The Man In Yellow In MGM’s ‘From’ TV Show, Explained

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The third season finale of From brought a terrifying new adversary into the mix, whose existence has been teased for a long time through the paintings made by Miranda. A gaunt, blood-eyed man in a yellow suit made his appearance in the climactic sequence of the episode and was revealed to have detailed knowledge about the townsfolk and their actions from the brief conversation he had with Jim. The stranger makes his presence felt in a short span of time as he kills Jim Matthews during the final moments of the episode, solidifying his status as a prime adversary in the upcoming seasons. Unlike the usual threats of Fromville, like the nocturnal monsters, the psych attacks of the music box, insects, or ballerina, this particular entity seems to pose more of a danger to the townsfolk and presumably has a more direct connection when it comes to controlling different factors around the township. Drawing from visual cues and whatever hints were conveyed through the presence of the Man in Yellow, I will try to speculate on his role in the narrative.

Spoilers Ahead


The Man In Yellow Is A Higher Presence

The first time a visual reference to the Man in Yellow was made was in an artwork by Miranda, which was stashed in the Cavanagh household basement. As the finale reveals, this entity was aware of Tabitha’s actions in the first season finale, as he had warned Jim back then, as a reference to that incident is made by him once again in the latest episode. The true nature of this entity was unknown until the recent finale, and his motivation still remains unknown, but the color-coded appearance provides viewers some clues about what his presence signifies as a whole. Much like how the Boy in White seemingly tries to help the townsfolk to escape and can be denoted as a benevolent figure who symbolizes purity and innocence, the Man in Yellow might serve as an antithetical force to that. From what we have seen, the Man in Yellow is much different to the nocturnal monsters, as he can roam outside even during the daytime; his movement isn’t as sluggish as the creatures’, and he has knowledge about the individuals of Fromville. Additionally, his mention about knowledge coming at a cost seems to indicate he was already punishing the townsfolk for each new discovery Boyd and co. were making through the last couple of seasons. The tune of Jade’s violin has contributed to major revelations, as he and Tabitha remembered their true origin—the entire rebirth cycle, the sacrifice of the children, all of it. Surely the controllers of the township, the Man in Yellow being one of them, didn’t like this transgression, which was so severe an offense that he decided to appear in the flesh. As for why Jim had to pay the ultimate price, the reason is simple: he shared the brilliant idea of using music as a means to decode the number cipher of the Bottle Tree. 

Ethan’s warning to Julie about her time skipping being not a feasible way to change the existing narrative to Fromville also proved to be true. A version of Julie from the distant future arrived at the exact location where Jim will meet his tragic fate, but she was unable to stop the Man in Yellow from killing her father. 


A Connection With ‘Lost’?

The Man in Yellow might share a thematic significance with The Man in Black, another such mysterious entity from the series Lost, which at this point can be considered a companion series to From, given how much both these narratives feel akin to each other due to having the same creators helming both projects. The Man in Black, who was the overarching villain of Lost, signified a primal evil, corruption, which tried to escape to the outside world and cause malice. The Man in Yellow, who clearly doesn’t want the trapped townsfolk to leave, seems to be powered by the hopelessness and despair of the denizens and is in direct conflict with the Boy in White. However, unlike the boy, the nefarious entity can directly affect events and actions, as seen in the finale, which spells doom for the residents who still aren’t aware of the extent of his power. None of them are safe at any given period of the day, and it will take something extraordinary to find a weakness to this presence. 

However, I don’t think that the Man in Yellow is the supreme evil presence in the township; that role belongs to a red, monstrous presence whose real appearance has only been hinted at so far through cave paintings and Tabitha’s fleeting visions. The monstrous presence was probably responsible for imbuing the nocturnal monsters with immortality in exchange for the sacrifice of their children. The nocturnal monsters probably used to be humans, the first denizens of Fromville, like Tabitha and Jade, and unlike the duo, the rest of the batch were lured by the promise of immortality and sacrificed their children, only to receive a hideous, prolonged existence as monsters—a retelling of the monkey’s paw story. The Man in Yellow might be an accomplice of the prime evil in that context, but nothing can be said for certain until the makers provide us more clues. 


Possible Connection With World Mythology

There is a possibility that the Man in Yellow might be a reference to the Lovecraftian entity Hastur, occasionally known as the King in Yellow, a primordial evil entity who is known to introduce madness, reanimate the dead, and signify both individual presence and a place at the same time. If we go by the child sacrifice aspect, then the prime evil of Fromville can be equated with Moloch, the infamous entity of world mythology who is often associated with ritualistic sacrifice of children. Moloch had a presence in the Hebrew Bible, and previously Khatri had mentioned the possibility of the township enacting a version of the Christian creation myth, which is yet to be chronicled. Using this interpretation, the Man in Yellow might be someone close to Mammon, the demon often associated with greed, a vice that is symbolized with the color yellow. Yellow is also the color of the bile, the only bodily fluid found inside the monsters who sold their humanity in greed for immortality. It might all sound like mad rambling, but then again, these are clues that the makers have left for us to figure out, and irrespective of whether we are moving in the right direction or not, there is no harm in speculating a bit. All in all, the Man in Yellow’s presence conveys that things have started worsening in Fromville in such a way that Boyd and co. will have their work cut out in the near future, and without some divine intervention, it doesn’t seem anyone will leave the place alive. 


Is Man In Yellow Related To Dr. Mabuse?

The entity could also be related with the urban myth of Dr. Mabuse, a criminal mastermind who uses means of psychic torture, possessions to torment its victims, is able to manipulated television, phone and radio communication as a method of torture and manipulation. A mention to Dr. Mabuse was spotted in the ambulance which arrived in the Fromville earlier in the season, and the way the Man in Yellow uses jukebox, telephone to humiliate the plight of the townsfolk, the way his victims are tortured through psychological manipulations as seen in the case of Randall, Julie and Marielle kind of matches with Mabuse’s modus operandi.  


Siddhartha Das
Siddhartha Das
An avid fan and voracious reader of comic book literature, Siddhartha thinks the ideals accentuated in the superhero genre should be taken as lessons in real life also. A sucker for everything horror and different art styles, Siddhartha likes to spend his time reading subjects. He's always eager to learn more about world fauna, history, geography, crime fiction, sports, and cultures. He also wishes to abolish human egocentrism, which can make the world a better place.


 

 

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