The American drama crime series The Following, which premiered on the Fox television channel in 2013, tells the story of an FBI agent trying to catch a killer maniac and members of a bloody sect he created. Other law enforcement officers and an expert specializing in satanic cults help him in the investigation. After broadcasting for three seasons, the television company decided to close the project.
The plot of the series "Followers"
An English literature professor named Joe Carroll leads a double life. During a college-free lecture, he brutally kills students. Carroll is convinced that he commits crimes for the sake of art. After another murder, he is arrested by FBI agent Ryan Hardy.
Once in prison, Carrol uses the Internet to find individuals with the same inclinations. He organizes a sect of his followers, ready to kill and, if necessary, sacrifice themselves. Carroll manages to escape from prison. In order to neutralize the maniac and his fanatical imitators, the FBI calls agent Hardy for help.
main characters
The main actors were embodied on the screen by a talented team of actors of the series "Followers". The role of the charismatic killer professor was played by the British James Purefoy. His character is a big fan of romanticism and admires the works of Edgar Alan Poe. In addition to his perverted ideas, Carroll is obsessed with revenge on the man who arrested him.
The role of the brave FBI agent was played by American actor and director Kevin Bacon. Due to a severe wound in the heart received during the arrest of Carroll, his hero is forced to move away from active work. Hardy suffers guilt over deaths that he could not prevent. A retired agent isolates himself from the outside world and slowly plunges into the abyss of alcoholism. Hardy comes back to life after the FBI recruits him as a consultant to capture Carroll. Kevin Bacon is best known among the cast of Followers.
Natalie Zia played the role of Claire Matthews, the former wife of a professor maniac. She divorces Carroll after his arrest and receives custody of their son. Claire is protected by the police as she is hunted by members of the killer sect.
In the list of main characters and actors of the series "Followers" stands out Annie Parris, who played the role of FBI agent Debra Parker. Her character is a specialist in destructive cults and advises the team looking for Carroll. Parker's knowledge is backed up by personal experience, since her own childhood passed in a totalitarian sect, from which she was able to escape with great difficulty.
First season
At the center of the story is retired agent Hardy, who seeks to catch the serial killer Carroll who escaped from prison. He is confronted by fanatical cult members recruited by a professor while teaching in college and in prison. Carroll's most trusted assistant is a young girl named Emma Hill. The main negative character plans to take revenge on Agent Hardy and reunites with his ex-wife Claire. Fulfilling the leader’s order, members of the assassin sect kidnap Carroll’s son. This action is the first step towards implementing the complex plan of retribution invented by the sinister professor.
Second season
The number of characters and actors in the series "Followers" increases with the development of events. In the second season, the action takes place around a new sect, led by Carroll's former accomplice named Lily Gray and her twin sons. Thanks to them, it becomes known that the killer professor, whom the whole world considers dead, in reality escaped death and is hiding in a secret place. Hardy connects to Carroll's quest, assisted by his niece Max, a police detective.
Third season
The final part of the series tells about the fate of the protagonist after the arrest of Carroll. The serial killer awaits execution on death row, and Hardy finds peace of mind and gets used to a peaceful life. FBI agents harass remaining sect members. Even on the day of his execution, Carroll manages to kill two prison guards, which, however, does not stop the execution of the death sentence. After some time, Hardy disappears in order to start a new life as an informal arbiter of justice.
Reviews for the series "Followers"
The work of the team of actors in this criminal thriller received high marks from the majority of viewers. They were most impressed by the tense battle between the positive and negative heroes: a policeman suffering from psychological problems, unable to reconcile with nightmares experienced in the past, against a perverted but incredibly smart and charismatic killer. Undoubtedly, the series “The Following” boasts a very successful selection of actors. Actors literally radiate energy.
The creators of the series are reproached with an unconvincing and unrealistic script, as well as an abundance of shocking bloody episodes unusual for television. Although the plot contains unexpected twists that help keep viewers in suspense, overall this thriller gives the impression of a fictional story. However, according to fans of sharp crime dramas, the advantages of this series outweigh its shortcomings.