CITY BOY GEEKINESS

'The Following' Recap: The Fall

By  Justin Carreiro     9:00 AM    Labels:2013,Article,FOX,Midseason,Recap,Television,The Following 

What happens when a fictional FBI team swarms one farmhouse? Absolutely nothing.

This week on The Following, Ryan is held hostage while the FBI is getting closer to saving Joey. Plus, Claire meets a new scary friend and we learn a little bit more about Debra.


FROM HERO TO HOSTAGE
Cliffhangers are a great way to leave viewers on the edge of their seats. Last week, Ryan finally located Joey but Paul, the sexually confused member, placed a gun at the back of Ryan's head. Somehow with TWO (yes, two guns!) pointed at Ryan, a stand off still ensued - take the chance and fight him or risk being killed in the process. Emma, the real evil genius of The Following, took charge over the situation (by using 1% of her brain) and pulled out a taser to shock some sense into Ryan. Electric currents can harm pacemakers and Emma has no qualms in killing Ryan with the direct approach. (Maybe she should just make the decisions from now on?)

Ryan thought that he could hold out until the FBI arrives; however, the groupies would rather use their previous hostage Megan as fodder to improve their bargaining chip. FBI specialist Debra Parker reasons with the group, particularly by bringing up Emma's past with her mother. When the mysterious Roderick delivers a warning via the internet, the groupies start to crumble as Ryan continues to manipulate Paul and Emma reaches out to Debra yet again. 

Photos courtesy of BuddyTV

There's definitely a change in Emma this episode; she's a lot more distant and impatient when dealing with her boyfriends. When Roderick would only call her directly to provide plans, she used the opportunity and information to escape with Joey alone; leaving behind Jacob and Paul to the FBI team. Ryan, in the meantime, broke free from his restraints and freed Megan in the process. The boys must have wished upon a star because Roderick's allies arrived and the boys took off into the night. Was this Emma's middle school version of shunning someone? Emma coldly abandons the boys and leaves them to the wolves. A very cold, cold woman!

DALE VS. BILLY GRIMM
Did Billy Grimm do a guest spot on The Following this week? For those who don't know, Billy Grimm is a fictional character on The CW's Cult, which is a "show-within-a-show" about obsessive followers and cults. Billy Grimm is the leader on the fictional show in Cult and he surprising looks like this new character Dale. Part of the focus of this week's episode is the backstory of Debra Parker, the FBI cult specialist new to the case. Flashbacks revealed that Debra grew up in a cult society where her family was pressed under the thumb of their leader Dale. She went back after all these years to forgive her parents for them letting Dale rape her as a child. (Yes... she forgave them?!) I have some newfound respect for Debra. It takes a lot of courage to go back to the place where you were abused. Wait a minute... she's in the FBI and Dale's not arrested for statutory rape? Something's not right here.

THE STALKING GAME
Claire needs a serious dose of a reality check. She left police protection to find her son by trusting a serial killer, Charlie. (How she's still alive I will never know?) Let's meet Charlie: a tall, dark and mentally unstable former reserve member who has been watching Claire for two years under Joe's orders. While it's clear to everyone (except Claire) that Charlie is not to be trusted, she willingly stays until Joey arrives. If it wasn't for the FBI team who saved her, I have a feeling Charlie wouldn't have restrained himself. Claire should know better - she married a convicted serial killer!


Now that the groupies have disbanded, will Roderick be the new big bad? Post in the comments and let me know what you thought of this week's episode.

Share On