Who Martin Is & Why He’s Chained In The Dungeon In From

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for From season 3, episode 8, “Thresholds.”

From season 3, episode 8, “Thresholds” features the return of Martin (Robert Verlaque), a mysterious character introduced in season 2. Boyd Stevens (Harold Perrineau) previously crossed paths with Martin in the dungeon where the Music Box Monster was unleashed. Before dying, Martin infected Boyd, although Boyd later overcame this infection and the Music Box Monster in From season 2’s ending when he returned to the dungeon and destroyed the music box.

Despite his season 2 death, Martin returns to the story in From season 3, episode 8, when Julie Matthews (Hannah Cheramy) enters the ruins and is transported into the dungeon where Martin is held captive. As seen with Father Khatri (Shaun Majumder) and Tom (Reid Price), dead characters have a way of reappearing in From, but Martin’s return has a different explanation. His return answers a mystery that has been unsolved since the season 2 premiere and opens a new element of From‘s universe.

Martin Was A Marine Trapped In Town Who Became A Victim To From’s Music Box Monster

Boyd Tried To Help Him

When Boyd climbed to the top of the dungeon’s well in season 2, he saw Martin chained to the wall. Martin asked if Boyd was from the Town, with Martin saying that he always thought the Town was the worst part, until he went through the tree, which refers to traveling through From‘s faraway trees. Based on this, Martin was seemingly one of the many individuals trapped in the Town over the years who tried to go through a faraway tree, which landed him in the dungeon.

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Boyd soon proceeded to free Martin and noticed his United States Marine Corps tattoo. Even though Martin pleaded with Boyd to kill him, Boyd refused to leave his fellow marine behind. Martin tried to tell Boyd about escaping the music, which was a warning of the Music Box Monster that had tormented Martin for an untold number of years. Martin cut Boyd and put his blood into the wound, thereby passing his infection, including the worms underneath the skin, to Boyd.

Martin Was Seemingly Being Tortured By Some Force In Town For Years Before Boyd Found Him

He Suffered For A Long Time Before Boyd Found Him

When Boyd asked Martin about how long he had been trapped in the dungeon, Martin claimed that he lost track long ago, and that Boyd’s kindness was the first he had experienced in years. Martin likely had to survive in the Town despite From‘s monsters, which is why he once thought the Town was the worst part, before trying to escape as Dale (Cliff Saunders) did by going through a faraway tree. Instead of being transported into a pool wall, Martin was transported to the dungeon, where the Music Box Monster infected, tortured, and kept him captive ever since.

The Music Box Monster’s torment was even worse, which would explain why Martin told Boyd that the Town’s monsters were only “the tip of the spear.” The only reason Martin survived as long as he did was because of the Music Box Monster’s infection, and as soon as Boyd freed him, that infection was passed to Boyd, and Martin finally had the death that he craved. It is possible that Martin was imprisoned in this agonizing state even before Victor Kavanaugh (Scott McCord) arrived in the Town.

How Did Martin Know Who Julie Was & How Long Was He In The Dungeons?

Time Works Differently In The Dungeon

When Julie is in the dungeon, time overlaps, and she travels through different points in time. This is how Julie is able to meet Martin and throw the rope down the well to Boyd, as she temporarily time travels back to that moment in season 2. Before Kenny Liu (Ricky He) and Acosta (Samantha Brown) carry Julie out of the dungeon ruins, she travels further back in time to when her mother, Tabitha Matthews (Catalina Sandino Moreno) ended up in the tunnels with Victor in season 1.

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If the dungeon is causing Julie to time travel, Martin may have also time traveled when he was trapped in the dungeon, which is probably how he already knows Julie. While he initially made it seem like he did not know Boyd in season 2, Martin later asked Boyd if he thought Abby (Lisa Ryder) was right about everything being a dream. Martin may have also encountered Abby during his time travel, which would explain how he knew this information about her, along with her connection to Boyd.

The entire history of the Town and all its residents may be known by Martin after years of being unable to escape and stuck time traveling. If Martin possesses this invaluable knowledge, Julie needs to go back to the dungeon ruins and learn as much as she can from him. Martin may have the answers that From‘s characters need to survive the Town’s horrors and perhaps even learn how to escape, which would change the trajectory of From moving forward.

In a nightmarish town that traps all who enter, residents struggle to survive while uncovering the town’s dark secrets. As they seek a way out, they must contend with terrifying creatures that emerge at night, threatening their lives and sanity. The Matthews family, new arrivals, must quickly adapt to survive the horrors within the town.

Cast

Harold Perrineau , Catalina Sandino Moreno , Eion Bailey , David Alpay , Elizabeth Saunders , Shaun Majumder , Scott McCord , Ricky He , Chloe Van Landschoot , Pegah Ghafoori , Corteon Moore , Hannah Cheramy , Simon Webster , Avery Konrad , Paul Zinno

Release Date

February 20, 2022

Seasons

3

Writers

John Griffin , Jeff Pinkner

Directors

Jack Bender , Brad Turner

Creator(s)

John Griffin

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