The Following – Episode 2.08 – The Messenger – REVIEW

The following…wore red just for you.

“The Messenger” featured several characters – some who used others to tell their story, some whose story was teaching others how to tell theirs, some who saw their story repeating itself, some who wanted to write their own, some who thought their story deserved recognition, some who didn’t care about a story’s cost – vying for the title.

Although Lily Gray and her sons spend the episode off-screen, “The Following” starts off this week in their wake as Mike and the Hardys attend Mike’s father’s funeral. Shawn Ashmore continues to kill it in his portrayal of Mike’s grief, but since this death was mostly designed to further his following in Ryan’s footsteps, the show doesn’t dwell.

With the narrative juice seemingly wrung out of him acting as a vigilante (not that there was much there to begin with, in my opinion), Ryan is back working with the FBI, off the books, to figure out who the mole is and find Joe Carroll. It’s a smart move as this set-up allows Ryan, Mike, and Max to continue working as lone wolves with the FBI looking less stupid for letting them continually interfere in the investigation.

New information provided by the bureau puts Ryan on the trail of Dr. Strauss, who was Joe’s professor at boarding school, who was photographed in the company of several followers involved in faking Joe’s death, and whose house is a mere hour from the lighthouse where Joe seemingly died. And if that wasn’t reason enough not to trust him, he’s portrayed by Gregg Henry, who excels at playing swarmy sons of bitches (see: “Scandal”). Ryan hopes he can get Strauss to point him towards Joe, but a third party gets in the way.

I’ve been anticipating the book about the Havenport tragedy that has been teased since the premiere coming into play and it finally does here with the introduction of its author, Carrie Cooke. Played by Sprague Grayden, Carrie is – like most tabloid journalists in these types of stories – insensitive, sleazy, and smug. Flashbacks show us that she took advantage of one of Ryan’s drunken binges following Claire’s death to pump him for information about Joe.

And she’s causing problems in the present day as, in trying to rescue her, Ryan is also taken captive by Strauss. It leads to a creepy scene where Ryan is strapped to a wheelchair while Dr. Strauss and his assistant prep Carrie for “surgery.” Strauss reveals that he’s been mentoring murderers for years, interestingly noting that Joe wasn’t the first or even the best. It’s pretty unbelievable that, after years under the radar, Strauss left evidence for both Ryan and Carrie to find. But I did find this development an intriguing one. Could more of Strauss’ students show up this season or next, competing against or conspiring with Carroll?

I figured Mike (who refused to sit on the sidelines after Ryan hypocritically lectured him about seeking revenge) and Max would ride to Ryan’s rescue, but I was kinda surprised they found him before Carrie was killed. The experience softens them – Carrie agrees to keep quiet about Strauss while Ryan recalls how she pushed him towards sobriety – but I’m not sure I need to see more of them together.

On the other hand, though it’s been telegraphed since day one, I think the show’s doing a decent job developing Max and Mike’s inevitable pairing. Luckily, Ashmore and Jessica Stroup have some low-key chemistry and their bonding over the traumas they’ve experienced the last few weeks and now losing their dads to tragedy doesn’t feel forced.

I guess we have to talk about what’s going on with Joe and the cult in the woods. Am I the only one who thinks it’s goofy? The scenes of Joe and Emma plotting while wearing stupid white masks had me snickering. Micah isn’t imposing as a threat when he’s spouting off about the “ninth planet behind Neptune” and wife Julia reminds me too much of Lily. And like with Strauss’ sloppiness, it’s hard to believe that Joe was able to splinter a twenty-year partnership in a matter of days. Joe does end the episode ready to go public with his “resurrection” so that’s something.

Finally, I’m sure you’ve heard that “The Following” has been renewed for next season. So, if given the choice, would you jettison Joe and focus on a new following? Or continue the clash between him and Ryan?