Updated from theory

I had images to use but they would paste correctly.

Watching the show “from” on MGM is like putting together a puzzle. So many theories have manifested.

   This is my theory, it focuses on the visions Jade has received. And is very narrative driven.

    Jade has misinterpreted these visages as hallucinations.

    I believe the hallucinations (visions) he has received are actually the little boy in white (LBW) sending a message.

    

    Jade has been back-written as the puzzle solver genius. Then he was granted obscure visages, puzzle pieces in the form of visions.

   

    These visions are also a clever little nod to the viewer. A wink that says “play along to this subtle game of charades.” Which breaks the 4TH wall…

   Just a teeny bit though.

    So let’s evaluate these visions critically.

  

       First Jade’s in the root cellar. A man crushed by a boulder appears to him. This man is seemingly dead though turns to Jade and screams in horror. This is conveying to the viewer. The right to die can be revoked here.

      A union civil war soldier attacks Jade. The civil war was fought between two sides. And don’t forget plenty of stories from the real world civil war era express how many times brothers fought on opposite sides of the conflict. Which I will address later.

   

   But.

  

  Much like the game of chess, which is Kenny and his father’s one bonding ritual. In the American civil war battalions and armies were moved around the field of battle by generals.

  

    The game of chess represents the duality of this place. While the civil war soldier has a duel meaning. It also implies to the audience the concept of enslavement. (You can become a slave here.)

     The LBW told Victor, “You need to learn this for yourself or you’ll never believe it.” Christopher was told the truth and the town was massacred. Because Christopher misunderstood. Christopher thought quarantining the town by killing everyone would stop the evil entity from escaping.

    What he didn’t understand was what the LBW couldn’t do. He couldn’t reveal that this is a game.

    So, we know Tabatha seems to always have 2 children a boy and a girl. Ethen and Julie Victor and Eloise. And a little girl who was sacrificed and a little boy.

     The evil entity has some vows required to successfully complete its ritual.

    Or that’s what I suspect.

    This ritual could possibly grant his puppets/thralls immortality if completed. But the evil entity “it” will also escape its prison.

    My theory is that certain conditions need to be met. One is the ceremony requires the sacrificed children to be willing participants.

     The original incarnations of Jade and Tabatha took a modicum of compassion towards their sacrificial lambs. That we’re (born in the dark and lived in the dark). Which I interpret as meaning born to serve one purpose; that of dying for this ritual.

    Two of the care takers Jade and Tabatha took pity on the children and sang them lullaby’s.

   That compassion resulted the LBW having hope.

     He used that hope as inspiration. He proposed a game of his choosing. By leveraging his own willing sacrifice as a bartering chip. (Gaming reference anyone.) Wagering with the entity the opportunity of completing its escape ritual.

    So what I think, is the LBW picks the players and it’s a game played in the evil entity’s prison.

    The night creatures who torment the victims. Have been all but confirmed by Fatima in the season 3 finale, as the original residents who sacrificed their children to the entity.

    Look at the scene of Boyd and Kenny burning smileys body. The body is wrapped up and bound with a rope.   

   A telephone pole is in the background lined up almost perfectly like a stake. Possibly hinting at the children being burnt at the stake. Kenny even uses a makeshift torch to light the pyre.

     

    The imagery of a burning skeleton drawing in crayon during the opening credits reinforces this concept of the sacrifices being fire sacrifices.

     Hinting at duality (darkness in life, the burning light of fire in death) or something to that approximation.

    

So by burning willing innocent children who were born in the dark and lived in such suffering they were willing to die.

    That would’ve released “it”from its cage.

   But the LBW’s hope prevented its release. This was only a stop gap measure though.

    

    The LBW failed to specify a win condition for humanity in his game because he wanted revenge against “it” for corrupting the resident’s souls.

    My conclusion is this. It’s a contest/conflict played in rounds. A game where humanities only win condition is destroying this ancient eldritch entity.

  

     The light house has several broken lenses. These lenses represent the score. It feels like the evil entity has won 3 rounds. It feels like every time humanity loses a round, a lens breaks in the white tower (light house) and a root grows.

    

   The roots are just as important. They are the roots of a world tree. Which represents a bridge between realities.

   If humanity loses, a Yggdrasil or world tree will branch realities. Allowing “it” out of its prison. Unleashing Armageddon. Which is suggested by the Book of revelations clues and religious undertones.

