‘The Following’ season 3, episode 6 preview: Kevin Bacon on Joe Carroll’s return

As much as the cast and producers of “The Following” tried to downplay the potential return of Joe Carroll in the preseason interviews, we all knew that this was coming. It’s inevitable. He is the Joker to Ryan Hardy’s Batman, and regardless of whether or not the two want to admit it, they are going to be linked to one another for the rest of their days.

Does Joe’s return mean great entertainment? Yes and no. There is no question that he is the most compelling character on the show, but the stuff that they had him doing for the second half of last season was pretty infuriating. We could care less about the religious cult stuff, and it just became far too convoluted for its own good.

Having Joe behind bars now is a move more reminiscent of the first season, and now we get to see if he actually stays there. We’re torn on this. Keeping him there is certainly the more realistic option, and it keeps us from losing our mind at the thought of the police being so continuously incompetent that they would allow this man to escape TWICE.

Then again, how in the world is the show going to really pay off the idea of Ryan negotiating with this guy behind bars the entire season? That challenge in itself may be fun to behold.

In the video below, listen to Kevin Bacon and the producers talk about this dynamic, and what may be coming up next for some of these characters now that Joe is back in the world. There are also a few teases in here of what is next for Strauss, and a new villain who actually feels a little like “The Dark Knight” version of the Joker.

What do you think will come out of Joe Carroll’s return to “The Following”? Let us know all of your potential theories right away in the comments!