Follow The Following

Article first published as The Following Series Premiere Review on Seat42F.

Grade: 97%

FOX is known for high-octane action dramas that are also about good storytelling. In THE FOLLOWING, premiering this Monday at 9 p.m. ET, not only does it follow in this proud traditional, but it uses a well-known group of actors and a seasoned creator, Kevin Williamson (Scream, Dawson’s Creek, The Vampire Diaries), to deliver one of the best network series in the genre to date.

As the story opens, after a suitably intense first scene, we meet agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon, Mystic River, Apollo 13), an alcoholic, washed-up fed who once captured a notorious serial killer named Joe Carroll (James Purefoy, Rome, Resident Evil). Joe is on the loose, and with some new agents by his side (X-Men’s Shawn Ashmore, not to be confused with twin Aaron, and Law & Order’s Annie Parisse), Ryan has to track down Joe all over again.

While the hunt is on, THE FOLLOWING takes time to show us some of the previous events in a series of flashbacks. We are introduced to Sarah (Maggie Grace, Lost, Taken), the victim Ryan saved from Joe’s killing spree, and Claire Matthews (Natalie Zea, Justified, The Other Guys), Joe’s wife, whom Ryan previously had a sexual relationship with, during the first go-round with Joe. Ryan checks in on them both in the present day, concerned, and hoping that they can lead him to Joe.

Other than that, it’s hard to tell you much. FOX would like me not to spoil the various plot twists that make up the hour, and after thoroughly enjoying the story, I agree that everyone should watch the episode for themselves. It’s a thrilling ride, with plenty of the unexpected happening, and it would be pretty rude to give you a heads up about those things.

This also makes it hard to talk about the series going forward, or what it will be. The story is significantly different at the end from what it appears to be at the beginning. so I can’t write about the premise very much without spoiling. So I won’t.

What THE FOLLOWING does well is set up an intense situation. As publicly released materials on the show’s official website have already revealed, the show will deal a lot with what would happen if serial killers in many different areas formed a network, rallying around a central figure. It takes an element of society that it already dangerous, and heightens the threat, with a support network helping the bad guys complete their evil missions. This is exactly what is happening.

There is also the Battlestar Galactica element of the enemy hiding among us. On that sci-fi show, the villains are Cylons, robots that look like humans, live as humans, and may not even know they aren’t humans. In THE FOLLOWING, serial killers masquerade as normal people, and like in BG, they could be anybody. This makes for a high-stakes guessing game sure to engage viewers.

Of course, we have the flawed hero in Ryan, a familiar enough trope at this point. Bacon brings something fresh to the table, though, as the latest in a string of well-respected, highly talented film stars that are transitioning to the small screen for the great roles offered. Bacon takes Ryan, and immediately sets up someone fans will get behind and root for, even as we wish we could help him through the internal and external traumas he is dealing with, forgiving him his slipups because of what he has endured.

There is a simmering tension in the air, as THE FOLLOWING makes us wonder what a person is capable of. We get both sides of the spectrum, hero and villain, both intelligent and capable, and both ripe for exploring humanity through the prism of. Obviously, Joe’s actions are heinous, but the show seeks to get into his head a bit. At the same time, Ryan has clearly taken almost all he can possibly take, but, somehow, he has to find a way to overcome his failings and be the man the public need him to be to protect them.

Ryan is starting a step behind, Joe, of course, not knowing the game is already afoot. But the chemistry between these leads is great, and surely the upper hand will go back and forth between them repeatedly over the run of the program.

What makes THE FOLLOWING even better than the typical series are the literary and artistic references. Edgar Allen Poe plays a huge role in influence, with a thumping heart beat even accompanying one scene in a brilliant way. Joe thinks that there is a beauty in the murders he commits, and while THE FOLLOWING will not glamorize or agree with Joe, we see the elements in his act that he attributes to the more noble pursuits.

