Tonight’s episode of The Following was pretty much mental wasn’t it? We actually are at a loss for words and are already counting down to next week.
If you haven’t seen the latest episode of The Following and prefer not to read spoilers stop reading now. If you want to relive all the action then keep reading.
Lily Gray (Connie Nielsen) may have barely been in the episode but she made sure her presence was known didn’t she? After the events of last week Lily was out for revenge but who was her target? The episode established that Max (Jessica Stroup) had been suspended for 6 months for her involvement in Ryan’s (Kevin Bacon) rogue operation and it was she who Lily went after to get back at Ryan. Believing that her son Luke (Sam Underwood) was dead, Lily took the eye for an eye approach by hiring someone to kidnap, torture and kill Max.
As Max was leaving her apartment building she witnessed a man being aggressive with his child. Going over to investigate she was soon knocked out and put in a car boot as the child filmed her. The video was then promptly sent to Ryan as a video message from Lily. Trying to figure out who could have taken her, Ryan turned to Agent Mendez (Valerie Cruz) who has had a change of heart and now believes Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) to be alive. She also thinks someone within the FBI has been helping him and asked Ryan who that could be? Erm, try looking in your own back yard love seeing as it’s your estranged girlfriend/wife/life partner Jana (Leslie Bibb). Mike (Shawn Ashmore) was also back after being told to take a step back due to his aggressive behaviour.
With the name Kurt and a face picture to go off Ryan decides that Luke will know who the abductor is and paid him a visit in hospital. Taunting Ryan, Luke reveals that the man is known as The Huntsman (Lee Tergesen). Alarm bells ring as they realise the serial killer has murdered many women that he believes to be whores. The FBI raid Kurt’s house and surprise his wife who claims to know nothing about her husband’s extra-curricular activities. Ryan and Mike realise that the son has been involved when they rewatch the video of Max’s kidnap. Locking themselves in a room with him, Ryan and Mike get the information they need and head out to Kurt’s cabin.
In the cabin Max has been strung up and Kurt creepily shows her his collection of tattoos that he’s cut from the bodies of his previous victims. When Kurt reveals that he is just going to kill Max, she points out that he should hunt her as that’s how he gets his kicks. When he refuses she tries to strangle him with her legs and breaks free, fleeing from the cabin with Kurt behind her wielding a sniper. The FBI arrives at the cabin and Ryan deduces that there had been a struggle. As everyone searches for Max, Ryan and Mike take a different route and it’s Mike that stumbles upon Max who is hidden on the ground. As he goes to save her, Kurt takes aim but Ryan saves the day by killing him.
For Joe Carroll, things took a turn for the downright bizarre and we reckon he’s regretting the decision to make an enemy of Lily now. He arrived at a set of gates with Emma (Valorie Curry) and Mandy (Tiffany Boone) where they were greeted, not in the nicest of ways, by Julia (Jacinda Barrett) the wife of Micah (Jake Weber) the leader of a new cult. He admitted to Emma that he was winging it but though the cult might be a good place for them to hide out.
Well how wrong was he? No sooner were they through the door, they were stripped, put in white robes and given face masks. Joe was taken to meet Micah and promptly put in his place and made to plead for sanctuary. He was then subjected to a lie detector test by Julia which he was deemed to have passed. That’s when a whole heap of crazy started as Joe, Emma and Mandy were made to attend a sacrifice ritual. Julia was compelled towards Emma and chose her to be the sacrifice that would save them all. Joe was restrained as Emma was tied to a carving of the cult’s symbol and had her wrists slashed. Once enough of her blood had poured into the cup below, Micah drank it and everyone went a bit crazy in celebration. It was soon confirmed by Julia that Emma isn’t dead and that Joe would see her soon. Uh-oh!
Just when we thought we’d had all the crazy we could take for one episode, the last few minutes served up a slice of OMG as Lily sent another video message to Ryan. This time it was a video Mark killing Mike’s dad by slitting his throat. Mike looked on with tears rolling down his cheeks and was comforted by Ryan. Seems that Lily has no idea Max is still alive but there’s doubt that Mike no longer has a father…
The Following continues Mondays at 9/8c on FOX in the US and Tuesdays at 10pm on Sky Atlantic in the UK.
