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The Following Season 1 Episode 1

Pilot

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AIRED: Jan 21, 2013

8.4

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Episode Summary

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Infamous serial killer Joe Caroll has escaped from prison and Ryan Hardy, the FBI agent who had him arrested, is called in to help the police try and find him. But Ryan soon learns that Caroll has made himself a number of followers over the internet as part of a huge game he has planned for Ryan.

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FAN RECAP

TV.com Episode Review

220

The Following Series Premiere Review: A Poe Excuse for a Serial-killer Drama

There's a lot of blood, shocks, and Edgar Allen Poe in Fox's new drama, but not much else.

By Tim Surette, Jan 22, 2013

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Fan Episode Reviews (16)

Great though it seems to be a repeated theme

9.0

By Steffen_James, Feb 19, 2013

Takes Silence of the Lambs and brings it into your home is great.
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The Following surpasses expectation!

10

By TrueTvWatcher, Feb 16, 2013

The Following was a surprising and exceedingly rare phenomenal start to what could be one of the most mind bending series to air in some time. The actors were amazing in their roles and the story was extremely well thought out and well written. There were many powerful illusions to classical literature. The character development was spectacular from the beginning and definitely establishes the various characters being. There was lots of action drama suspense and intrigue. I wanted to compare this to Dexter but it's on a totally different level. I like how everything played out so far and I certainly look forward to watching what happens next!!!!!!!!!moreless
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Almost a good start

5.5

By ironman166, Feb 11, 2013

The premise of the show was okay. The death row part could have been left out in order for the show to continue more realistically. The unnecessary hostility from the female FBI agent towards the main character was out of place. The main retired agent did a good job with his character. They need to tighten up some loose ends and the show might be good. The hostile (comments about the police) gay couple was unnecessary it distracted from the show. I will give it two more episodes before I get it a in the DVR go.moreless
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A Bit Flat & Hackneyed

6.0

By AudioFileZ, Feb 06, 2013

Kevin Bacon attempts to steer clear of the Christian Slater syndrome. You know where you start taking lackluster parts and perform below that level. So, wisely, Bacon turned to supporting roles, it's something he can pull off with greater authority. That isn't to say he isn't a good actor as he is quite solid, but if he is great the evidence is yet to surface. Perhaps, his new TV-series "The Following" will give him the opportunity to once more be the leading man, maybe even providing him a vehicle to prove some greatness.

The Following wastes no time as it begins with the bloody escape of a high-functioning death-row serial killer named Joe Carroll. Bacon, playing an heart-health challenged retired . agent Ryan Hardy is asked to "consult" because no one knows Carroll better as he ended Carroll's bloody reign, but with the heavy collateral damage necessitating his retirement. In the interim Hardy wrote a best seller about Carroll. Hardy acquiesces, getting ready filling his water bottle with vodka, and we realize in short order he fits in with other agents not unlike a square peg in a round hole ("I read your file, I know you don't play well with others). Perhaps the book he wrote after leaving the . wasn't an agency favorite? Carroll's ex-wife Claire Matthews as well as a former Carroll student Sarah Fuller, who also was left for dead by Carroll, are under protection. Things get heavily complicated as Carroll has a contingent of female groupies who the agency assemble thinking something to help find Carroll may be revealed through interviews. Things descend into chaos as a female follower calmly stands, undresses revealing Edgar Allen Poe quotations tattooed over her body then impaling herself with an ice pick through her eye. Carroll, apparently, is so persuasive he can have others do his work for him. This will become a large shadow cast as these women are only part of more followers to come.

Bacon plays Ryan Hardy well enough with his "one-color" style of depressive acting. He's damaged goods who also functions highly. As earlier noted by a female . agent he is a "lone wolf" and we see he goes about capturing Carroll in his own fashion. Through no fault of his, however, Sarah Fuller is abducted and ultimately murdered before he finds Carroll. Carroll actually lures Hardy to find him as he wants to gloat about finishing what he felt he needed to achieve for his "art" to be complete. Back in one of the prison's interrogation rooms he gives Hardy notice that his terror reign is still in progress. Ryan Hardy comes apart breaking some of Carroll's fingers and also signaling he himself can't walk away until all Ryan's followers can be brought to justice.

