The Following

Notorious serial killer Joe Carroll, after being found guilty of murdering 14 female students on the Virginia college campus where he taught literature, escapes from death row. The FBI calls former agent Ryan Hardy to consult on the case, as he was the one responsible for Carroll’s capture in 2003. Ryan, working closely with an FBI team, including Mike Weston and FBI Specialist Debra Parker, piece together the ever-growing web of murders orchestrated by the devious Carroll.

The Following (2013-2015) is an American network crime thriller created by Kevin Williamson for FOX. Kevin Bacon plays ousted FBI agent Ryan Hardy, pulled back into the hunt for Joe Carroll (James Purefoy), a literature professor turned serial killer who escapes death row after murdering fourteen students. Hardy works alongside agent Mike Weston (Shawn Ashmore) and specialist Debra Parker (Annie Parisse) as the investigation uncovers a growing web of followers Carroll has recruited and inspired. Across three seasons of fifteen episodes each, the series plays out as one serialized manhunt, with each episode tightening the pressure on a cat and mouse game between the hunter and a charismatic killer. The atmosphere is tense and dark, with paranoia and dread building around cult loyalty, betrayal, and the question of who can be trusted. Fans of Dexter, Hannibal and The Killing will find resonance in its brooding violence, psychological duels and relentless pace. The series is set in present day America, mostly in Virginia and across the East Coast, and unfolds with the brisk urgency typical of a network thriller.

Audience ratings are positive but modest, with viewers praising the lead performances and the cat-and-mouse tension between Ryan Hardy and Joe Carroll while finding the series less compelling as it continued.

• Dexterserial killer cat and mouse, FBI manhunt, serialized dread
• Hannibalcharismatic serial killer antagonist, psychological cat and mouse, serialized crime thriller
• The Fugitiveserialized FBI procedural with a fugitive killer and cult-like followers, network crime thriller
• The Killingserialized thriller with a brilliant killer and a dogged investigator, dark mystery tones

Created by

Kevin Williamson

Release Date

2013-01-21

Episode runtime

43 min

Rating

7.4 / 10 (619)

What is The Following about?

A disgraced FBI agent is pulled back in to hunt a charismatic serial killer who escapes death row and leads a cult of followers.

What is The Following like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Following as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is The Following violent?

Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Following as graphic.

What did critics think of The Following?

Audience ratings are positive but modest, with viewers praising the lead performances and the cat-and-mouse tension between Ryan Hardy and Joe Carroll while finding the series less compelling as it continued.

Which shows are like The Following?

Shows with a similar feel include Dexter, Hannibal, The Fugitive, and The Killing.

How long is The Following?

The Following: 3 seasons, 45 episodes.

Is The Following still running?

No, The Following was canceled.

Where can I watch The Following?

In United States, The Following streams on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix Standard with Ads, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel.