Spoilers for bm_shipper
As promised, here is a summary of the season finale of "The Following" for the United States-TV-challenged bm_shipper.
Starts out with Joe shooting the preacher's son because he was whining and crying too much. Both he and Ryan get off some REALLY great lines throughout the episode; this is one of them. Joe keeps yelling for Ryan to come out or he's going to shoot Mikey. He says something about Ryan needing to check on Claire since he thinks that Robert and Emma have captured her by now. Ryan tries to call Claire to check on her and Luke answers. Luke tells Ryan to bring Joe ALIVE to this address or Claire will die. Ryan asks, "Does he have to be alive?" :D YES, Luke says. He sends Ryan a picture over the phone of Claire all tied up to prove that they really have her. At some point in this, Joe remarks how much Mike has changed and calls him a "mini-Ryan," heehee. Ryan comes out, revealing himself to Joe, and makes his way up close to him (by punching out the followers who get in the way, hee) and tells him what's happening to Claire. He engineers things so he and Mike can get out of the church and run off with Joe without the police stopping them. Mike and Max follow them.
They get to the house. Ryan and Joe find Claire but the twins gas them so they can tie them up at the dining table. They play a game of Russian roulette with Claire - the gun has one bullet in it, and every time Ryan or Joe lie in answer to a question posed to them, Luke or Mark put the gun against Claire's head and pull the trigger. Of course, Claire is not shot, damnit. During this exchange, Ryan admits that he murdered the guy who shot his father. We also find out that Luke and Mark think Ryan is the one who shot their mother. By the end of the conversation, Mark actually seems to admire Ryan, telling him he's an amazing man. The twins say they are going to kill everyone Ryan cares about and make him watch, including Mike and Max. As if on cue, Mike and Max show up and shoot Luke through the window.
Somehow, Luke is okay; in fact, when he runs away, he doesn't seem to be hit at all, although you clearly see bullets hit him. That part was a little confusing. Joe escapes from his bonds and runs away. Mark and Luke run and hide. Mike and Max cut through Ryan's bonds and they all begin hunting all the bad guys through the house. During this part, Mark and Mike fight. Mark says something about Ryan shooting his mother and Mike is like uh, no, *I* shot your mother. Then he says, "You killed my father," and his voice breaks in an adorably vulnerable way. I just wanted to sweep him up in a big hug. ^__^ Luke comes in and whacks Mike in the head with a board. He's about to hit him again when Max comes in and shoots him several times. He's clearly dead this time. Mark grabs Luke's body and runs out. Max kneels down and is like, "Mike? Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike," with her voice breaking like she's about to cry. Then Mike comes to.
Joe has Claire and he starts in on the apologies and begging her to forgive him and to tell Joey he's sorry and Claire won't have any of it. Ryan tackles him. Mike and Max run in and everyone is there as Ryan holds a gun to Joe's head. Everyone wants Ryan to shoot him. Even Joe! But Ryan eventually refuses. He wants to end the cycle of revenge. So instead, they call the police in to take Joe back to prison because that's supposed to be the worst punishment for him. Ryan says he won't have his adoring audience there. (Which makes me go um, but what about the endless parade of visitors he had in season 1 who hung on his every word and did whatever sick thing he said?)
Ryan and Claire talk. Of course, Ryan wants to go back home with her and see Joey and such. Claire rebuffs him because she's his "past." She doesn't think it's the best thing for either of them, they've both moved on and they should keep it that way. She wants to go home and tell Joey that maybe they can have a life now, it's all over. (What show is she watching??)
Joe is put into the paddy wagon and taken away.
Mike and Max talk about something, I can't remember, and eventually... they kiss. And Max says, "Finally!" and they kiss again. Deeply.
The last shot is Mark carrying Luke's body into a truck. He gets in the truck, someone else is driving. He says, "Thank you for coming," and the truck drives away. We DON'T see who is driving the truck, which is kind of anti-climactic since it would have been so much cooler if they had set up someone earlier whom we thought was a good guy and it turns out they're in league with the twins. Or if the person behind the wheel had been someone we thought was dead, like Emma. Instead, we get to wait until next season to find out. At least Mark will be returning! And unfortunately, Joe as well. :P
Overall, it was an okay season finale. The great one-liners and the fact that Mike survived totally made up for the lame ending.