     

    Jades first vision combined with Martins alleged “plea for death” and Randall saying, “I’m scared Boyd. I just want out. I don’t think death is the worst thing that can happen to you here.”

     Brings me to my point.

   You can be so fully enslaved cue the civil war soldier; your right to die is revoked cue the man crushed in the root cellar.

    So if “it” escapes “it” will undoubtably enslave humanity. Doing so, so fully, that you won’t even be able to escape “it” by dying.

  Which brings me to Martin.

  He could be Tabatha’s first husband which it’s possible is Jades original incarnations brother. The civil war was fought between brothers after all. So what if Tabatha’s original husband was Jade’s original incarnations brother.

    Hmm interesting… what if he was the one, who was insistent on committing the ritual of sacrificing the children.

   Or.

    Martin is the big bad disguised as a helpless victim to lull Boyd into a false sense of security. So Boyd would let his guard down and Martin could infect him with more than just the worms. Resulting in Boyd being compromised.

    So if Boyd were to get out, the evil entity wouldn’t need to bother with the game anymore.

    

   Boyd infected as he is, would release “it,” if he escapes.

    

    I’m assuming this fact is suggested by Christopher’s misunderstanding of the true essence of this prison. He mistakenly caused a massacre. Because he thought he was quarantining the town.

    The LBW smiling and playing amongst the ruin of Christopher’s massacre was because he was happy Victor saved humanity.

  

   Victor’s name is a clue hiding in plain sight.

    He was victorious in forcing a stalemate long enough to get another try. A second chance to play the last round. Jade and Tabatha, which are his parents reincarnated souls have returned. So has Julie which is his soul’s sister, and Ethan his soul’s brother.

  Maybe Jim was hung upside down in Tabatha’s vision in season 1 while climbing the light house steps. In order to convey to her. That her first incarnations husband is responsible for this mess.

    Which brings me to addressing the cast having one sole motivating factor for the first three season. (Escaping), which would be equivalent to forfeiting this round of the game. Which if this is the last round that would make the evil entity the winner.

    The LBW changed the bottle tree’s destination on Dale cause he couldn’t afforded to let the towns people forfeit. He made it a public spectacle to frighten the rest of survivors into forgetting about the possibility of using the tree to escape to the light house.

    Forcing them into a must win scenario.

    They can’t get wiped out (killed). Boyd can’t be the sole survivor (he’s not part of humanities team anymore). Boyd infected as he is. Is no longer in danger of having the night creatures kill him. The barn incident and the ambulance incident suggest the creatures want to manipulate him into leaving.

     So, the evil entity won’t have to bother with this game anymore.

    The cast can’t flee either because abandoning the field of play. ie. “It’s” prison that would be forfeiting.

     They must confront the evil entity.

     Another clue I would like to discuss is Boyd saying that the monsters used to scream all night long before the talismans were found. I think this hints at their enslavement, before the talismans existed these night creature’s former personalities would peek out past the thrall of their puppet master.

    To warn players they are coming.

    Which suggests they regret their choice of participating in the ritual and now want humanity to win. Most likely they’ll be granted the eternal rest of the grave, only once the evil entity is destroyed.

    

    Jade being shown the puppet in several visions suggest they are its puppets. I should remind people it’s just my suspicion at this point that, the original personality is locked inside the enslaved/enthralled resident and once in awhile peek through.

   But…

    The colony house incident, on Fatima’s birthday suggest if the evil entity or puppet master wants to, it can loosen the leash it has on its thralls. Which theoretically allows their original personality to take the wheel.

    Case in point, I think the female night creature’s natural personality charmed the idiot who caused the tragedy to unfold that night.

   I also noticed that when Henry was telling Tabatha, Miranda’s story in the basement of his house a gilded bird cage was present in the scenes foreground. Particularly while Henry was describing the town that Miranda chronicled. About a town were people couldn’t escape.

   Another good point to discuss is the LBW cast Tabatha from the light house. What else can you “cast” a fishing line. Jade was using a fishing line or maybe a spool of twine simultaneously to enter the caves beneath the town.

    So the LBW cast Tabatha from the light house like a fishing line to catch Henry and reel him into town. It’s my theory that the LBW instructed Victor to give Tabatha the lunch box precisely because it had Victors home address in it.

