Allison Keene

Weirdly, the least interesting part of The Following is that which was set up initially as the reason the watch: the interplay and stories of Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) and Joe Carroll (James Purefoy).  Some of you have mentioned in the comments how Hardy is a lot like Jack Bauer from 24 – he always saves the day in the last minute, throwing himself body and soul in the job, carrying the weight of the victims on his stooped shoulders.  Carroll, now re-incarcerated, hasn’t really had much to do in the last few weeks, instead getting his kicks vicariously through his following, some of whom are interesting (the love triangle) and some of whom are terribly boilerplate (Maggie, despite Carroll’s protestations otherwise).  Hit the jump for the good and bad of the series, and my final judgment before moving on. … READ MORE

I was certain that we were up to the fourth or fifth episode of The Following tonight — so much has happened leading up to “The Poet’s Fire,” but then things suddenly came to a bit of a standstill.  The frights are easier to see coming, even three episodes in (although we only got one mention of “nevermore” and “The Raven,” so there are still small favors).  Most of the action was an expansion of what we already learned last week as far as the relationships among some of the main followers, and Carroll repeating that this is all a game for him, mostly to torture Hardy.  And while not much happened, it was still interesting enough to watch unfold.  Hit the jump for more on why “if you over-identify with the victims, the guilt becomes personal.” … READ MORE

The Following drew big numbers in the ratings with its premiere last week, and delivered during its initial hour an incredible number of plot points and situations (and gruesome murders) to keep us interested.  While many (myself included) lamented the shoehorning of Poe with awkward expositions to explain the motivational canvas serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) was using to exact his evils, the actual idea of “the following” that he had amassed to do his bidding seemed worthy of further viewing.  This week the show pushed Poe to the background slightly (though his work was probably still too present) and focused more on the following itself, which presented a few surprises.  Hit the jump for what went right, and why I wish they would stop harping on Nevermore. … READ MORE

Despite the network’s protestations otherwise, there are many things about The Following that feel specifically like network television.  At the same time, it has some genuine twists and jumps and set ups that certainly lend one to believe the show may be more than initially meets the eye (if you still have yours).  The series comes from Kevin Williamson, who has had a hand in so many cultural touchstones, from Dawson’s Creek to Scream to the Vampire Diaries, it’s nearly unfathomable to figure how he could not have a hit with this one, particularly with Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy (Rome) as acting anchors.  Plus, the formula combines some of our biggest cultural fascinations – serial killers, cults and, well, Kevin Bacon.  Hit the jump for a recap of the series’ premiere episode, which seems promising … READ MORE