Fox’s new television drama, “The Following,” has been declared by some as too violent, especially in wake of recent violent tragedies, including the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn. But for others, “The Following” is more than just a thriller of a serial killer and his followers, but rather a drama exploring the vast and complex relationships of its characters.
“The Following,” which stars Kevin Bacon in his first television series, chronicles Bacon’s character, Ryan Hardy, a former FBI agent trying to stop a cult of wannabe serial killers imitating Joe Carroll. Carroll, played by James Purefoy, is a college literature professor who brutally murdered 14 co-eds before being arrested. Carroll is obsessed with the works of Edgar Allan Poe, which inspired his various crimes.
Hardy is originally brought on to assist the FBI in recapturing Carroll, who escaped from prison, because Hardy was the agent to catch Carroll years before. Though Carroll is eventually recaptured, he has inspired a following of “fans” who plan to continue his work in serial killing.
In a show about a serial killer, violence is expected, but “The Following” seeks to explore beyond violent actions and focus on the relationships between the main characters. Creator Kevin Williamson, the man behind the “Scream” films and television series “Dawson’s Creek,” and “The Vampire Diaries,” hopes people tune in for the story, not just the violence. The relationship of Hardy and Carroll is particularly dynamic and interesting to watch since Hardy and Carroll’s ex-wife, Claire Matthews, had an affair during Carroll’s trial after Matthews and Carroll had divorced. The scenes between Hardy and Claire ooze sexual tension. Paired with Carroll’s jealousy, these feelings develop an emotional storyline, as well as the promise of a possible love triangle.
As Carroll is inspired by Poe, it is intriguing to see how Poe’s various works are used as inspiration. One of Carroll’s followers hides her mother’s body in the walls, a reference to one of Poe’s works.
While Williamson wants viewers to look deeper into the storyline, there are some graphic depictions of violence. In the pilot episode, the opening scene is particularly brutal as Carroll escapes from prison by murdering multiple prison guards. Though the action is not shown on screen, Carroll’s act is explicitly expressed with massive amounts of fresh, crimson blood covering the screen. Carroll is recaptured at the end of the episode, but not without kidnapping and killing “the one that got away” (the college student whom Hardy originally saved when he caught Carroll). In the second episode, one of Carroll’s followers kills college sorority girls, and again, the action is not explicitly shown, but the killer’s actions are obvious with the torturous positions and the copious amounts of blood.
Though only two episodes have aired, not many memorably violent scenes have been shown. There have been disturbing images including victims with their eyes gouged out and murdered puppies, but overall, “The Following” has not lived up to the hype of being extremely violent. With popular shows like “American Horror Story” portraying equally disturbing and violent scenes, “The Following” does not seem outrageous. “The Following” keeps you on the edge of your seat, as many thrillers do, but also keeps you intrigued with the history of the characters, including members of Carroll’s cult, whose histories are being revealed as the episodes go on.
If you want to judge the violence of this new TV thriller for yourself, catch “The Following” on Mondays at 9 p.m. on Fox.
Victoria Holt is a second-year student majoring in Communication Studies. She can be reached at VH758202@wcupa.edu.