The Following Review: A House Divided

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If Joe Carroll had a Twitter account he would probably have the most followers. Because, after "The Fall," it seems like they are simply everywhere.

Who isn't on Team Crazy Killer?!?

Out, Alive

Ryan Hardy crashed Emma, Paul and Jacob's kidnapping party, turning a situation the trio used to have under control into a tense police standoff that ultimately led to the breaking of their little fellowship.

Even as a hostage, Ryan still managed to have the upper hand, cleverly getting under his enemies' skin and pissing them off while they scrambled around trying to figure out what to do.

It was enjoyable seeing Kevin Bacon take the usually dark and frowny-faced Ryan and deliver some quips with a smirk, mocking the relationships of the trio, and even questioning their abilities to make decisions on their own. He was on fire and it was great seeing the group squirm.

But who the heck is Roderick?

This mysterious "name," supposedly taken from Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" (although, my money's on "Diary of Wimpy Kid") has enough power to call the shots and send in more followers to save the trio.

And yet the trio was broken, leaving Paul shot, Emma gone with Joey and Jacob confused and still not having killed anyone. Might this be the first crack in Joe's plan? Would Jacob and Paul stick with the following's work or will they be out to take revenge on Emma who abandoned them?

And did Emma really love Jacob at all or was she simply into manipulating the guys in her quest to fulfill her concept of power and choice?

It was interesting. Agent Parker tried to find a way to connect with Emma, as flashbacks - including a flashback within a flashback - revealed Debra's own part in a cult.

It was creepy watching her as a young child be offered up to the cult leader by her parents and I'm not surprised she left. Perhaps that's what makes her such an expert on cults and hunting down Joe.

But that last shot of her pulling out the necklace that contained the symbol for her original cult? Did that mean that maybe she's still more connected than we - or even she - wants to believe? Or simply recognition that her past has never left her?

I'm still a bit wary of her as the so-called good guy, although it was a rather revealing backstory for her character.

The only part that seemed more ridiculous and took away from the tension in the standoff was Claire in the secret lair of Charlie the admirer. I know she was desperate to do anything to see her kid, but did she really think that she would get to see him? And was she really that surprised that someone had been following her?

On top of that, Charlie seemed like a complete crazy person, slamming his head and feeling impure because of kissing her. Where does Joe find these people?

And as much as Joe is a chilling villain, I want to see him do more than sit down in prison and tell whoever is listening that the next chapter in the story is about to begin. I know he's the leader and his followers carry out the commands, but I'd love to see him in action at some point.

After all, it looks like Ryan's doing a lot of the killing and running around out of the two major characters. I'm sure Ryan would love a break to give his heart a rest, but when you're hunting sociopaths, there's never any time for that.

I'm still interested in Joe's big plan and the episodes continue to be heavy on the suspense and drama. Plus, with more and more followers coming out of the wood works, I'm definitely curious as to what's next for The Following.

The Fall Review

Editor Rating: 4.4 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 3.8 / 5.0 (155 Votes)

Sean McKenna was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. He retired in May of 2017. Follow him on Twitter.

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