Starts out with Joe shooting the preacher's son because he was whining and crying too much. Both he and Ryan get off some REALLY great lines throughout the episode; this is one of them. Joe keeps yelling for Ryan to come out or he's going to shoot Mikey. He says something about Ryan needing to check on Claire since he thinks that Robert and Emma have captured her by now. Ryan tries to call Claire to check on her and Luke answers. Luke tells Ryan to bring Joe ALIVE to this address or Claire will die. Ryan asks, "Does he have to be alive?" :D YES, Luke says. He sends Ryan a picture over the phone of Claire all tied up to prove that they really have her. At some point in this, Joe remarks how much Mike has changed and calls him a "mini-Ryan," heehee. Ryan comes out, revealing himself to Joe, and makes his way up close to him (by punching out the followers who get in the way, hee) and tells him what's happening to Claire. He engineers things so he and Mike can get out of the church and run off with Joe without the police stopping them. Mike and Max follow them.
They get to the house. Ryan and Joe find Claire but the twins gas them so they can tie them up at the dining table. They play a game of Russian roulette with Claire - the gun has one bullet in it, and every time Ryan or Joe lie in answer to a question posed to them, Luke or Mark put the gun against Claire's head and pull the trigger. Of course, Claire is not shot, damnit. During this exchange, Ryan admits that he murdered the guy who shot his father. We also find out that Luke and Mark think Ryan is the one who shot their mother. By the end of the conversation, Mark actually seems to admire Ryan, telling him he's an amazing man. The twins say they are going to kill everyone Ryan cares about and make him watch, including Mike and Max. As if on cue, Mike and Max show up and shoot Luke through the window.
Somehow, Luke is okay; in fact, when he runs away, he doesn't seem to be hit at all, although you clearly see bullets hit him. That part was a little confusing. Joe escapes from his bonds and runs away. Mark and Luke run and hide. Mike and Max cut through Ryan's bonds and they all begin hunting all the bad guys through the house. During this part, Mark and Mike fight. Mark says something about Ryan shooting his mother and Mike is like uh, no, *I* shot your mother. Then he says, "You killed my father," and his voice breaks in an adorably vulnerable way. I just wanted to sweep him up in a big hug. ^__^ Luke comes in and whacks Mike in the head with a board. He's about to hit him again when Max comes in and shoots him several times. He's clearly dead this time. Mark grabs Luke's body and runs out. Max kneels down and is like, "Mike? Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike," with her voice breaking like she's about to cry. Then Mike comes to.
Joe has Claire and he starts in on the apologies and begging her to forgive him and to tell Joey he's sorry and Claire won't have any of it. Ryan tackles him. Mike and Max run in and everyone is there as Ryan holds a gun to Joe's head. Everyone wants Ryan to shoot him. Even Joe! But Ryan eventually refuses. He wants to end the cycle of revenge. So instead, they call the police in to take Joe back to prison because that's supposed to be the worst punishment for him. Ryan says he won't have his adoring audience there. (Which makes me go um, but what about the endless parade of visitors he had in season 1 who hung on his every word and did whatever sick thing he said?)
Ryan and Claire talk. Of course, Ryan wants to go back home with her and see Joey and such. Claire rebuffs him because she's his "past." She doesn't think it's the best thing for either of them, they've both moved on and they should keep it that way. She wants to go home and tell Joey that maybe they can have a life now, it's all over. (What show is she watching??)
Joe is put into the paddy wagon and taken away.
Mike and Max talk about something, I can't remember, and eventually... they kiss. And Max says, "Finally!" and they kiss again. Deeply.
The last shot is Mark carrying Luke's body into a truck. He gets in the truck, someone else is driving. He says, "Thank you for coming," and the truck drives away. We DON'T see who is driving the truck, which is kind of anti-climactic since it would have been so much cooler if they had set up someone earlier whom we thought was a good guy and it turns out they're in league with the twins. Or if the person behind the wheel had been someone we thought was dead, like Emma. Instead, we get to wait until next season to find out. At least Mark will be returning! And unfortunately, Joe as well. :P
Overall, it was an okay season finale. The great one-liners and the fact that Mike survived totally made up for the lame ending.