The season three premiere of Fox series “The Following” continues the series’ new take on crime shows. Until now, the show focused on a cult following of the serial killer Joseph Carroll. While this storyline mostly came to a close with the end of season two, the general premise of tracking down a serial killer with such a cult following continues into season three.
This shift in primary antagonist creates a perfect opportunity for those who have missed the previous two seasons to jump in with little confusion. There are also frequent flashbacks in the episode to acclimate first-time viewers to the world of “The Following.” This season takes place one year after the events of season two. Joseph Carroll (James Purefoy) is to be executed in one month, while protagonist Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) has moved on from the case and is involved with new love interest Gwen (Zuleikha Robinson).
The episode opens with everyone from the Bureau attending the wedding of their co-worker. Everyone seems happy, except for Hardy’s friend and co-lead, Mike Weston (Shawn Ashmore), who is returning after looking into a lead of serial killer — new primary villain and twin of now-deceased, diabolical Luke Grey — Mark (Sam Underwood). It’s not long before the good times come to an end — a waiter, who is clearly up to something, discusses Hardy with Gwen and then attacks Hardy unexpectedly.
Misdirection in “The Following” is phenomenal — the show often leads you to believe that one thing is going to happen before shifting in a totally unexpected direction to constantly keep the show fresh and unpredictable while maintaining believability. Not only does this season premiere excel in its misdirection the audience, it also does extremely well in its development of the villains, most notably Mark. Mark isn’t physically introduced until late in the episode, granting enough time for the series’ protagonists to corrupt the viewers perception of him. That being said, Mark is finally revealed in such a way that elicits an almost pitying response. It is not often that crime television attempts to humanize murderous criminals, especially serial killers, but in the case of “The Following,” the pitying response comes off flawlessly.
“The Following” appears to be different from the typical crime drama, offering complex characters, largely unpredictable episodes and a villain that is more than just your typical serial killer. The first episode of season three delivered in a way that was surprising and clever, but only time will tell if “The Following: Season Three” can keep the five-star quality of its first episode.
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