On Monday FOX premiered its newest midseason show, The Following, which stars Kevin Bacon as former FBI agent Ryan Hardy, who is called back into action when serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) breaks out of prison. Hardy had previously caught Carroll, preventing the murder of Sarah Fuller (Maggie Grace). Carroll, a university literature professor whose hero is Edgar Allen Poe, escapes so that he can try to finish what he started, that is, kill Sarah Fuller. Along the way, Hardy discovers that Carroll had gathered a following through the internet, effectively creating a cult of serial killers.
Creator Kevin Williamson has successfully created an enthralling crime drama that seems to have a big serialized aspect to it. Unlike most crime dramas, The Following focuses on a single killer through his cult of followers. Also, Carroll's murders are related to Poe's writings, which provides a common theme in what will surely be a case-of-the-week format. This common theme, along with the serialized aspect, make this show much more interesting than most crime dramas that I have seen.
Both Bacon and Purefoy were fantastic. Bacon portrays Hardy well, even if the character could use some work. In this episode, Hardy was written too one-dimensionally. He is a typical stoic ex-cop with a drinking problem. However, Bacon was able to show some emotion in his interactions with Carroll's ex-wife Claire Matthews (Natalie Zea). Bacon was also great in the final scene with Purefoy. All things considered, Bacon did well with what he was given. Carroll, however, was written perfectly, and Purefoy was outstanding as the professor-turned-killer. He gave Carroll all the creepiness and derangement that one would expect in a serial killer. I look forward to seeing more of Joe Carroll this season and find out what turned him into a killer.
That brings me to the flashbacks. I am always a fan of flashbacks that give insight into the characters' pasts, but some of the flashbacks in this episode distracted me from the main plot. If the writers continue to use flashbacks in the show, they need to integrate them better. Well-placed flashbacks will be able to show how Carroll became a killer or how he drew people in and turned them into killers. They can also show Hardy's relationship with Claire, with whom he seems to have a history.
Overall, I was intrigued by The Following and look forward to the rest of the season. As long as the writers make better use of the flashbacks and develop Hardy into a fully fleshed-out character, The Following will be a successful interpretation of the crime drama genre. If you haven't seen this pilot, I recommend giving it a try. But be warned: it is very violent and is not for the faint of heart.
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