What happened to Donna in From Season 3? Character arc explored

"The Shrouds" (Les Linceuls) Photocall - The 77th Annual Cannes Film Festival - Source: Getty
"The Shrouds" (Les Linceuls) Photocall - The 77th Annual Cannes Film Festival - Source: Getty

From Season 3, the show explored the dark, sinister world, and at its very core stood Donna Raines, a character who has been the stronghold of Colony House. She has been the strongest leader, the unstoppable guardian who will do whatever it takes to make sure her people survive.

As our town is hit by the harsh winter and the shrinking food supply, Donna is on a thin thread between survival and losing everything. This is no longer about fighting monsters roaming the night here and there, but it is the pressure of responsibility.

Through Season 3, we saw Donna as we have never seen her before: Powerful but still very human, weak, and overwhelmed with decisions that no person should ever have to make.


Donna’s journey in From Season 3: Breaking down the character arc

IMDboat Exclusive Portrait Studio At San Diego Comic-Con 2024 - Source: Getty
IMDboat Exclusive Portrait Studio At San Diego Comic-Con 2024 - Source: Getty

In From Season 3, Donna is under more pressure in Colony House to lead their organization to new levels of success. The cold winter ushers in, changing the already hostile land into a nightmare of survival. They have little to eat, anxiety is building, and trust is hanging in the balance. The frozen season not only leaves the air cold, but it freezes options, forcing Donna to take charge of an entire community that looks to her for every solution.

The burden of responsibility puts Donna in an isolated place in ways we have not seen before, but From Season 3 reminds us that even the strongest pillars require some support. This season’s central theme, being a leader doesn't mean doing everything by yourself but rather knowing when to ask for help, is demonstrated by Donna’s interactions with significant characters like Boyd and Jim.

Nevertheless, the evils beyond the walls of Colony House are not resting, and neither can Donna. Meanwhile, the nightmarish creatures that plague the town are as driven as ever, forcing her to balance the personal vulnerability and the need to keep her people alive. This precarious balancing of power and weakness provides From Season 3 an emotional pulse, making Donna one of the most intriguing on-screen characters.

Since the beginning of Season 3, Donna has been the anchor of Colony House. In an episode (Episode 1) marked by dramatic tension, viewers are exposed to a scene in which Donna tells Boyd that they no longer have any crops, and the only thing Colony House has to feed on is cows that are bound to die soon.

Donna's measured composure fractures later in the season when, after a frantic sheriff’s officer accidentally shoots a child, Donna collapses in Boyd’s arms. This marks an instance of raw emotion wrought by the extremities and inhumanity of the horror she has witnessed.

For From Season 4, the audience is not only anxious to see the next monsters; they also want to know what happens to Donna for all that she experienced. The show is already renewed for a fourth season, and its filming will take place in mid-2025.

Fans are also eager to know more about the backstory of Donna and how she came to lead the Colony House, and whether all the emotional breakdowns that were so evident in From Season 3 are going to lead to some healing or cause a collapse or something entirely new level of strength.

Edited by Amey Mirashi