‘The Following’ finale review: Did Ryan Hardy really stop Joe Carroll?
“The Following” has at times been excellent, at times extremely disturbing, and other times completely nonsensical. Ultimately, we saw almost all of these feelings come to a head during the season finale Monday night, including an ending so shocking that we don’t really know what to make of it. For the latter, we had some strange moments, with the primary one being Joe Carroll being somehow fazed by Ryan Hardy making fun of his writing.
With that being said, this was an insanely intense hour of storytelling. The death of Agent Parker was in some ways expected, but there were a few moments where you genuinely believed that Hardy would be able to save her after she was buried alive. This caused him to become completely unhinged, and Ryan shot one of Joe’s minions in cold blood.
The way Joe went out was certainly the sort of thing you see time and time again in superhero tales. Rather than seeing the man go out with his body on the ground, it was instead with a fiery explosion. We may be able to assume that he is dead, but who really knows? That is the beauty of this sort of ending, and also the despair.
So there was an ending to the Joe story, but it is hardly one that was particularly happy. While Joe seems to be dead, there are followers still alive … and we saw the worst of it when Ryan ended the episode with a knife in his stomach, and with Claire getting the same treatment. Will they both survive? That is the cliffhanger until season 2, and it is a pretty devastating way to leave us for the summer. Why do this to us? After this season, we would have almost preferred a little more of a win.
What was your take on the finale for “The Following,” and did you see the ending coming? If you want to see what Kevin Bacon had to say about the end of the season, be sure to visit the link here.
Photo: Fox
Spitfire8
May 3, 2013 @ 8:09 am
Three comments to make. First, I love the show, but it needs something uplifting to happen. Otherwise it’s repetitively frustrating (like Gilligan’s Island) and is too much of a lose lose so far. Second, having Parker die after all that work and so undeservedly, just sucked. WTH? She’s the only female hero! Come on…
God knows Claire is no hero, since she makes idiotic mistakes, repeatedly. It’s even worse that Ryan again agreeing to give up his gun and phone AND not telling the other agents where he’s going b/c “it has to be this way”….what?
Claire really does put her son (or rather, being with him) ahead of all rational considerations. Think LONG TERM lady… Finally, the ending was more confusing than exciting. What the hell happened? Stupid Claire again blunders into a bad situation, and makes it worse. Ryan the victim gets stabbed, again…and some cult woman and former lover of Ryan, goes nuts and then goes…where? (PS – Of course Joe’s not dead, or the show would be over).
twentyfivemanroster
May 1, 2013 @ 2:59 am
would not be surprised if the one doing the dental match was a follower and Carroll had a trap door he escaped from.
chaseface
April 30, 2013 @ 3:21 pm
Does anyone know where that lighthouse is? Just curious – the property was beautiful
Tammy Maiorino Neglia
April 30, 2013 @ 7:22 pm
That scene was filmed on fire island, ny and your absolutely correct it’s beautiful, my daughter who is also a big fan has a piece of the boat house from the explosion :)
jeromek
April 30, 2013 @ 2:40 pm
Without Joe Carrol, it is going to be difficult for me to have the same interest. It will be like a new series.
Ania
May 13, 2013 @ 5:44 pm
He survived or the show would be over.
Hoping!
April 30, 2013 @ 4:37 am
I find joe carrols character amazing. i hope hes not dead, would like the story to continue with him. hoping he escaped , got a slight freddy kruegar char, and the series continues.
Mike Sigler
April 30, 2013 @ 2:46 am
Hated the ending. I want done with the Carroll storyline. In the very beginning they mention there are 300 active serial killers. That’s 300 seasons people. I would have liked some closer. A cliffhanger is supposed to bring you back. This one may just have me throw in the towel.
sydney
April 30, 2013 @ 2:27 am
I was so happy for that ending until I saw emma and then the guy at the door I don’t know if anyone else noticed this but that was the guy who shot the lights off at the place they went to to go find some followers and thats the guy who looked like he surrendered but shut the lights off as if it were a signal and I was not expecting that ending at all.
Danger Dave
April 30, 2013 @ 2:19 am
Not the ending I wanted to see. I wanted Ryan to stop the knife before she stuck it in him and turn it back into her forehead. GAME OVER!