Is The Following a show worth of multiple episodes? That remains to be seen. While the script attempts to be somewhat cerebral it is really a re-hash of several similar "monster" type serial killer movies condensed thus isn't particularly as creative as it aspires. Bacon's character isn't particularly endearing or dynamic, serviceable at this point describes Ryan Hardy. The pull of this series, therefore, is going to lie in the writing. To rise it needs to get more inventive while retaining the slam it aims for. If it can do that and Bacon's Ryan Hardy character can evolve into a more likeable protagonist The Following has a future. If it remains a series of re-writes there may not be enough entertainment factor to get past a compact first will have to stay tuned for now.moreless
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Can only get better

6.0

By olafweyer, Feb 05, 2013

Saw the pilot yesterday and felt the detective and many scenes to be to much by the book and rather cliche:

1. Our detective has a drinking problem. Hell couldn't you think of something original

2. "Listen. You'll be fine. Nothing is gonna happen to you. I promise

you

How many times do i have to listen to stereotypical line like this, geesus!

3. Sarah, escapee of the killer get's surprised by a cop in her bathroom. Now i'd be afraid too. But why

must she be the typical victim and recollect her fragile nerves only, when she could also overreact and

scream into his face, to "piss the hell off", or something. You know, something different then we have

seen before. That what would have been character not cardboard cliche.

4. Don't let me start with the failed Hannibal Lector "interview". It's obvious this scene was rushed

when filmed, those two actors have no chemistry together. The dialogue lines didn't help either.

Bad guys don't need to explain themselves. In fact the more someone explains himself the less

he is self assured, the less menacing he is. But this killer told us EVERYTHING and leaves nothing

open to be afraid of. Nothing is more scary than ones own imaginations.

5. Flahsbacks, flashbacks, flashbacks, the cheapest way of telling a backstory.

Despite that:

Concept of this show is intriguing. But telling from the pilot it's in the wrong hands just as Terra Nova and Last Resort were. Let's hope for the best. We have a true star actor here. Hopefully he will make his influence matter with the execs and writers. Will be watching.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Kevin Bacon	Ryan Hardy
Jeananne Goossen	Agent Jennifer Mason
Natalie Zea	Claire Matthews
Shawn Ashmore	Agent Mike Weston
Valorie Curry	Emma Hill
Nico Tortorella	Jacob Wells

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Billy Brown	Agent Troy Reilly	Guest Star
Steve Monroe	Jordan "Jordy" Raines	Guest Star
Michael Roark	Detective Warren	Guest Star
John Lafayette	Deputy Marshal Scott Turner	Recurring Role

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Episode Photos

Billy Brown and Shawn Ashmore on The Fol...

© 2012 Fox Broadcasting Company
Kevin Bacon and Natalie Zea on The Follo...

© 2012 Fox Broadcasting Company
Kevin Bacon on The Following from "Pilot".

© 2012 Fox Broadcasting Company
Kevin Bacon on The Following from "Pilot".

© 2012 Fox Broadcasting Company

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (2)
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- When Ryan leaves the car, he is heading towards the lighthouse. When the camera changes its angle, there is a cameraman in the back seat who is trying to duck and hide behind the seats.
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- Emma uses the alias "Denise," Jacob uses the alias "Will Wilson," and Paul uses the alias "Billy."
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QUOTES (6)
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- Ryan: I'd like to speak to her.
  Jennifer: About what?
  Ryan: I'd like to know how she's doing.
  Jennifer: Perhaps later when we're not trying to find a serial killer.
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- Michael: I can handle dead people. You kill a dog, I go crazy. (Ryan stares) I got this little terrier mix. Forget it.
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- Ryan: You deserve more. I belong in your past. I work better in people's pasts, I always have.
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- Ryan: Where is she?
  Carroll: You know, the human eye is connected by seven muscles. I removed each one individually. You know how hard that is to do?
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- Ryan: So what's my sequel about, Joe? Everyone outside is anxious to know.
  Carroll: Umm. Well, it's going to be a collaboration. We're going to write this together, Ryan. You know, my first book was... clearly too avant garde. Lost in literati pretense. Now my new story... will play to a much wider audience. Even Poe whored himself out eventually.
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- Ryan: If this book ends with anything other than your death, you'd better plan on a rewrite.
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NOTES (2)
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- Music: Sweet Dreams (Marilyn Manson)
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- International Airdates:
  Canada: January 21, 2013 on CTV
  UK: January 22, 2013 on Sky ATLANTIC
  Finland: March 7, 2013 on MTV3
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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