1.2 Chapter Two After all, he’s an author and a college professor, and what two professions put you on a pedestal higher than that? Especially when speaking to young people in their formative years? Taking a page from Charles Manson’s playbook, the four followers of Joe Carroll we’ve met either last week or this week are impressionable youngsters like college-age Emma aka babysitter Denise (Valorie Curry), a couple of handsome fellows who seem to be in it mostly for the killing like Jacob and Paul (Nico Tortorella and Adan Canto), and a portly/dim-witted law enforcement type,Jordy (Steve Monroe). It’s an interesting, modern update on the Manson Family, where (possible) sexual dysfunction, low self-esteem, and low intelligence all come together to create a core of a dysfunctional group of serial killers. Truthfully, the scenes between Curry, Tortorella, and Canto seem to work the best tonight. I’m not really invested in them, but the murdering pair of lovers and their third wheel (and I’m not really sure which male of the fake gay couple is the boyfriend and which is the third wheel) makes for some decent dramatic tension, if only because you’re not sure which way that particular worm is going to turn (or if it will even get a chance to turn). The one thing you can say about the show is that it consistently looks great. From both a technical standpoint, with its editing tricks and shot composition and scene staging, to its set design. The set design on this show has been incredible, and the tableau they have been painting with crazy Poe-centric decorations, lots and lots of handwriting on the walls, and the occasional blood splatter (though there was much less gore this week than last). Some poor PA spent hours transcribing Poe passages on walls while painters carefully laid out giant illustrations and special effects crews set up a dozen latex Poe masks on various shelves. If nothing else, the show is really squeezing the Poe out of the story to maximum effect, and the show knows how to create moody environments for Kevin Bacon to get menaced into. I had a great deal of trouble staying interested in The Following this week, and I’m not sure if it was just me or the show. The FBI agents are still mostly plot-delivery devices arranged artfully around Kevin Bacon, and the fact that they added a new agent, Debra Parker (Annie Parisse), and replaced Agent Mason from the first episode hasn’t made things any easier to pay attention to. Admittedly, they cleverly removed the character from the series by having her shipped back to Quantico for allowing Hardy to break Carroll’s fingers at the end of the first episode, but again they chase this with some very dumb words (courtesy of Kevin Williamson) that come out of her mouth blaming the Internet for serial killers. Read Ron’s review of the previous episode, Pilot, here. US Correspondent Ron Hogan seems to be in the minority when it comes to enjoying James Purefoy’s performance as Bundy Manson, handsome cult leader. Find more by Ron daily at Shaktronics and PopFi Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
