The Following is a TV show about FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) and his ongoing battle with serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy). I haven’t watched the last two episodes of The Following, even though they have aired. I did this on purpose so that I would not be tempted to reveal any spoilers.
I liked the show when it started. I like Kevin Bacon and although I was not familiar with James Purefoy, he was a good choice for the part of the killer. However, the believability – even for a TV show – declined as the season progressed, I do not see how it can go on for another season.
The idea behind the show gave the impression that it would be one of my favorites, but at this point, I just want to see how the season ends. If it goes into a second season, I doubt that I will watch it.
Maybe my comments have sparked your desire to run to your cable box and pull up past episodes in your On Demand Menu. Let me share some pros and cons before you reach for the remote:
Cons:
- Claire, played by Natalie Zea, constantly refers to her child as “my son” instead of by his name. It is not her fault; she is only saying what the writers tell her to say.
- The writers portray the FBI agents as being less than adept at capturing killers. They make several stupid moves, which lead to killers escaping and agents dying. Sometimes the bad guys just beat the agents – leaving them to identify the culprits later…bringing us to the next point.
- The killers are not too swift, either. They never attempt to hide their faces when they are out doing wrong. They are sneaky and are able so elude the police at almost every turn. In defense of the cult members, they are supposed to be crazy so they do whatever the leader tells them without much regard for the consequences.
- Most of what happens is predictable. In a couple of segments, agent Parker (Annie Parisse) allows Ryan to convince her to go against what a well-trained agent should do. You just know he is going to persuade her – the story couldn’t go on if he didn’t.
Pros:
- Some suspenseful sequences
- Some surprises. You don’t suspect some of the people who end up being Joe’s followers
- The acting is mostly good
- There are several characters that you will love to hate – you even get the satisfaction of seeing some of them pay for their sins.
I hope that when I watch the last episode it wraps the story up and doesn’t leave room for a season two. However, from what I have read at this point, it has already been picked up for a second season.