In short, THE FOLLOWING works on many levels, and is extremely well put together in every category. It takes what FOX did with Prison Break and 24, testosterone-fueled dramas, and pumps it up with some braininess that elevates the game. This is a fascinating story with plenty of mystery and suspense. It should become a much-watch for many very quickly.

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The Vampire Diaries Fall Run

     The CW's The Vampire Diaries completed its fall run this past Thursday with the episode "By the Light of the Moon." The first season left my head spinning a bit with just how much plot and development the show's writers managed to pack in. Judging by the first eleven episodes of season two, they are going to do it again. Which means excitement, twists, romance, and plenty of flashbacks to prior centuries.

     Not quite a teen sap-fast like many of the network's other shows, and not exactly the same as Twilight and the other vampire fare for teen girls, it's also not the bloodbath that is True Blood. Staking (excuse the pun) out a middle ground, The Vampire Diaries deserves its own audience. If I had to compare it to anything, I'd say Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but it takes itself a bit more seriously, stressing darkness over humor. Created by the same man that brought you Dawson's Creek and the Scream movies, Kevin Williamson, those two things will tell you more accurately than any other comparison what the show is.

     Before we get started on the review, I do have one question though: why do all recent vampire stories have to bring in werewolves? Sure, Buffy and Angel went light on the subject, and Twilight's werewolves aren't really werewolves, but seriously. The dog-hybrids are as commonplace as bloodsuckers nowadays. The Vampire Diaries have added some new things, like the fact that a single werewolf bite will eventually, through slow infection, kill a vampire. But, still! Enough already with the werewolf-vampire pairing.

     So, on to the show. As mentioned above, werewolves have arrived in Mystic Falls, courtesy of the Lockwood family. Tyler's (Michael Trevino) dad was killed last season without explaining the family's curse. Luckily, Tyler's uncle Mason (Taylor Kinney) showed up, though he, too, was killed without revealing too much of the mystery. But in this show, death can have far-reaching effects, as evidenced by the woman who showed up in this week's episode looking for Mason, prompting the town to declare him officially a missing person. I like that you can't murder someone, hide the body, and get away with it in this series.

     Caroline (Candice Accola) has had major problems since being vamped, and she has made a nice counterpoint to Tyler's story. Though I do complain that Caroline adapted to the vampire life much quicker than she should have, and unlike others did earlier in the show, her connection with Tyler, both of them accepting such a major life change early in their lives, has been nice. It's too bad their friendship will surely interfere with Caroline and Matt's (Zach Roerig) relationship, which, while currently off, is still important to them.

     Caroline has had some really touching stuff this year, especially in the episodes when her mother (Marguerite MacIntyre) learned her secret, only to have Caroline wipe her memory. The change has caused her and Tyler, who were both a bit whiny as teenagers, to suddenly grow into adults, dealing with major responsibilities and problems. It's a welcome evolution.

     Both Tyler and Caroline were forced into their transformations by a villain, bent on doing them in for their own purposes. Caroline was turned by Katherine (Nina Dobrev) as a message to Elena (also Dobrev), while Tyler was manipulated into killing an innocent girl just so someone could keep werewolves alive in Mystic Falls. Why that was done remains one of the unanswered questions still to be tackled this winter and spring.

     Speaking of Katherine, it has been awesome having her around this year. Last season was spent wondering why Elena looked like Stefan's (Paul Wesley) ex-girlfriend vampire, and now we're getting a few answers, albeit slowly. Dobrev is proving herself up to the challenge of simultaneously bringing two such different characters to life at once, and even after Katherine was locked in the tomb, there's still a lingering doubt just which one of them is appearing in each scene before some sort of confirmation surfaces. It brings new layer and excitement every time Dobrev graces the screen.

     Elena's brother, Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen), also got to mature as he learned about the secret underworld around him. Armed with his uncle's ring so he can't die, Jeremy has become an integral part to Elena, Stefan, and Damon's (Ian Somerhalder) plans. His only downside is his crush on Bonnie (Katerina Graham), who has taken his place as least likable character. Jeremy can do so much better, and besides, he has plenty of more serious things to worry about right now.

