Kevin Bacon is an FBI agent in pursuit of a notorious killer who’s amassed a legion of fans in The Following – streaming on Neon. Adam Fresco writes about how all three seasons make for a binge-worthy delight.
When Kevin Williamson, creator of horror satire Scream, and its subsequent sequels, first pitched TV series The Following, I’m guessing it was as a kind of Silence of the Lambs meets Heat cop versus killer show. Because, deep in its bloody heart, that’s what it is. In place of Jodi Foster’s FBI trainee tracking down Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal the Cannibal, or Al Pacino’s relentless cop chasing Robert DeNiro’s cool-as-ice thief, we have Kevin Bacon’s world-weary FBI Agent, Ryan Hardy, pitted against James Purefoy’s charismatic serial killer, Joe Carroll. It’s a simple set-up that lends every episode of The Following a pulse-pounding tension, as hero and villain circle one another, each a distorted reflection of the other.
What allows the show to grow as a series is that it’s never as simple as good cop v. sadistic serial killer. Nope. This show is in the title because what makes Purefoy’s sociopath so darn dangerous is his following—a devoted legion of acolytes who accord their murderous messiah cult status.
Amongst his fanatical followers, Joe Carroll is a psychotic prophet, a lunatic leader, and maniac mastermind. To those who believe in him, Carroll is to be obeyed without question and followed blindly. So Bacon’s FBI agent isn’t solely up against one person, but legions of his fans, both seen and unseen, some strangers, and others surprisingly close to home. But Agent Hardy is no angel. As played by Bacon, he’s revealed to be a man as complex, multi-faceted, guilt-ridden, compromised, flawed and as troublingly human as only the most relatable anti-heroes are.
The casting is the key here, with Bacon and Purefoy chewing scenery, and clearly having a ball. Bacon’s incredible filmography spans Footloose and the original Friday the 13th through Tremors and JFK, to A Few Good Men and Apollo 13. His film and television roles are so numerous that there’s even a game named after him (Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon). The guy’s a legend. Heck, as the saying goes in Tinseltown: “Everybody loves Bacon. Even vegans.”
Joining the class act that is Bacon is James Purefoy, a perfectly poised antagonist. Purefoy has featured in films from Resident Evil to High-Rise and played lead roles in TV sci-fi Altered Carbon and the small-screen Batman series Gotham and Pennyworth. He brings a suave, smooth-talking charm to his character that makes it believable that a psychotic killer could hold such sway over others. He brings a wickedly handsome charm and piercing intellect to a character that could, in lesser hands, be little more than a one-dimensional monster. As played by Purefoy, Joe Carroll is cruelty personified as a smiling, personable guy with a bloodthirsty twinkle in his eye.
With Kevin Bacon playing a man crushed and dented by life, walking the thin line between morally righteous and legally dubious, and Purefoy taking such pure delight in being the big bad wolf tending a flock of wide-eyed sheepish followers, the show sets the stage for a battle of wits and wills that is both gleefully exciting and often delightfully unpredictable.
Season one lands at a breakneck pace, pitting the two leads against one another from the off. It’s a sheer binge-worthy delight watching Purefoy play cat to Bacon’s mouse as he teases and taunts the determined lawman right up to a series finale that (no spoilers) ends very pointedly for Bacon’s FBI hero.
As season two opens, it’s clear the chessboard has been reset, and Joe Carroll’s followers are more dangerous than ever, seeing Carroll less as a mortal leader, and more as the messianic figure hinted at by his initials. But rather than the heroic J.C. of James Cameron’s John Conner in Terminator, this J.C. just happens to be a sociopathic narcissist, with his sights set not on peace and freedom, but on violence and chaos.
Joining the lead actors is a top-notch supporting cast, including appearances from the likes of Valerie Cruz (of Nip/Tuck fame), James McDaniel (of New Amsterdam), and Connie Nielsen (star of TV drama The Good Wife and DC’s Wonder Woman movies).
Over its three seasons and 45 episodes, The Following moves at a cracking pace and keeps viewers glued by continuously upping the ante. From episode to episode, Bacon’s much put-upon agent is forced closer and closer to Purefoy’s killer in his pursuit of justice. The big question looming over the show: just how much wrongdoing justifies a righteous act? Just how far can a hero bend the law before he becomes the villain? It’s tantalising stuff, ripe for drama, and there’s enough serial killer meat on the bone to keep viewers hooked. Ultimately, when all is stabbed and gunned, The Following lives up to its title as a drama well worth following.
