coming to Fromville.

He was probably imprisoned in the dungeon in a similar way, but no one saved him in time, and his soul remained there after his body died.

In comparison, MIY appears different: he has a physical form the very beginning, including during Victor’s cycle, and we have no evidence that he was ever disconnected from his body in the way Marielle, Julie, or Randall were. We also have reason to believe that he is a much older entity.

4. Why he passed worms on Boyd and manipulated him

Simply to escape the unbearable suffering.

5. MIY’s blood and Smiley

After we’ve seen MIY force half‑creature Fatima to drink his blood, it’s hard to believe that giving MIY’s blood to the creature would have any harmful effect on Smiley.

6. Voices in Sara’s mind and Boyd bringing MIY back

The voices in Sara’s mind were laughing that Boyd had “brought it back to the town.” We have strong reasons to suspect that one of those voices was MIY. He probably wasn’t lying—he was genuinely pleased about another cruel path opening, as he always is.

Sara had heard MIY’s voice many times before Boyd was infected with worms. We also know that MIY made a bargain with Clara in season 1, so he couldn’t have been trapped somewhere at that time.

So I don’t think MIY = Martin.

Who are your top picks? Comment with just one character. Please do not repeat characters—if someone has already chosen one, simply upvote it so we can decide on the winners (or perhaps the losers).

The last episode’s scene with Tabitha, the talisman, and the ghoulish children seems to confirm that in the original story Jade and Tabitha had to be sorcerers at the time of the ritual.

We can clearly see them in the ritual drawing in the cave as two people standing aside. Many of us initially thought this meant they withdrew their will and did not participate in the ritual.

But what if they were actually the ones conducting it?

The drawing appears to show the history of the place in chronological order:

1. People arriving on boats.

2. The ritual (with twelve people, but two standing aside, seven sacrifice tombstones).

3. Two people together with the red entity.

4. A graveyard of children with ten red‑marked figures – probably the creatures as they exist after the ritual.

It seems there is one child per pair of two creatures, and two children connected to the two people standing aside.

The two figures on the side in the second drawing (showing the ritual) might mean exactly that Jade and Tabitha performed the ritual – rather than they were stepping away. If we look at them in the next drawing with the red entity and examine it carefully, the red entity seems to reach toward them with a hand (or something hand‑like). After the last episode, we know how blood pacts are made. What if this is not them stepping aside, but instead making a bargain with the red entity?

I do not see where the Man in Yellow fits into this drawing.

What if he did not participate in the ritual at all? If he is not older, could he be the youngest son of Tabitha and Jade? Could he really be Thomas?

The creators of the show have mentioned a specific inspiration for the Man in Yellow. The Man in the Yellow Suit was visually inspired by a real man John Griffin saw twice in Los Angeles: first as a joyful figure in a pale yellow suit, and then years later as a homeless, broken version of the same man. At that first sighting, the man’s bright, almost glowing yellow clothing and carefree dancing gave him an angelic‑like appearance, radiating warmth and happiness in the middle of the city. Later, seeing the same man again with a dirty, worn suit and a devastated expression created a powerful contrast that Griffin carried into FROM, turning that “fallen angel” image into the eerie, otherworldly presence we know as the Man in Yellow.

Maybe Boy in White’s growth is intentional. Maybe the Boy in White and the Man in Yellow are the same person on different stages of his life – happy and calm at the beginning and then, once he grows up and learns the horrible truth, completely changed. That would explain the cycles where BIW appears young at the beginning, BIW growing and MIY in the end.

Maybe Fromville is designed to punish Tabitha and Jade for what they have done, precisely because they keep avoiding the afterlife through reincarnation.

It would explain why MIY kept Victor alive for so long and is now beginning to manipulate Henry into finally killing him—he was waiting for Tabitha to remember that she was Miranda and to accept Victor as her own.

MIY, Jade, and Tabitha knew each other very well. They seem to be connected.

In flashbacks, the original Jade was holding a skull filled with blood—we can suspect he is connected to blood magic.

Tabitha’s dolls were transformed into monsters, so she is probably able to use magic as well.

This is the key connection: they all were or are sorcerers.

The original Jade and Tabitha saved their original son. They failed to save their daughter—she was sacrificed.

BIW may be their original son. His soul is trapped, but he is protected. MIY cannot touch him, just as he cannot touch Victor or Ethan. Jade and Tabitha successfully protected him. Sadly, that does not apply to Eloise and Julie.

There is another theory about BIW — he may actually be Thomas. It fits perfectly: because he is trapped, Thomas cannot be reborn through the reincarnation cycle and keeps dying as an infant. In this scenario, Tabitha keeps coming back for her child (Thanks for the comment, nobody9170 :) because after the ritual, MIY trapped Thomas in Fromville as a punishment for Tabitha. In this case reason the creatures will not touch Victor is also a punishment — her rescued son has to live a life full of pain and horror.

