The Following is one tough show to keep the faces straight, especially when death is so common and the main players change a lot. Check out our character guide and get a little insight into what makes each character tick.
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty. When you watch The Following, it can be hard to keep all the names and faces straight. In that spirit, we thought it would be good to give you a handy little guide as to what makes each of these characters tick. If you’ve got these characters down pat, then maybe you’ll find a little something extra to think about as you tune into all new episodes starting Monday, March 2nd at 9pm.
The Good Guys:
Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon)
The not-so-fearless leader of the anti-Joe Carroll club, Ryan Hardy is the epitome of a flawed character. When we first met him in the pilot, he seemed to be whole and in a rather good state of mind, but due to Joe Carroll’s escape from prison and the resulting chaos that has been swirling ever since, he is no longer that man. The constant vigilance necessary to keep himself and his team safe is enough to break anyone’s grasp on reality, but his emotional attachment to the situation only complicates it further.
Mike Weston (Shawn Ashmore)
Ryan’s right hand man, Mike Weston, has been around since the beginning and has served as valued confidant, cult punching bag, and volatile ally in nearly equal measure. Mike’s journey from newbie FBI agent to wronged man thirsty for revenge has garnered many comparisons to Ryan’s history, making us all wonder if Mike is destined to follow in Ryan’s footsteps, and maybe even make the same mistakes. Only time will tell, especially after where we left him at the end of season 2.
Claire Matthews (Natalie Zea)
Claire’s role in the first season was largely to be the prize. Joe and Ryan have battled for many years, and while their dispute is about more than just a woman’s attention, Claire soon became the embodiment of victory for the two men. As the first season played out, Ryan tried to keep Claire safely tucked away from Joe’s ever-extending grip, while Joe tried time and time again to lure Claire to his side. While Claire never would have openly chosen her ex-husband over Ryan, based on the cult-leader-murderer thing alone, extenuating circumstances, including her own child, tempted her time and time again to just give in to Joe’s request. Claire has made some crazy choices over the last 2 seasons, and you never know when she might pop up one more time to make the craziest one yet.
Joey Matthews (Kyle Catlett)
The son of a madman, it’s hard to know who he is exactly. He was just a young kid in season 1, and while he may have known what and who his father was, we have yet to know if any of his father’s proclivities have been passed down. Not too many young-ins would find beauty or artistic value in the kinds of things that inspired his father to kill so many innocents. He seems to be fairly level-headed, and he may have taken entirely after his mom. Only time will tell if Joey Matthews is more of Momma’s boy or Daddy’s, or if he returns on The Following.
Max Hardy (Jessica Stroup)
The beginning of season 2 brought us Ryan’s niece and NYPD detective (apparently upholding the law runs in the family), Max Hardy. She adds a nice third perspective to the team, as she both enables and warns away in equal measure. One of the most important things in her life is her family, something that she is sorely lacking. Ryan Hardy is one of two remaining family members for her, and she will do just about anything to prove that she is on his side, including sharing some classified case files when he asks. No big deal. She and Weston have had some serious tension zinging between them since she waltzed into his and Ryan’s lives, but we have no way to know where her heart truly lies, that is until she tells us.
Agent Gina Mendez (Valerie Cruz)
We were also fortunate to meet one incredibly fierce FBI agent, Gina Mendez, when the Joe Carroll investigations took a turn for the deadly. After losing the insightful woman that was previously in charge of the Carroll Cult investigations, it was clear that this case was going to need another mighty strong woman to keep things running smoothly. She and her girlfriend, Jana, were loving mothers to two children in a fabulous home before Joe wormed his way into their world. It turns out that not all lovers are entirely honest.
The Cultists:
Joe Carroll (James Purefoy)
This series’ big bad is really, truly bad. Joe Carroll is one scary dude, and if you have been watching from the beginning, you know that he came off as nothing more than a charming teacher before he was exposed as the brutal, psychotic killer that we know him as now. Things haven’t gone as planned for him, but the nice thing about being the man calling the shots is that you can just change the call. Every time it looked like Joe was finally cornered, he managed to finagle a way out of trouble. It’s hard to assess the emotional status of someone as unpredictable as Joe Carroll, but it’s safe to say that the latest developments in his plot are particularly worrisome for the meticulous planner.
Emma Hill (Valorie Curry)
Much like Voldemort, Joe Carroll doesn’t really have friends. He does have loyal followers, and if you were making direct comparisons between Death Eaters and Joe Carroll’s Following, Emma Hill screams Bellatrix loud and clear. From the outset, it was clear that she was one of the lead architects of Joe’s ministrations from prison. He nurtured her twisted need to kill, and morphed her from a soft-spoken woman into a fierce, domineering personality that could play coy as well as anyone. Emma Hill may or may not be gone from the world of The Following (her death last season seemed too simple, so one can never be too sure), but her spirit will remain alive in the crazy antics of Joe and the remaining Gray twin.
