Review: 'The Following: The Siege'

'The Following: The Siege,' Fox, 2013. Written by Rebecca Dameron. Directed by Phil Abraham. Starring Kevin Bacon, James Purefoy, and Shawn Ashmore. Rated TV-14 for language, sexual situations, and violence. Airs 9.00 p.m. EST on Mondays.


In this episode, Joe Carroll, convicted serial killer and bane of Ryan Hardy's existence, brings in attorney Olivia Warren (played by Renee Goldsberry, pictured). Although he's representing himself in his trial, Carroll wants Warren to deliver a message to the press for him: a reading from Edgar Allen Poe's 'Masque of the Red Death.' Warren knows very well that this reading is actually a signal of some sort to Carroll's followers (and Hardy knows it, too); but she's helping Carroll because she's afraid of him -- and she has good reason to be. 

Carroll also has Warren deliver a private message to Claire Matthews, Carroll's ex-wife. If she wants to see her son again, she will go to a certain spot at a certain time, alone. As you can guess, Matthews does a very stupid thing in this episode; instead of telling the FBI what she knows, she evades her bodyguards and gets in a car with a stranger she realises must be one of Carroll's followers. 

Meanwhile, Hardy and Agent Weston are on the trail of the kidnappers, who, unbeknownst to the FBI, have lost Joey. Hardy and Weston are one small step behind now, and enlist the help of the local police. Hardy and Weston split up; Hardy and a uniformed officer (alas, we didn't find out his name) canvass one way, and Weston and another officer (again, we have no name for her) go another way. Hardy is soon hot on the trail and discovers where the kidnappers have been keeping Joey. 

The episode ends in a cliffhanger, ensuring viewers will tune in for the next installment.