    On rewatch, right after Boyd lets Frank condemn himself to the box. Father K approaches Boyd while Boyd is fixing the box. Father K wants to talk but Boyd doesn’t want to listen. So Father K says, “okay then you’re getting a sermon.” Then he encourages Boyd to be the strong leader this place needs and lead these people home.

    In retrospect I believe this is the shows writers suggesting that sometimes religion can lead people down the wrong path. Father K has good intentions but is missing vital information. It’s a critique on modern spirituality.

  

    And last but certainly not least. Who or what is the Man in yellow, the kimono lady, and the ballerina?

    

   Well now here is a good question.

  I believe these are the evolved versions of former players from humanities team. Particularly the ones who betrayed their team and were promoted for doing so.

    Hypothetically, if Sara had killed Ethen. She would have betrayed the town/humanity.

     Maybe she would been offered a pact to join the “winning side” before it’s too late and humanity loses.

   

    First they were tempted with the golden promise (everyone going home) then they’re encouraged to betray their kind. Then when the betrayal is successful they are traded to the other team and promoted to upper tier status on the evil entities side.

   If humanity has lost three rounds, maybe each round lost was lost because of a betrayal. Is it possible more lieutenants/enforcers will be revealed at the end of season 4 or beginning of season 5.

    If these ankooey children were sacrificed by their parents. Which in my opinion is the greatest betrayal that could possibly exists. And it was done in the cruelest way imaginable. Burning at the stake.

    Than betrayal is a theme for this entity.

    So I think the ashen grey of the ankooey kids hints at what their fate was. Now their ethereal forms… their very souls, are trapped in the motel.

    I think that the 2 bottle trees are a clue pointing to there being two “light houses” or the dark reflection of the light house. The star magic motel perhaps.

   And they found the LBW’s light house. I think the game of chess being so heavily focused on. Is suggesting the duality of this prison. I’m going to assume “it’s” prison was split in half when the game was initiated.

   

    Let’s address Tabatha’s escape through this perspective. This reframes the events in an entirely new light.

   

    It wasn’t an escape.

    

    The LBW told her. “This is the only way.”

    He cast her out like a fishing line to reel-in Henry. All so Victor could grow up. He needs Victor to overcome the childhood trauma trapping him psychologically. Because the LBW is counting on Victor to be the one “the Victorious”.

   His namesakes meaning, could be equivocated to hero. And this is a hero’s journey story, is it not?

   I would remind you the story’s references to Ethen’s children’s books, suggest that is exactly what this story is.

    Victor and LBW have the same mother after all, just in different incarnations of her form.

   Tabatha’s previous versions. Miranda and her original incarnation, let’s call her the “sacrificial mother. For now.

  

   So Victor has failed to grow up because he has been trapped in the trauma of the night his mother died.

  Tabatha and Jade’s souls are the ones fated to end up in this prison as a punishment for these circumstances. They didn’t join the other parents cause they betrayed the entity by showing the children compassion.

    I believe the big bad could be a family member of the LBW, and Tabatha’s original incarnation. It’s just a feeling though.

    

    But.

     That would give the civil war reference of Jades vision double meaning. Family feud and enslavement. A family feud could be compared to a civil war after all.

  So let’s go back to how this ends.

    On the opposite side of the game board, “from” the white tower. They need to look for the evil entity’s (dark tower) the star magic motel.

      Because that’s how chess is played. With dueling or opposing sides.

   They need to locate the evil entities quote home base the star magic motel and manually break something within it to win. Or rescue the children from it. Though this would not bring them back to life.

   My guess is Victor will be the one to do it. Which would give his name another hidden in plain site hint.

   Doing that would end the game.

      Some points of interest. The phantom Father k and the phantom Tom. I believe it’s the LBW steering Boyd and Jade in the proper direction. Look what Tom says to Jade about seeing things differently.

   Phantom Father K advises Boyd against torturing Elgin.

    So now Boyd has killed his own wife here. He has shot and killed a resident here. That was during the cicada arc in case you forgot.

    He has hidden the fact Fatima killed Tilly. Protected Sara from going in the box. Pulled a rod out of Kellies head. She died.

     He lead Kenny’s mom to her death accidentally and was forced to witness it. And abandoned Randall at the ambulance.