     I know Bonnie is struggling with what she can do, and how her friends are changing, but come on! The witch complains too much, can never make up her mind, and gets a nose bleed every time she does a spell. I believe that the magic involved in the series requires a witch to keep it going, making her indispensable. Still, I find myself wishing that she would be written off and replaced with a more interesting witch or warlock, one who is a match for the other supernatural forces around them. Bonnie is not.

     Competing for uselessness with Bonnie are Alaric (Matthew Davis) and Jenna (Sara Canning). I like them both, and sometimes they add a much needed element to the episodes. However, both are way underused. Alaric has held his own with creatures much more powerful than himself, but more often than not, he is not involved in the main trio's activities. Why not? He's such a great ally! His relationship with Aunt Jenna is sweet, but as long as she's kept in the dark about what's going on in the town, she'll never be more than a liability to Elena. Perhaps Alaric and Jenna should get married and move away. If they took Jeremy with them, I could even see a potential spinoff.

     Damon continues to be a major highlight, with Somerhalder as the good bad boy with just the right amount of sarcasm. How many characters can kill someone in cold blood and remain likable? I know Damon's murder of Jeremy didn't stick, but Damon wasn't aware that it wouldn't when he committed it. Yet, he is probably still my favorite character. Not only that, I feel like he has a bigger heart than just about anyone else. It's those strong emotions that cause such reckless behavior in him.

     The Vampire Diaries will not be back with new episodes until January 27th. However, this week the CW will be presenting a marathon, running season two episodes from 8pm to 10pm Monday through Friday, which covers ten of the eleven entries in this fall's run. The 11th, this week's, will surely rerun as well before the next new episode, so there is plenty of time to catch up.


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Article first published as TV Review: The Vampire Diaries - Fall Run on Blogcritics.

Vampire Die-aries

     CW presented yet another teen-angst drama this fall, this time taking our resurgence in vampires into account.  The Vampire Diaries is steeped in old mystery, history, and the fanged ones, but it is also the type of hour soap you would expect from the network that airs 90210 and Gossip Girl.  The problem is, it's a little too into the teenage genre and less into the vampire one.

     The high school characters are largely flat and one dimensional.  The main girl, Elena (Nina Dobrev, Degrassi: The Next Generation), tries to have depth, dealing with loss of her parents, and dating a one hundred and sixty-two year old, but the actress just doesn't have the acting ability to pull it off.  Similarly, her best friend, Bonnie (Katerina Graham), is a descendant of a witch, who the viewer sees in flashbacks, but her emotions are displayed only at surface level.  And don't even get me started on the guys, who have much less back story to work with, but aren't any better at it than the girls.  The only one who really succeeds is Candice Accola as Caroline.  Perhaps that's because her character actually is ditsy and shallow.

     The vampires, however, are mixed.  While Stefan (Paul Wesley, Everwood) only occasionally shows glimpses of talent, Damon is played deliciously evil by Ian Somerhalder (Lost).  Damon's motivation has barely been made clear, but he is played in such a way that he seems likable, and every time he does something monstrous, I am surprised anew.  Intellectually, I know that the character is not trustworthy in the least, but I am still drawn in.  This is the way to play a vampire, all atonce seductive, tricky, and villainous.  Currently, Damon is the best thing the show has going for it.

     That being said, the mythos and history of the town where the show is set is rich enough to keep things going for awhile as the actors grow into the roles.  It's been done before on other shows.  Sometimes it just takes time for a show to truly find its way.  The series was developed and is currently led by Kevin Williamson, creator of Dawson's Creek, so it has that going for it.  While currently it is barely worthy as a guilty pleasure show, take a lesson from Williamson's history and realize that it could grow into something really great down the line.  Either way, the tween fans of Twilight will find plenty to obsess over in the meantime.  After all, it just won Favorite New TV Drama at the People's Choice Awards.

     The Vampire Diaries is currently on hiatus and will return Thursday, January 21st at 8pm.