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Hi everybody! Max Stone is back after a long hiatus. I haven’t forgotten about the world of entertainment but I just haven’t had the time to write about it. Earlier today I checked out Kevin Bacon’s new show, The Following, which premiered on FOX last at 9pm. FOX had given it a big a pretty big marketing push and even without that I was just intrigued by Kevin Bacon on TV again. Just think of how many more people are going to get their Bacon number (link) down to one now. So should I follow The Following or not? (Warning: Spoilers after the break.)
We can look at the show’s premise pretty simply. Professor (Joe Carroll played by James Purefoy) becomes deranged serial killer, killing 14 girls. FBI agent (Ryan Hardy played by Kevin Bacon) catches serial killer and saves girl. Fast forward and serial killer escapes from prison leaving a bloodbath behind. FBI agent, now semi-washed up and drunk is called back in to help with the manhunt investigation. He has a cast of supporting FBI helping. Saved girl gets recaptured and killed and then FBI agent apprehends serial killer.
Ok, I may have oversimplified it too much. Thankfully for all of us it was a lot more complex and did a great job of setting up the full season. The writers/producers weaved an entire creepy Edgar Allen Poe theme into the serial killer’s backstory as well as setting up an entire cult theme. Hence the title, The Following.
The pilot had some pretty good acting. The two leads were quite stellar. The cast had good chemistry. All the right characters were even there. They had the strong, smart female FBI agent, the junior FBI agent that looks up to Hardy and the warrior FBI agent. It all seemed to work together. The visuals were strong and the effects (read gore) weren’t too overbearing. The storyline flowed too. Using flashbacks as the storytelling technique worked well for this manhunt type of an episode.
Right at the end of the episode is where they threw in the piece of the show that would allow it to continue. When I said FBI agent apprehends killer it was only because he turned himself in, because he wanted to be. In his deranged mind he’s set up a whole new “book” (there’s this whole literary theme going on) and he gets his rocks off from the story itself. While in prison he developed this cult following that is going to wreak havoc on society in this twisted plot involving Carroll’s son, Hardy and his ex-wife. FOX is going to air 14 new episodes straight examining this storyline.
I think this show has potential. If they can tell compelling stories that are steeped in character the show will be good. I’d love to see them explore the reasons the cult follows Carroll and the innate darkness that drives humanity to such vile acts. I don’t want this to be a procedural in “killer of the week” format. So I say follow The Following. I will.
What did you think? Watch the following on FOX, Tuesdays at 9PM ET.
