NOTE: this post contains spoilers for From season 2 episode 2, "The Kindness of Strangers."
Boyd (Harold Perrineau) has just emerged from the pit to find he's alone in a big chamber with another person, only this person is an old man chained to the wall. (OK, so how did the rope get to Boyd if this man is chained to the wall?) The man, Martin (Robert Verlaque), asks Boyd if he's from the town. Martin thought the town was the worst thing about the place until he became trapped where he is now. Boyd spots a Marine tattoo on Martin's arm and promises not to leave him behind, but to Martin would prefer for Boyd to just kill him.
At the diner, chaos reigns. The newcomers are terrified of the town's residents who have locked them inside, even though the residents are doing it for their own good. Nightfall has set in, which means the monsters are coming out soon. Donna (Elizabeth Saunders) gets their attention by cocking her shotgun. Bakta (Angela Moore), the driver, tells her she hasn't done anything yet and could just let them go but Donna tells her the enemy is outside. She mentions the tree in the road, which catches the bus passengers' attention.
Out in the forest, Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno) and Victor (Scott McCord) search for a place to spend the night. They come upon an old truck. Inside is a fully stocked shelter; this is one of Victor's safe places, stockpiling supplies and keeping them there for emergencies. The monsters are outside, but they're safe from them for now.
Kristi (Chloe Van Landschoot) confronts her fiance, Mary (Kaelen Ohm), who can't believe Kristi has been gone for six months without calling. She tells her that her parents went to the police. Kristi knows that she has to approach the situation carefully, begging Mary to listen to her so she can explain where they are.
Tom (Reid Price) and Jim (Eion Bailey) are under the rubble with the guy from the bus. The man, Brick (Seamus Patterson), wakes up in a panic, crying out for help. They tell him to be quiet or else he'll draw the monsters to them. They manage to quiet him down. For now, at least.
Boyd tires to get Martin out of his chains. He shows Martin the talisman. Martin is surprised Boyd thinks the monsters are the ones who chained him there. Music starts playing from a tiny music box that suddenly appears, and Martin says Boyd has to leave before the music ends because "they" are coming.
Julie (Hannah Cheramy) keeps looking out the window at the collapsed house. Kenny (Ricky He) tries to calm her, saying her father will be fine. He's not the first one to stay outside on their first night. Kenny tries to distract her by asking her questions. The poor guy is stuck dealing with a frightened girl and losing his girlfriend at the same time.
The old woman from the bus makes a comment to Donna about surprises, and that's when Donna notices some of the men from the bus talking to each other, making plans.
Fatima (Pegah Ghafoori) and Ellis (Corteon Moore) warn the people who ran away from the bus about the danger of being outside all alone. They look outside and see monsters approaching a small group of people who were hiding behind a van. Ellis tries to console Fatima as they scream in terror. Fatima goes to the door and finds the monsters there, telling her she'll feel better if she comes outside. She breaks down as she hears more screaming.
Under the rubble, Brick starts to panic again. Tom tries to keep him quiet, but Brick starts coughing up blood, which sends him into a panic all over again.
Also hearing the screams, the man from the bus grabs a gun and tries to leave. Donna tells him if he opens the door, he'll put them all at risk. She explains that they didn't put the tree in the road and this is a risky situation. The man is unhinged, thinking he has the advantage, but Donna says she'll shoot Kenny before she lets him leave. They distract the man and manage to take him out.
As Boyd tries to cut the chains, Martin asks if Boyd ever wonders if Abby, Boyd's wife, might have been right about the place. Martin sags in Boyd's arms and Boyd sees creatures moving under his skin. The music stops, distracting Boyd. Martin rouses and says they're out of time. He cuts Boyd's arm and says his blood is Boyd's blood now. Martin dies. Boyd finds a way outside. He's sick from whatever is in his blood. When the mysterious dog shows up, barking, he decides he has to follow it.
Kenny tries to keep things together, making tea. Kristi asks if he's OK; she missed what happened to him. He asks about her, but she's having trouble talking about it. He encourages her to get back out to Mary because it will be a long night and Mary needs her.
In a cabin, two of the bus passengers look out the window. They can hear the screams, but the man insists this is an adventure. When there's a knock at the door, two people say they were on the bus too. They’re begging for help, so he opens the door. Big mistake.
One of the main monster, we'll call him Mr. Dapper because of his wardrobe, steps onto the bus that's still outside the diner. He's smiling in that creepy way of his. He sits in the driver's seat and pretends to drive the bus when he hears a noise. Smiling anew, he moves to the back of the bus and finds a couple hiding there. They're relieved to see him, thinking him to be a good guy. "You picked a bad spot," he tells them, revealing his true face to them as they scream.
Boyd chases the dog, but then he's forced to stop when he sees monsters emerging through the dense trees. His vision starts to blur as they approach, but they pay him no mind.
Tabitha asks about the boy who guided them to the tree. Victor says the boy is his friend. He's been gone but now he's back. She asks him about how long he's been there, but Victor doesn't like talking about it. He's looking for snacks. He has old chocolate chip cookies, which he offers to her. He says some of the stuff in the truck came from his mother, who was with him when he arrived there. There's a noise outside and it's Boyd, who has a talisman. Someone starts calling for help, with monsters right on his heels. It's Elgin, who runs for the truck and makes it in before the monsters get him. Boyd wants to know who Elgin is. None of them know about the bus that arrived in town.
Brick is in a lot of pain and Tom offers him comfort. Jim tries to distract him with talk of pancakes. He laughs, which causes him to seize up in pain. He starts choking on his own blood and suddenly dies as Tom looks on in horror. Tom turns around when a monster leaps down and attacks him. Jim has to stay silent to survive. Julie hears Tom's screams and wants to go outside but Donna stops her, but offers her as much comfort as she can.
Victor doesn't trust Elgin. He's drawing pictures while Tabitha dozes and Boyd cleans his wound. Victor asks about Boyd's journey, and Boyd asks what Victor is drawing. He's trying to keep track of things he's seen so he doesn't forget because "the pictures remember." In a place with no film, pictures are the next best thing. The sun's coming up.
The radio in the diner starts playing as the sun comes up. Everyone is exhausted. As soon as Julie wakes up she runs outside to the rubble and calls for her father. They find Tom's mangled body outside. She calls for Jim, and we see that he's still alive but still buried. He calls out, and the whole town all the bus passengers work to get Jim out.
Bakta goes on the bus and discovers a trail of blood leading to the back of the bus, where the passengers were killed. After a long night trying to fight Donna and the town residents, it looks like the bus passengers might finally believe what they've been trying to tell them the whole time.
Boyd, Tabitha, Elgin and Victor leave the truck and head back into town. He casually mentions the house that collapsed, sending Tabitha running toward town. Boyd sees the creatures under his skin, and it looks like Victor saw them, too. Together, they follow Tabitha back to town.
From season 2 airs Sundays on MGM Plus.
