History Series / TheFollowing

** FauxAffablyEvil: However, in reality, Carroll isn't friendly at all and quite psychotic. [[spoiler:He even taunts Hardy over his heart problem, and plays the dying screams of Sarah.]]

* BigBad: Carroll

* ILetGwenStacyDie: Though he was able to save her life before, [[spoiler: Hardy was unable to save Sarah from being killed by Carroll the second time around.]]

* NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity: InUniverse. Before he was revealed to be a serial killer, Carroll wrote a novel called ''The Gothic Sea'', an {{Homage}} to the works of his hero EdgarAllanPoe. The book was hated by critics and flopped when it was released. After he was caught however, it became a national best seller.

* TypeCasting: Maggie Grace is no stranger to being the Damsel in Distress.

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* LoveTriangle: Carroll, Claire and Ryan is a very twisted one. Also [[spoiler:Emma, the nanny, and the "gay" neighbours, who are all a part of a cult. Interestingly, it's not the girl who's in the center of the last one.]]

* Type-Casting: Maggie Grace is no stranger to being the Damsel in Distress.

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* {{Cracker}}: Carroll is a able to circumvent the restrictions placed on the Law Library computer given to him to research for his appeal in order to access the internet and recruit his followers.

* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:Carroll is arrested and put back in prison by the end of the pilot - but there's still his groupies and followers to contend with.]]
* DiscOneFinalDungeon: [[spoiler:The Lighthouse Lake B&B, owned by Sarah's neighbors - and also the place where she is taken to die.]]

* NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity: InUniverse. Before he was revealed to be a serial killer, Carroll wrote a novel called ''The Gothic Sea'', an {{Homage}} to the works of his hero EdgarAllanPoe. The book was hated by critics and flopped when it was released. After he was caught however, it became a national best seller

Not to be confused with the 1998 film directed by {{Christopher Nolan}}, ''{{Following}}''.

In 2004, Joe Carroll ([[Series/{{Rome}} James Purefoy]]), a professor of literature at a small Virgina university, killed 14 students as part of a serial murder spree. He is eventually captured by Ryan Hardy, an FBI agent assigned to investigate the murders, saving the life of Carroll's last victim in the process. However, while doing so, Hardy is stabbed in the heart and forced to leave the bureau due to his injuries. Hardy later writes a book about the case.

Nine years later, while awaiting execution, Carroll escapes from prison and Hardy is brought back as a consultant. Eventually, Carroll is recaptured, but not before he finishes what he started by killing the one victim whom Hardy managed to save. [[ItHasOnlyJustBegun It later becomes apparent that Carroll has been able to recruit an army of followers for the purpose of finishing his work.]]

* MadnessMantra: The young woman at the FBI command center repeatedly chants, "Lord, help my poor soul." [[EyeScream Then she stabs herself in the eye the way Carroll did to his own victims.]]

* FirstEpisodeSpoiler: The existence of Carroll's cult [[spoiler: and the fact that he kills Sarah.]]

* EyeScream: Carroll's MO. He's a worshipper of EdgarAllanPoe, and takes the latter's belief that the eyes are the window to the soul a little too seriously.

* ILetGwenStacyDie: Though he was able to save her life before, [[spoiler: Hardy was unable to save the life of Sarah from being killed by Carroll.]]

* NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity: InUniverse. Before he was revealed to be a serial killer, Carroll wrote a novel called ''The Gothic Sea'' an Homage to the works of his hero EdgarAllanPoe. The book was hated by critics and flopped when it was released. After he was caught however, it became a national best seller

-->-- '''[[BigBad Joe]] [[TheChessmaster Carrol]]'''

* NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity: Before he was revealed to be a serial killer, Carroll wrote a novel called ''The Gothic Sea'' an Homage to the works of his hero EdgarAllanPoe. The book was hated by critics and flopped when it was released. After he was caught however, it became a national best seller

* ThereIsNoSuchThingAsBadPublicity: Before he was revealed to be a serial killer, Carroll wrote a novel called ''The Gothic Sea'' an Homage to the works of his hero EdgarAllenPoe. The book was hated by critics and flopped when it was released. After he was caught however, it became a national best seller.

* AntiHero: Hardy, he is not one of the easiest people to get along with, has a less than flattering reputation with the bureau aside from the fact that he caught Carroll and is implied to have a drinking problem.

* SlidingScaleOfSillinessVersusSeriousness: Deadly serious, with barely even a hint of comic relief to spare.

Nine years later, while awaiting execution, Carroll escapes from prison and Hardy is brought back as a consultant. Eventually, Carroll is recaptured, but not before he finishes what he started by killing the one victim whom Hardy managed to save. It later becomes apparent that Carroll has been able to recruit an army of followers for the purpose of finishing his work.