BY RUBY CHINGU
The staffs and actors of The Following Season 2 have a massive responsibility on their shoulders to continue the psychotic greatness of the series’s season 1. How many episodes can you write about an obsessive pursuit involving a former FBI agent and a serial killer? Since the show is pretty much centered around Joe Carroll, I was worried that I’d be sick of the character soon.
However, the excitement continues on for season 2, MAJOR THANKS to a number of super interesting and equally (if not more) psychotic characters in the show. Season 2 has progressed up to Episode 5 by now. Safe to say, ‘BORING’ will not be in my dictionary for this show anytime soon. Here are the characters that keep me tuning in to the show every week:-
1 – Lily Gray
The formidable matriarch to a small cult that admires Joe Carroll. Lily was introduced in the beginning of the season as a victim of a mass murderous rampage in a New York Subway. At first, all of us thought that Ryan Hardy was going to develop a love-line with her. How could we not – Lily is beautiful and graceful. She is an art dealer and looks, in every way possible, a harmless human being.
Damn, how wrong we were!
For Lily is actually quite a serial murderer herself. She adopts a number of children who are, in nature, killers as well. Calm and collected much like Joe himself. For the first time ever, Joe Carroll has a counterpart that can match his charisma and strength. If Joe utilizes his charisma as a teacher to woo his followers, Lily uses her softness and motherly charms. As Joe begins to come out of his hiding, Lily is the one responsible to providing him a safe haven. Unlike his past followers, Lily Gray is not just someone who wishes to be accepted by Joe Carroll. She is more like a protector. I can notice that she also wishes to maybe put Joe under her control. Her ulterior motives are still vague to me – if you are a serial killer as so fuckingly rich as Lily Gray (she’s a billionaire), why would you want to let another leader into your cult? Therefore, she might be genuinely a follower and she might be not. Who knew?
But damn, Lily and Joe looks so hot together!!
2 – Mark Gray
One word – AWWWWW!! I mean, awwwwwwwwww. Isn’t Mark Gray the cutest cutie pie you have ever seen in The Following? That puppy eyes, that innocent smile….. Again, awwwwww…. Ignoring the fact that he’s also a psychopathic serial murderer, Mark is a demure sensitive young man. He’s also the twin brother of the masculine tough Luke. Why do I love Mark so much? Because he looks submissive. And he reads. And he’s quiet most of the time. And he’s careful. And he seems to be a nice guy when he’s not killing anyone. His niceness, though, makes his character a tad bit unpredictable. I can’t really say what’s going to happen to his character. Is he more demonic than his tough brother, Luke? Or is he more (though unlikely) human? I don’t know but I am sure excited to see his development. His character, so far, is the only character capable of make me feel all giddy and girly…. Hehe
May I just spazz on the greatness of Sam Underwood? I mean, he’s playing two completely different characters, Mark and Luke, and totally nails it. Even my sister can’t believe that the characters are actually played by the same actor. I LOVE YOU, SAM!! I LOVE YOU! I SWEAR I’M GONNA HUG AND KISS YOU IF I EVER SEE YOU IF YOU EVER COME TO MALAYSIA (PLEASE DO!!) The characters are so complicated yet he plays it with confidence that keeps me in awe. In every episode, mind you. He’s the sole reason I am tuning in every week to watch the show. He makes this second journey all worth it.
3 – Detective Max Hardy
Max’s appearance in the new season gives our main character, Ryan Hardy, a side we’ve never seen in him before. With Max, Ryan is a caring uncle with a fatherly concern. Max shares many traits with her uncle – she’s firm, smart, kick-ass, brilliant and highly courageous. Her youth also means that she is less emotionally-damaged than Ryan, which makes her the ultimate babysitter to Ryan’s crazy obsessions towards Joe Carroll. Without the knowledge of anyone, she assists Ryan in his pursuit of Joe, which could lead to her expulsion from the force.
I have a feeling that she did not participate the pursuit because she was really interested in it. I think she did it because she is worried about her uncle. Rather than letting him handles things on his own and keep her out of the dark, she would rather stay by his side (within all that chaos) so long as she can watch out for Ryan. This uncle-niece relationship is so fresh, I am loving it!
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Aside from the characters, I am also terribly excited to see how the story in Season 2 will unfold. I have a few predictions in mind – Joe Carroll would want to re-establish his cult again. I think he still has many followers that have yet to be exposed to the FBI. The followers we saw in Season 1 might only be a small percentage of his following, to be honest. He had his eight years in prison. He was also allowed access to his mails and internet correspondences. To think that there are so many serial killers worshiping him creeps the hell out of me but that is what makes the series so enjoyable. Psychotic in its baddest form, hehehe. Thank God it’s only a freaking series.
Even though they share an amazing sexual chemistry at the beginning of Season 2, I have a feeling that Joe and Lily will have a fallout. Joe is the established leader of the following – he’s the God and supreme focal point of all these psychopath people. Lily is the woman who brought him back and provides him with protection, money and shelter. I think Lily is going to be pretty much as what Roderick was in Season 1 – the power behind the Carroll throne. But then, Lily comes with a twisted cult of adopted children/killers of her own.
Hahahahaha. I am seriously praying for an episode where Joe’s cult and Lily’s cult go against each other like in a big fat war. The followers protecting Joe, their father and the adopted children protecting Lily, their mother. It is going to be super epic – and disturbing – but epic.
As for Mark and Luke – I am sure they are also going to have misunderstandings of their own. Then, we have Emma, Joe’s number one follower who still, regrettably, cannot get over her obsession over Joe. At times, I just wanna shake that bitch’s shoulders and scream at her – “MOVE ON, BITCH!!” Why would you obsess over a leader who had left you when you have someone like the puppy-eyes Mark who obviously has a crush over you?
Please, Emma. FYI, Emma is slowly becoming the character I dislike most in the series. Maybe because I am so used of seeing her in Season 1. I have this habit of differentiating the followers in the past and the followers in the present. I also dislike how Emma does not seem to have an individuality of her own. I am sure she’s an amazing killer but I really wish to see her not clinging to Joe. I mean, she’s real attached to Joe as a I don’t-know-what. Does she look up to Joe as a teacher? A dad she never had? A god? A brother? A lover? A husband? A protector? What? What? Be clear, bitch!
But it’s okay, Emma. I have faith in you. Promise me you’ll return to your interesting self at the beginning of Season 1. And please please please…. don’t repeat the stupid mistake of choosing Joe over the men who genuinely love and care for you…. Please don’t waste anymore cute guys in the show. We can’t survive on the awesomeness of Joe alone.
P/S – Am still upset about NBC’s silence about Dracula’s continuance. Are they or aren’t they continuing the show? Please say yes…. Pleaseeeeee….. I need more Alexander and Mina lovin’!!!!!
Three Chinguz - Reviews & Rantings 