I think what Jade and Tabitha remember about their original lives is part of the truth. According to the last conversation between MIY and Tabitha, there was something more.

I think Fatima’s case is a huge clue about what was missed in the real story, but let me start with something else.

The color yellow is obviously important—MIY does not appear in different clothes. We know he is at least 500 years old, so modern symbolism of yellow alone may not be accurate.

Historically, it symbolized different things.In Ancient Egypt, yellow was associated with gold, which was considered imperishable, eternal, and indestructible.

During the post-classical period, yellow became associated with Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus Christ.

Now Yellow is considered a color of ambivalence and contradiction. It is associated with optimism and amusement, but also with betrayal, duplicity, and jealousy.

I think we can assume that betrayal will be a major part of the original story.

What I suspect happened:

MIY, Tabitha, and Jade were, in fact, planning the sacrifice of children.

As you can see, Jade’s logic is not morally pure. His main goal is to find a solution that saves most people, but not necessarily all of them if, in his view, that is impossible.

Tabitha’s priorities are shown in the last scenes with Ethan and Victor in the truck —all she truly cares about is Ethan. She eventually accepts Victor, but not without resistance.

My guess is that Jade and MIY made some kind of deal involving the sacrifice of children. I believe Jade was convinced it was for the greater good—no illness, no hunger, no suffering—for people who eventually turned into creatures.

The ritual was not complete because of Tabitha. She never allowed her son to be sacrificed.

What is important about Fatima’s pregnancy?

We know for a fact that she was genuinely pregnant with her own child before she became pregnant with Smiley. It was confirmed by the creators of the show.

But she never agreed to sacrifice her child. So such consent is not necessary for the creation of the creatures.

So why did MIY need the parents’ agreement? Why not simply take the children? And why did Jade or Tabitha not turn into creatures despite their daughter’s sacrifice?

I think the answer is simple: giving up the children served another purpose.

What was MIY’s main goal in creating the creatures? It is fairly obvious—they hunt people for him. So what did he need during the ritual to create such an army? To fully control every soul trapped in the creatures? Their will.

There are clever theories and remarks here about the spider or red monster, especially the idea that the symbol represents spider legs rather than tree roots, and the cave drawings showing the ritual.

So the idea that the children poured their hope into something and created the faraway trees is, again, partly true.

They created the faraway trees—this part is true. But by doing so, they also trapped this entity inside its tomb and sealed Fromville so that MIY and the others could not harm more people.

I belive MIY may have already told us everything: removing the tree would free the children and open Fromville, but it would also unleash the spider.

So the main questions are: will they understand this? Will they do it? Or will they refuse?

My guess is that there will be one final sacrifice. Victor may offer to sacrifice himself.The question is what will happen then. Will MIY, the spider, and the creatures truly be gone?

Regarding Fatima: I think she will eventually turn into a creature or something similar, but MIY will not be able to control her because she never gave up her will.

Remember the opening scene where Fatima and Ellis are standing naked in the garden? I believe this is something Fatima painted. It is an obvious parallel to the biblical story of Adam and Eve.

Fatima’s pain was that she was not able to have children. My guess is that she and Ellis will remain in Fromville and take care of the ghoulish children. In this way, the children will finally be saved.

Another thing: originally, both parents of one sacrificed child turned into creatures, which may mean Ellis, Boyd’s son, is going to turn as well.

Previous episodes showed that creatures are different from monsters created from objects (Roger, dolls). Dolls seem to be brute force, but kind of directionless. Creatures are more sophisticated, albe to plan, talk and different kind of magic is working on them (talismas which seem to work based of will).

Creators stated creatures are not immortal, they are eternal. They also confirmed Fatima was pregnant before Smiley died (she was already 2 months late)

That leads to conclusion: Fatima's baby was sacrificed in order to get Smiley back and Kimono-lady brought him back, and taken the child.

We already can suspect story of Tabatha and sacrifice is incomplete.

Fatima didn't agree to sacrifice her child. So it seems like agreeing is not necessary to create a creature.

But because of that sacrifice Fatima can't just turn into creatrue.

In scenes with Kenny look on Smiley closely. He looks more human than before. He is not pale, his face looks fresh, even kind sometimes.

Fatima stated that her connection with Smiley works both ways. She feels him and he feels her.

What we see happening with them both is something else.

Fatima is not going to turn into creatrue and Smiley won't be human. Together they will be something else. Let's hope they both will have free will.

MIY seems not to notice what happened with Smiley and Fatima. He is too excited playing his games with people.