Newbies: The Following

The Following, Mondays at 9pm on FOX, is the gripping tale of a serial killer's elaborate revenge against the FBI Agent who caught him, complete with plenty of flashbacks as well. Having seen three episodes so far, the show does seem to execute these tasks artfully and sufficiently, however its dark topic can often be pretty appalling for broadcast TV and may be difficult for some viewers who may not be so desensitized. For those who can stomach it, the show effectively combines elements of suspense, horror, and mystery to offer a deep look inside the mind of serial killers and the FBI's intense efforts to stop them.

The series stars Kevin Bacon as Ryan Hardy, a former FBI Agent who is brought back into the agency as a consultant once the serial killer he put away, Joe Carroll (an exceedingly creepy James Purefoy), sets into motion an intricate plan involving his own cult of killers. A former college professor, Carroll is obsessed with the work of Poe and uses his stories and philosophies to inform his actions. His goal is to create a novel (each episode takes on the title of chapter) with Ryan as the protagonist, while each of his disciples provide a new challenge. Part of his elaborate plot involves his ex-wife Claire (Justified's Natalie Zea), as he had supplanted her nanny with his own follower for the past few years, so his seven year-old son could be efficiently abducted for further nefarious schemes and methods of taunting Ryan. This early in the story, its difficult to know what shape Carroll's entire scheme will eventually take, and that is one of The Following's greatest strengths: a complex narrative that will unfold slowly over the course of the series. Even as we get to witness his followers handling his son, along with flashbacks into their diverse and disturbed lives, the ultimate outcomes remain unpredictable, maintaining the audience's focus. Additional flashbacks to Ryan's initial investigation and discovery of Carroll's sinister nature, including his own relationship with Carroll's ex-wife, add an intriguing dimension to the show, even though their chronology can be tricky to follow and they sometimes take away from the present-day case's momentum. Overall, The Following is an interesting examination of serial killers and the people who hunt them, wrapped up in a tense and intricate yarn.