‘It’s very cool, but it seems impossible’: ‘From’ season 4 star on the show’s latest big twist

Catalina Sandino Moreno as Tabitha Matthews, Elizabeth Saunders as Donna Raines, and Ricky He as Kenny Liu in "From" season 4 on MGM+ — (Image credit: Chris Reardon / MGM+)

With episode 7 arriving today, “From” season 4 has officially entered its back half. The latest chapter is another reminder of just how quickly this season is moving, with the story continuing to build momentum toward its endgame. Across the first six episodes, the hit horror series has delivered plenty of terrifying moments while steadily peeling back the layers of the town’s mysteries and raising even more unsettling questions along the way.

In this season, the residents continue their fight for survival while facing new horrors, including the reveal that the Man in Yellow transformed into Sophia to infiltrate the community from within. Meanwhile, Donna Raines remains the no-nonsense leader of Colony House, fiercely protective of the townspeople and determined to keep them safe.

Elizabeth Saunders plays Donna, the emotional backbone of “From.” In episode 6, Donna suffers a heart attack and collapses at Colony House after learning that the fears of those who die in the town can literally manifest in the forest, adding yet another terrifying complication for the residents. Her collapse leaves the community fearing they may lose one of their most important leaders. Though she is ultimately revived, the near-death experience serves as a stark reminder of the immense pressure she has been carrying throughout the season.

‘It’s not just monsters coming at you’

Elizabeth Saunders as Donna Raines in "From" season 4 on MGM+ — (Image credit: Chris Reardon / MGM+)

During the interview, I asked Saunders about the season’s major twist revealing that the residents’ fears may literally manifest within the forest, suggesting that those who die there could leave behind fragments of their nightmares. With Donna understandably shaken by this new development and the town forced to deal with yet another terrifying layer of danger, I asked what her immediate reaction was to that revelation and how she felt about where the story is heading.

How do you even control something like that? It’s not just your own fears or monsters coming at you — it’s other people’s fears as well.
Elizabeth Saunders

“My response to that twist, as opposed to Donna’s, was that it’s really cool that it’s happening, but it also seems impossible. How do you even control something like that? It’s not just your own fears or monsters coming at you — it’s other people’s fears as well. And the question becomes, how could that possibly be controlled?”

I told Saunders that you just have to hope no one has a really insane fear, and she quickly pointed out that “people do have really insane fears.”

“From” is known to have relentless, nightmarish horror. One standout example is the attack sequence in season 4 episode 5, where life-sized dolls come alive and launch a violent attack on the cabin Donna and her fellow survivors are held up in for the night. Roger tries to react, but one of the dolls violently grabs him and rips his lower jaw completely off, killing him. It’s a disturbing sequence to say the least, but only further proves that people’s fears really do come back.

I also asked Saunders what it was like filming the episode 5 attack scene involving the life-size dolls, which stands out as one of the most unsettling moments of the season:

“We had to film that over a few days because the dolls were a bit tricky to work with — not the ones with people inside them, but the floating ones,” she said. “It was a lot of fun, I always enjoy those scenes, but it was also a bit freaky filming in the middle of the night and trying to figure out all the logistics.”

She added that they had already left set by the time Roger was attacked, but said the sequence — including the wall breakthrough — was “pretty cool.”

“From” season 4 is streaming on MGM+. New episodes arrive weekly on Sundays through to the series finale on June 28.

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Alix is a Senior Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, which basically means watching the best movies and TV shows and then writing about them. It’s a dream job for someone who’s been obsessed with storytelling since she first figured out how to work a remote.

Before joining Tom’s Guide, Alix honed her skills as a staff writer with outlets like Screen Rant and Bough Digital, where she discovered her love for the entertainment industry.

She heads to the cinema every week as a tradition, no matter what’s showing. For her, movies aren’t just entertainment — they’re a ritual, a comfort, and a constant source of inspiration. When she’s not at her desk or at the cinema, you’ll probably find her deep into a horror video game on her PC.