   Let’s look at the scene during season 2 in the clinic basement between the phantom father K and Boyd.

     The conversation starts with Father K saying to Boyd. “Some stains you can’t wash clean.” I think he is foreshadowing the fact that Boyd can’t get rid of the blood curse Martin passed along to him.

     The conversation quickly pivots to Father k telling Boyd. “I’m proud of you, the Boyd I knew never would have asked for help. You’re changing.” I think maybe we can ignore the “I’m proud of you” portion of this dialogue for a second and focus on the “you’re changing” part.

    Father K continues by saying. “You gave it your best shot. Not all stories get a happy ending Boyd.”

    It’s the LBW telling Boyd, the possibility of your happy ending died when Martin infected you. He is giving Boyd a post game pep talk, because Boyd’s no longer technically part of LBW’s team / humanities team.

   But the “I’m proud of you Boyd.” That part is in reference to the effort Boyd made and the improvements to humanities position in the game which has taken place due to Boyd’s efforts.

     Directly after that scene in the clinic basement is the scene in which Boyd kills smiley.

     We can see that when Boyd slashes smiley’s throat not a drop of blood comes out.

     But the infection is a blood born infection.

    I think the fact that the thralls have been dried out like husks is precisely why a blood born curse would kill them.

     Instead of hijacking the circular system where the larva typically take up residency to feed. The larva took up host in what ever force it is which pilots them.

     Which doesn’t make a ton of sense but works in a fictional scenario.

    I think Boyd is being herded towards   the exit. But maybe Randall is being manipulated to betray team humanity.

   It also feels to me like the trailer for season 4’s tag line “Knowledge comes with a cost.” Is a direct nod to the viewers. It’s saying after you learn all of this for yourself. You won’t be able to daydream your head cannon any longer.

  

   But isn’t it far better to have an actual plot to speculate on? Especially when it is a plot hidden in plain sight since season 1.

    Oh boy I think it is.

   In my opinion the story I just explained has so many “what if” scenarios. It becomes infinitely better.

  

    For instance, what if Jade betray’s humanity like Christopher did. Doing so, al because the man in yellow or kimono lady tempts him with the knowledge of this mystery.

    The knowledge the little boy in white will no longer share.

    Jade was originally meant to discover the truth through abstract thought, to grow into who he needs to be to win in this place.

  

   I have a theory that Julie is the one who knocked on the dinner door while Randall was holding Kenny hostage at gun point the night of the bus arrival. Just like she threw Boyd the rope.

    I wonder what other shenanigans Julie has caused to happen.

    One of my biggest questions is about the scene on colony house porch. The night the Mathew’s family arrival.

    The creature who addresses Julie says. “Julie don’t you remember me?”

    I want to know what event did Julie story walk into, that took place before episode one? Because chronologically that’s the implication of that scene through this lease. It’ll be a thrilling reveal when that puzzle is solved.

  

   As a story walker a future version of Julie must have interfered with events that predate the first episode. That much is now glaringly obvious.

  

   Is it possible Julie will story walk back to to the night of Miranda’s death and save Eloise? Which means maybe an adult Victor and an aged Henry will one day reunited with a child Eloise.

   Are the talismans a game mechanic equating to territory markers. In the theme of (Chess/go). A game mechanic designed to give the cast a fighting chance of travel across the prison/game board. To the oppositions (goal post)?

  Let’s discuss the music box and nursery rhyme. They touch, they break, they steal, no one here is free.

   They touch is in reference to being infected with the cicada’s. Martin had to be within touching distance to infect Boyd.

   They break is in reference to this place trying to break characters like Boyd, Sara or Randall in preparation for stealing those characters from humanities team.

    “Nothing here is free” seems to have a duel meaning. “knowledge comes with a cost.” Is the tag line for season 4. Meaning knowledge isn’t free. It’s also what the man in yellow said to Jim.

    But it’s a bigger hint to the nature of this place being a prison.

    My theory is… it’s one which is host to a conflict. And so it’s been split into two sides. And the prisoners are the soldiers in that conflict.

  Could this scene be hinting at the possibility of transformation? Reggie is reciting the music box nursery rhyme and there are butterflies prominently on display right behind him. Everyone knows caterpillars are larva-like (worms) which transform after performing a chrysalis (ritual) to become butterflies.

