My son's theory on the "Following"

[boston bean]

He's in college, and likes the show as do most of his friends. His theory is short and sweet.

He thinks Kevin Bacon could be a "follower"..

Freaked me the hell out, when he said it. It had never occurred to me!

I don't want to believe it, and don't think it could be, but you never know!!!!!!!!!

I can barely keep my eyes open during some of the scenes, and don't like to watch it before going to bed. But I just have to watch!

[Ohio Dem]

1. I had the same thought about Mike Weston,

that young FBI agent that seems to know EVERYTHING about Kevin Bacon's character.

[Little Star]

2. He sure does!

[Ohio Dem]

5. SPOILER

Well, I guess I was wrong on that one.

[Little Star]

3. Please say it ain't so. That would be the biggest surprise I ever saw on a tv series....

But this is one strange show and I wouldn't put anything past the writers.

[matt819]

4. Hmmmm. . . .

I'm pretty sure Kevin Bacon isn't. The jury's out on Mike, though I'm leaning toward him being okay. The woman FBI agent - can't remember her name and too lazy to check IMDB at the moment - is 50/50. Yeah, I know, the flashback to her parents being in a cult sort of argues that she's okay, but, then again, she may want to part of a family, and so she's joined up with Carroll.

This is one seriously creepy show.

[Hestia]

6. I think "creepy" is an understatement and am glad I'm not the only one watching the show.

I had been taping the show since it started but not watched, and last week I watched them back to back - couldn't stop.

1. I too thought Mike was in but I don't think a real follower would be brought so close to death unless he is the real Roderick and no one else knows it. Those 47 false names on the visitor log would help hide him too.

2. No way Ryan is in. I think that Joe wants Ryan to be his narrator, his memory, that he, Joe, will never be forgotten, ever. The whole you slept with my wife is a cover for his torturing Ryan, really, would a psychopath really care that much? Isn't that a totally different disorder? It's just a ruse because he really likes and respects Ryan, which scares Joe. Bonding over good scotch can do that.

3. This is truly a disturbing show. The years of planning that went into the gleaning of the True Followers, (everyone else is just neophytes, not the real dedicants) and the escape plan.

4. I, too, waver over the female FBI agent. She is around Ryan a lot during the day and some of the stakeouts at night. I think she has steeled herself from the sway of a cult and studying them has helped. She doesn't want to be like her parents and would have to hand over her daughter to be raped by the leader(s) of the cult. I think she is scared of the whole scenario goes way beyond 100 people - WAY beyond and that there is no way anyone is really prepared for it and the whole situation has her wavering. But I think she will stand up and become like Ryan - we have to handle these people in a whole different way, constitutional rights will be sorted out later.

What makes this really scary to me is that this could be real life-ish - someone igniting into lost and mentally sick people a higher purpose for their deepest desires and a reason for living. Look at all the lost and lonely people sitting at their computers. How easy it would to be to tap into them.

The closest character in novels would be Randall Flagg from Stephen King's The Stand and The Eye of the Dragon without the supernatural elements.

Much scarier than zombies. Much much more.

[matt819]

7. I'm not fully caught up yet

So I don't have an update on my views of the characters.

You're right, of course, that this could be real life-ish, in contrast to zombies, which are not real life-ish, except in New Orleans.

That said, I don't see psychopaths, sociopaths and serial killers as "joiners." So there is some relief there.