‘The Following’ finale spoilers: Is Joe Carroll’s ‘final chapter’ really here?

Over the past few weeks on “The Following,” there has been one question on our mind: Is the show bold enough to take down Joe Carroll in the finale? James Purefoy has delivered a dynamite performance in the role, and he has been the perfect yin to Ryan Hardy’s yang.

However, there is also a massive problem that comes via keeping him alive which is you lose much of the show’s intensity or excitement. The longer this case drags out, the more it starts to feel like something that is routine rather than something that is extraordinary. When the entire premise of your show is based on trying to make people squirm, we’re not quite sure that you want to do that.

Judging on the fact that the trailer for Monday night’s season finale teases that we are about to see “Joe Carroll’s final chapter,” it looks like the writing staff and executive producer Kevin Williamson are well aware of this very thing. If it turns out to not be his final chapter, then the trailer really is leading us down the wrong path, and the writers better have a great idea for what season 2 with him will bring.

If we had to guess, we would say that the entire idea of Carroll’s followers will extend beyond this season. After all, killing the man does not necessarily kill his ideals, and there are going to be some crazies still out there in the world interesting in continuing his vision.

What do you think about this video, and is there anything in particular that you are hoping to see from the finale to “The Following”?  If you want to read some more assorted teasers from the last episode of the season via James Purefoy, you can do so over at the link here.

Photo: Fox, video via SpoilerTV