'The Following' returns to TV tonight! Some interviews and how Season 3 is rebooting the series
So The Following returns to Fox tonight at 9/8c for it's third season after receiving early renewals for the past two years and strong ratings. The series isn't going to be coming back the same way that people remember though and the time jump that occurs this season is actually pretty minor on the list of things that are different.
To start, there are new showrunners as series creator Kevin Williamson left after the second season to start up Stalker. There was a bit of a shakeup at first since the person who had initially taken over the reigns, Jennifer Johnson (Cold Case), ended up leaving the series but it is now in the hands of writers Hawley and Brett Mahoney who have talked up a very different series. For example while Williamson might have been a bit on the dismissive side when it came to the series level of violence the new showrunners have said that this season won't be as graphic as the show has been in the past with violence being more implied than actually seen.
"We wanted to go more towards the psychological, more towards the thrill and the anticipation of violence The acts of violence are ultimately the least interesting thing," Hawley told TV Guide.
Joe Carroll will not be in most of the season. Granted yes we have heard this before but with Joe in prison and the followers pretty much dead and gone things are focusing on a new group of villains. Sam Underwood is back as surviving twin Mark and Michael Ealy will be joining the series later on in the season as the big bad.
We will also be seeing a very different Mike Weston this season. After the murder of his father in season two, Shawn Ashmore has described his character as "driven by revenge and bloodlust" and he and Ryan are now more equals instead of him having pure hero worship. Speaking of Ryan, the criticism of how often characters on the show break rules and laws is being addressed as well starting with a Congressional hearing for all the times they've taken the law into their own hands.
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I really like Purefoy in general but less Joe is always a good thing. Anyway I'm looking forward to tonight and am interested in seeing what the new showrunners bring to this since they seem to be pretty aware of the criticisms.
