Round Two: The Following

The Following: Season 1, Episode 2 “Chapter Two” (B+)

This show didn’t disappoint in its second hour, but it may take a while to get used to the fact that literally anyone in the world could be eternally faithful to Joe and have spent the past however many years of their lives solely devoted to his cause. I’m pleased that the show is able to be immensely thrilling without making me jump out of my seat, instead filming the scenes in which things happen suddenly in a way that isn’t too startling, just appropriately creepy, like when Jordy jumped down from the ceiling to take out the police officer watching Claire. Joe remains maniacal, and it’s clear that he is doing this mostly to get a rise out of Ryan, to manipulate him into being an unwilling participant in his own story. Fortunately, Ryan has good people on his side, namely cult specialist Agent Debra Parker and Agent Troy Reilly, who was smooth enough to tuck a gun into the back of Ryan’s pants when he had to go in and try to rescue Claire from Jordy. I liked Jordy’s proclamation of “This is my chapter and I can write it anyway I want,” which gives the show’s mythology a definite boost. Emma’s past is certainly disturbing, particularly when she killed her disapproving mother at the dinner table, and I’m sure that Paul’s feelings for Jacob are going to cause some problems on the Joey-watching front soon. The FBI will have their hands full, of course, with Poes lighting reporters on fire and other such catastrophic, destructive occurrences.