Luke Gray (Sam Underwood)
When it comes to crazy, this guy has it in spades, only to be matched by his brother, but more on him later. We were first introduced to the murder twins in The Following season 2, but they quickly proved to be a force with which Ryan Hardy and Mike Weston would struggle for a long time to come. Luke Gray is the showman of the pair. He is theatrical and crafty, and wants everything to go as planned. He could easily be the mustache-twirler, but something in his sneer keeps his villainy from plummeting into camp. We’ve probably seen the last of Luke’s slicked back hair, but we have a feeling he will be alive and well in Mark’s work from here on out.
Mark Gray (Sam Underwood)
Mark Gray fits the epitome of a serial killer to a tee. He’s quiet and reserved, only really speaks when spoken to, and knows how to stay out of the limelight. He and his brother Luke balance each other quite effectively, Mark harboring evil deep in his bones and keeping his dark desires on a quiet simmer rather than letting them engulf him and rebound out of him like Luke’s theatrical musings. After his extreme losses last season, we expect to see him seeking out revenge and putting his anger to good use as he tries to evade capture, but he has a score to settle with Ryan and Mike, so don’t expect his meekness to overcome his will for payback. We’re sure the latter will win out every time.
Lily Gray (Connie Nielsen)
It would probably be enough just to say that she is the mother of the above-mentioned Gray twins. She raised them to be the monsters they are, and that should set the stage for this woman’s level of crazy. She was one of the few that believed Joe Carroll was alive after the explosion at the lighthouse, and she refused to believe otherwise. She managed to scrounge up a few remaining Joe Carroll loyalists, and went about continuing his legacy to get his attention. After all, it’s not enough to take up Joe Carroll’s mantle. Oh no. She most definitely wanted to get her hands on the man himself.
Dr. Arthur Strauss (Gregg Henry)
Last, but surely never least, we have Dr. Arthur Strauss. Last season, we learned that he not only mentored and nurtured Joe much like Joe has mentored Emma, but he also granted sanctuary when Joe needed it most. He may not be free and seeking fresh prospects at the moment, but we’re pretty certain we haven’t heard the last from him. There’s just something about his demeanor that insists he has more evil to do in the world before he leaves it, no matter where he may currently be holding up.
The New Guys:
Due to the need for suspense, we don’t know a whole lot about who these actors might be playing, but what little we do know has us wondering if they all appear what they seem in their descriptions. Meet the new players and make sure to let us know who you think is the most likely to be someone other than what they seem.
Theo (Michael Ealy)
Pegged as this season’s main villain, Michael Ealy’s character, reportedly named Theo according to IMDB, will appear in the season’s sixth episode, entitled, “Reunion” which has no further details currently. In this Deadline post, his character is described as, “a brilliant, chameleon-like killer who will push Ryan Hardy (Bacon) to the brink.”
Hilary Banks (Alison Mack)
Mack is no stranger to working with Shawn Ashmore or his twin as she worked with both Ashmore brothers on Smallville a few years ago, but it seems based on her character description that Ryan will be more of a force in her character’s story. In this description from EW, Hilary Banks is described as, “a naïve, small town police officer caught up in Ryan Hardy’s (Kevin Bacon) hunt for a serial killer.” We are really excited to see what her character has to offer, and just how long she’ll be around.
Name: Unknown (Hunter Parrish)
We don’t even know the name of Hunter Parrish’s upcoming murderous character on The Following, but we do know he is no good guy. He will be playing alongside Ruth Kearney’s Daisy as one half of a couple that will go to some pretty extreme lengths to keep their relationship fresh. The two are described as murderous, and that puts them solidly in the creepy cult side of the proceedings.
Daisy (Ruth Kearney)
The other half of the murderous couple, Daisy has no more details to her description either. We can only imagine what she and Hunter Parrish’s character will be up to in the premiere and onward, and none of what we can think of looks good for anyone. As to whom their evils will be targeted, we don’t know, but we are anxious to see what they have in store for our favorite good guys.
Andrew (Michael Irby)
Michael Irby, who has appeared in everything from True Detective to Elementary and nearly every type of police procedural in between, will also appear this season. We know nothing more about his character, Andrew, than his name, but with an actor that has that many interesting credits to his name, we can’t imagine him not making quite a splash in the new season.