The Following season 3 is nearly upon us, and if you’re not already watching, we’ve got a few reasons why you should start now.
The Following has quietly been making waves on Fox over the last couple years, and season 3 promises to take the story in a fresh, new direction while continuing to up the ante. If you’re unsure about watching the show, let us tell you why you need to get on that right away.
About ‘The Following’
For the uninitiated, The Following is about Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) and the man he put behind bars, Joe Carroll (James Purefoy). Joe is a highly intelligent and charming person who hides a deep secret — he’s a serial killer. Season 1 takes place while Joe is imprisoned.
But just because he’s in jail, doesn’t mean he isn’t finding ways to get his messages across to Ryan and the FBI.
While in prison, Joe cultivated an intensely loyal (and psychotic) following who will do anything for him. His charisma and brilliance make him an engaging and extremely dangerous foe, and Ryan must battle his own demons while simultaneously taking responsibility for his actions before, during, and after Joe’s incarceration.
Season 2 continues the story, although it does shift focus slightly. We won’t discuss anything further, however, because as you’ll learn, The Following is one show where you’ll want to remain absolutely spoiler-free.
Why should you catch up on ‘The Following’ and then tune into season 3? We’re so glad you asked!
The twists
Without a doubt one of the best attributes of this television show is the amount of jaw-dropping twists in each episode. This theme is especially prevalent in season 1, where every character is a suspect. You’ll quickly learn not to trust even the most innocent looking people. And if they don’t end up part of Joe’s cult, then they’ll probably end up dead.
It’s best not to get attached to too many characters, as you might find yourself heartbroken. But while this is certainly painful to endure, it’s also what makes the show so fantastic. Few shows have the ability to truly shock an audience anymore, but when there’s an “anything goes” attitude, you quickly learn there are some twists you’ll just never see coming.
The character arcs
Luckily, the team behind this show is not just here for the shock factor. The plot is intricate, and with a lot of moving parts, attention must be paid to the details. The writers are nearly flawless in their execution, and season 2 is a testament to this, as they slowed down the story and looked more deeply into each character’s motivations. It would be easy to turn a show like The Following into a spectacle reliant on blood and gore, but Ryan and Joe’s story is as much about their relationship as it is about the consequences of their interactions.
Those character arcs are what will truly keep you coming back each episode. While Ryan certainly continues to be an antihero throughout the series, he is taken from an extremely dark place to one where he feels comfortable — happy, even. On the other hand, Mike Weston (Shawn Ashmore) began the show as an innocent, naive, and eager agent, but soon found himself affected by all he had seen while working with Ryan.
The incredible writing
We know we’ve already praised the writing, but you can never have too much of a good thing, right? The writing on this show doesn’t just allow you to feel for the good guys; it also forces you to sympathize with the bad guys. Imagine watching Joe Carroll’s story unfold and actually feeling bad for him as he loses his wife and child and then fights to gain them back. Of course, we don’t condone the way he tries to do that, but we understand nonetheless.
Another sympathetic character is Emma, one of Joe’s most prominent followers. We see her story reveal itself slowly, but by the end of season 2, we learn why she turned out the way she did, what she sees in Joe, and how she views the world. That outlook on life is certainly corrupted, but also one that is frighteningly comprehensible. Over the course of the series, we follow Ryan and his colleagues as much as we follow Joe and his disciples. It’s hard not to root for them in some of the more conventional aspects of their lives, like when they’re searching for love or finding their confidence along the way.
The risks
If you like your shows to pack a bit of a punch, The Following is a great place to end up. Although it’s on Fox, they don’t hold back when it comes to the adult content, and they don’t always play it safe with your favorite characters. Shows like Outlander on Starz or Game of Thrones on HBO mostly get free rein when it comes to the maturity of their content, but you’d be surprised how far the network lets The Following go sometimes.
Sex, drugs, and serial murders — The Following is not your grandmother’s show (unless your grandmother is totally badass). In order for the stakes to be high, there needs to be a lot of bloodshed and a lot of hard hitting scenes. The Following isn’t scared to show us the horrific details of a torture, the appalling consequences of a murder, or the sheer terror on the faces of our favorite characters.
The reality
Our last big reason that you should watch The Following is that something like this could actually happen. In fact, it has happened in the past. While serial killers and their abominable tendencies should never be celebrated, it’s important to acknowledge The Following for hitting every note when it comes to portraying shockingly gruesome events like Joe Carroll’s murders and his followers’ subsequent killings.
The Following is a chilling show, and while we hope something like this never happens to us, there is something cathartic in the way it portrays events so true to life. The events portrayed, while uncommon, are not supernatural or impossible. That realism allows you to truly immerse yourself into the story and relate to the characters, and while it may not always be pleasant, it surely teaches you a lot about yourself in the process.
The Following season 3 premieres on Monday, March 2 at 9:00 p.m. You can currently catch up with the first two seasons on Netflix!