Public service announcement: I am SO obsessed with this show. I binge watched the entire first season of The Following about six months ago thanks to Netflix. Yesterday, my sister suggested we started watching it again. I completely forgot how amazing this show was, as I watched the entire season in one day, and was a complete zombie during the fifteen hour marathon. It’s astounding that I have any recollection of the show at all! We’re on the fifth episode now, and so many critical details that have been lost in my noggin are now surfacing again. This really is a show that you need to watch over time. If you watch it all in one day, you look past some of the key “hidden in plain sight” details that the show offers, as I learned. Kevin Bacon (SO SEXY!) plays former FBI agent, Ryan Hardy, best known for his capture of serial killer, Joe Carroll (played by James Purefoy). Mr. Carroll escapes prison, only to be recaptured again by Ryan. Once Carroll is back in jail, insane instances begin happening, carried out by his cult followers of psychopaths and killers. All of Joe’s plans that are being carried out outside of the prison walls, have a direct effect on his loved ones, especially focusing on his ex-wife Claire and young son, Joey. It’s now up to Ryan Hardy and a team of very capable FBI agents to track down these followers before all of Joe Carrolls’ twisted plans fall into place. The cat and mouse chase of this show keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The acting is SO brilliant too. The scenes between Bacon and Purefoy are so raw and powerful, you can honestly feel the tension through the tv screen. There’s a solid crew of supporting actors as well, specifically miss Valorie Curry who plays Emma Hill. She’s Carrolls’ right hand woman, and let me just say: she’s fucking nuts. This girl can ACT. It really is impossible to not hate her character, so that just means she’s doing a fantastic job of playing a fanatical killer. Did I forget to mention one of the coolest parts of the show? All of the Edgar Allen Poe references!! One might say that Mr. Poe was the inspiration for Carrolls’ serial killings. Poe believed nothing was more beautiful than a beautiful girl dying, as did Joe Carroll, leading to his murders of fourteen young women at the college he was a professor at. Stories and poems of Poe are quoted through out the show, as well as specific references in the murders to famous short stories such as the Tell Tale Heart and the Black Cat. Seriously guys, do yourselves a favor and give The Following a try. This blog post doesn’t even begin to dabble in how amazing this show is. What’s your favorite Edgar Allen Poe story or poem? Have you watched this show before? What do you think of it? Leave me a comment and let’s discuss! -Sarah