In FROM Season 4, Episode 7, titled Best Laid Plans, the title is ironically fitting for a plan that goes disastrously wrong for the people of Fromville. Sheriff Boyd’s desperate attempt to outsmart the creatures leads him to try Tabitha’s doll-killing totem weapon. After laying the groundwork for a safe escape, Kenny steps up to take his place.

Unfortunately, things do not go according to plan. Boyd’s theory that the totems can be used to kill the creatures of the night fails spectacularly. Kenny becomes trapped on a bus, and fortunately, Fatima’s connection to Smiley prevents him from being murdered. Why didn’t Boyd’s theory work?

Boyd’s Theory and Execution Explained

Sheriff Boyd’s plan has been building for several episodes, starting with Jade’s mushroom trip. After the previous episode revealed that Jade’s hallucinations were actually real, the plan begins to take shape in Boyd’s mind. The first step is to test whether Tabitha’s totem weapons can kill the creatures the same way they previously killed the dolls.

Boyd is already confident that he can affect the creatures. In Season 2, he killed Smiley using the worms he got from Martin. Working only with the new rules as they emerge, Boyd pieces together that the sinister forces in FROM are pushing back harder because the townspeople are getting closer to the truth.

The idea of truth is a major theme in Episode 7, with many character arcs revolving around personal beliefs and questions of what to trust. Boyd is at his most optimistic and convinces the town that a mission into the tunnel to recover the children’s bones is the key to escaping. However, not everyone believes him.

As the town’s sheriff, he does everything he can to test the creature-killing theory so they can travel underground safely. However, what he does not anticipate is Sophia/the Man in Yellow.

FROM S4E7: The Man in Yellow Pulls the Strings

The Man in Yellow is both a significant part of Season 4 of FROM and, in some ways, not. Blending into the background while sowing chaos through mind games and manipulation, Sophia has received relatively little screen time so far. Her actions, however, are the central force that determines the fate of the characters in Fromville.

Episode 7 makes it clear that the Man in Yellow is the one pulling the strings. Boyd’s plan fails, and Kenny almost dies because of Sophia. Earlier, Sophia learns crucial details about the plan and communicates them to the creatures. When Kenny is forced to escape into one of the houses, he finds all the entrances blocked by the creatures.

At the same time, Henry’s mental state begins to unravel. Brief moments throughout the episode show him waking from a “coma,” seemingly suggesting that the events in FROM are part of some unreal nightmare. Sophia pours her essence into Henry’s drink, and just as she previously induced voices that were not real, Henry becomes her next victim.

A major moment that sends everyone into chaos at the end of the episode is Roger coming back to life, confused and agitated. Resembling the dolls they killed, he breaks into the house in a terrifying scene. Once again, Sophia is the one orchestrating events from the shadows through egg/blood magic.

What do you think of the Man in Yellow in FROM? Let us know in the comments.