Following “The Following”: Exasperating, Creepy & Good

You gotta love Kevin Bacon. If it were not for him, we (my wife and I) — and I suspect many others — would not be following the new Fox drama, “The Following.”  Having watched every episode this season, I have concluded that this series, created by Kevin Williamson, the man responsible for the “Scream” movies and television’s “Dawson’s Creek,”  is both exasperating and creepy at the same time. And, did I mention good?

Bacon plays Ryan Hardy, an ex-F.B.I. agent called back into duty to consult on the case of serial killer, Joe Carroll, deliciously and devilishly played by British actor James Purefoy. Along with Andrew Lincoln in “The Walking Dead,” (not to mention Daniel Day-Lewis in “Lincoln”), it would appear that the British are not only coming. They are here!

Along with Bacon and Purefoy, the supporting cast of “The Following” is first-rate. Mike Colter (Lemond Bishop on “The Good Wife”) has been a welcome addition to the cast, creating tension between his character, Nick Donovan, and Ryan Hardy. Clearly suspicious of how Hardy and his immediate superior, Debra Parker (Annie Parisse), have handled (perhaps bungled) the case so far, Donovan steps in with a confident, take-no-prisoners authority that puts both Hardy and Parker back on their heels. Can any of the bungling — particularly by Agent Parker, herself a cult survivor and cults expert —  be attributed to her perhaps being a member of Carroll’s cult? I say yes.  It will be interesting to see where the writers take all of these characters.

If I had one criticism of the show, it would be writing that has become all-too-often predictable. And, by predictable, I mean that thus far in the series, with only a few minor exceptions, the bad guys always win or get away and the good guys are always one step behind. This predictability can be somewhat exasperating. You know that you have reached a certain limit when you begin to ask, “Is it wrong to want one of the bad guys (or gals) to get killed already?” Without giving too much away, my exasperation level was lowered just a tad following last night’s episode (airing March 18, 2013).

“The Following,” which centers on the life of serial killer Joe Carroll and his myriad of followers, is not for the faint of heart when it comes to violence. As one would expect from a series whose main antagonist is a cold-blooded, sociopathic serial killer who is obsessed with Edgar Allen Poe, the blood and gore factor — while tame compared to the “Scream” movies — will definitely be disconcerting for many viewers. The violence is not gratuitous, but it will probably turn off some viewers or prevent others from even watching in the first place.

The creepiness associated with “The Following” has more to do with the underlying theme of cults and those who follow cult leaders. As a pastor, I find this aspect of the story intriguing. As my wife and I watched last night’s episode, I asked her, “How many cults like this (Joe Carroll’s family of followers) do you suppose are in the United States?” The answer is probably more than we would want to know. My top guess for cult locations would be Utah (and not just for obvious reasons). Of course, without missing a beat, my wife reminded me that New Mexico would be another likely place for cult groups to congregate. Hard to argue with her on that point.

Overall, “The Following” is a roller coaster ride of well-done entertainment with a strong dose of reality thrown in for good measure. Every week, I walk away from the latest episode both exasperated and exhilarated. Of course, without Kevin Bacon, I wouldn’t have been interested in following “The Following” in the first place. But, if you like Bacon and, if you like a “good vs. evil” thriller that will keep you guessing (for the most part) every week, then check out “The Following.”