We're at the midpoint of From Season 4, and the MGM+ horror series is finally serving up some major clues about its deepest mysteries. Episode 5, titled "What a Long Strange Trip It's Been," puts Jade (David Alpay) front and center as he downs a batch of psychedelic mushrooms in hopes that his visions will lead to answers—or maybe even a way out. Boyd (Harold Perrineau) tags along as a reluctant trip-sitter, but things get weird fast.
In an exclusive interview, Alpay opened up about filming the character's most mind-bending episode yet, the old-school practical effects that brought Jade's hallucinations to life, and the deeply personal monologue that reveals a softer side of the usually abrasive genius.
Old-School Tricks for a Trippy Episode
Alpay admitted he was nervous about pulling off the psychedelic sequences. "I wanted it to feel grounded and real, not like some cartoonish side quest," he said. To achieve that, director Jack Bender and the crew went low-tech. Instead of relying on CGI, they used heat-torched plexiglass sheets waved in front of the lens to create shimmering, refracted forest views. They also shot Jade walking backward and reversed the footage for an unsettling forward gait. "It felt like Harold and I were doing a theater gig," Alpay recalled. "That hands-on approach reminded me why I became an actor."
The Violin Monologue That Changes Everything
The episode's emotional core comes when Jade watches a younger version of himself playing violin and delivers a monologue about performing for his grandmother until her final moments. Alpay called the writing "so truthful" and felt a responsibility to make the audience feel its weight. "Jade's mask is fully off at this point," he explained. The scene ties back to an earlier conversation about Schrödinger's cat, but Alpay says it's more than clever wordplay—it's personal. This vulnerability marks a turning point for a character who has often hidden behind sarcasm and intellect.
Meanwhile, other threads are tightening. Viewers now know that the seemingly innocent Sophia (Julia Doyle) is actually the Man in the Yellow Suit (Douglas E. Hughes) in disguise, and Julie (Hannah Cheramy) is testing the limits of her "storywalking" abilities. With the season at its halfway mark, the pieces are finally starting to click into place.
For fans hungry for more mind-bending mysteries, check out Alfred Molina Leads Senior Sci-Fi Mystery in Duffer Brothers' 'The Boroughs' or dive into ‘The Terror: Devil in Silver’ Becomes AMC+’s Biggest Hit Since Season 1. And if you're in the mood for a classic thriller, David Fincher's 'Se7en' Dominates Streaming is always a solid choice.
New episodes of From air Sundays on MGM+.