   Back to making more points about this being a game/conflict. I would like to reference Nathan’s theory. He told Sara if they push too hard for answers or tried to leave; this place would get angry.

    Sara also blamed Nathan for the theory that this place steals your fears and incorporates them into the forest.

   It’s just as likely that the voices who speak to Sara are the ones telling her these things and she is using Nathan as a plausible scapegoat but I digress.

   Nevertheless, don’t forget, in a heads up game, or any one on one contest for that matter. Take chess for instance...

    When you make a move, the opponent responds.

   The light house representing white pieces (home base ) in a chess type game and the star magic motel would represent the black pieces (home base). Which emphasizes another duality.

    The light house a beacon for safe harbor or pure souls.

  While the star magic motel would be the representation of all the dark seedy things in Americana.

    It’s the perfect reflection of a light house.

   Now that I think about it. I think the horn Boyd and Sara heard was a signal horn for the start of this round of the game. Or half-time. Maybe simply a signal that the stalemate Victor created had ended.

   The bottle tree and the music notes. when Boyd and Sara found the first bottle tree the bottles were clinking together almost like musical notes. Foreshadowing Jade needing to play the song within them to unlock his and Tabatha’s memories.

    That act is signifying that Jade needs to “play” the right moves in this game to successfully decipher the true nature of this place.

   In season 2 episode 10 Boyd and Dona are in the church. Boyd tells Dona, “Sara says, Julie, Randall, and Mariel are dying and once they do, you can’t put the genie back in the bottle.” This is a direct line of dialogue referencing the truth. Once the entity gets out of its prison, there’s no putting it back in.

   Then Boyd tells Dona, “There’s gotta be rules Dona, there’s got to be something I can hold in my hands.” It’s a foreshadowing of them learning there are rules to this game tangible rules.

    Then in a very pointed bit of dialogue, Dona tells Boyd. “the end of the world will still be here when the ceremony is done.” In reference to Elis and Fatima getting married.

   So if you have read all of this and still need convincing I simply don’t know what to tell y’all. 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️😂

   

  Oh and Tabatha’s hospital room is number 2225 the 2’s each represent a root. And the 5 represents the number of the current round. BOOM.

   Oops I forgot to address the pilgrim drinking blood from the skull. This is saying to the viewer Jade and Tabatha are drinking the kool-aid because they believe the ankooey children need to be saved from a tower. They can’t be saved, they can be released. Because once you’re dead you’re dead. Julie says that in episode 1.

    Boyd also says, once the cicada victims Julie, Randall, Mariel die. They’re gone you can’t put the genie back in the bottle.

    So no there’s no saving the ankooey kids. The target for victory is the star magic motel.

   Every time I think I’m done and just want to rewatch I end up having to add more corroborating evidence. Sheesh.

   I just watched the opening credits sequence again and wanted to point out the image of the keyhole with an eye looking out from it. If that’s not a symbolic image of an entity being locked away in a prison I don’t know what it is.

   And then the mural in Elis and Fatima’s room which depicts a male and female in a garden of Eden type environment, it also has a creepy hand reaching for the couple. Implying something here desires/covets them.

    I believe the couple represents Tabatha and Jades original incarnations. Which could be hinted at, by where the mural is placed. Julie is Tabatha’s daughter and the mural was positioned directly above Julie’s bed.

   It also feels like the electrical wires not leading anywhere is because the entity can look into the minds of its slaves and see how the world outside its prison looks from its thralls memories. But doesn’t know the intricacies which make the devices function because none of its slaves know how electricity functions.

  

   The opening credits predominately feature the image of a white picket fence and the shadow the spindle’s cast on the lawn. Suggesting the idea of prison bars perhaps.

    Next I want to talk about this image in the opening credits. It’s in Elis and Fatima’s room in the opening credits. And even though it’s technically a fruit bowl. It certainly looks like a wizard with a hood, and long white beard holding a wand up like he is casting a spell. Hinting at this entity being conjured from below. Because right below the “wizard” is a black shapeless figure with a face. Which is the evil entity.

This next image is a crayon drawing of the final boogie-man shown in the opening credits. My belief is this evil entity is ethereal, and can choose an avatar form as needed. Hence it disguised itself as Martin in the dungeon, to lull Boyd into a false sense of security.