Natalie Fry

Opinion Writing
April 24, 2014
Column #9
The Following Follows a New Direction
Every Monday evening, Foxs The Following brings me and millions of other thrill-
seeking viewers a glimpse into the world of sadistic cults and their psychotic leaders. But when
season two shifted into a war against religion, painting the cults leader as a righteous savior, I
lost respect for the show that once entertained me.
The Following stars Kevin Bacon as Ryan Hardy, an ex-FBI agent who makes it his
personal mission to take down a cult of ruthless killers and their leader, Joe Carroll (James
Purefoy; Ironclad).
Season one is complete with 15 episodes in which Carroll and his followers carry out an
Edgar Allan Poe obsession by styling their killings after his books. Season two couldnt be more
different. The dynamic of the show was dramatically altered when the cult let go of their literary
fixation and focused their killings on a deliberate battle against Christianity. Being a devout
Christian, this did not sit well with me.
Dont get me wrong, Ive never been under the impression that this cult was filled with
God fearing Christians who stood firm in an unwavering faith, but I appreciated the fact that
their religious views were unspoken. In other words, it was nice that I could watch the show
without seeing the cult praising a mortal individual and hearing heartless statements about a
supposed nonexistent God. The Devil has his ways of seeping into our minds and sticking like
molasses, and I believe this show is acting as a gateway to do just that. What began as a
suspenseful show with a purpose for entertainment is now a show focused on highlighting the
evils the Devil is capable of. I was attracted to the show because of its eerie, exciting flavor, but
to incorporate something so controversial, even borderline offensive, fills me with anger.
Now, the show features scenes of mass slayings in churches, targeting members of the
Christian faith, and lines like, Gods not listening. He cant hear you, followed by a fatal slash
to a young girls throat. And is it a coincidence that Carrolls initials are JC? Ahem Jesus
Christ? It appears the writers behind The Following have atheist mindsets, and as sad as that is to
me, to each his own but I wont stand for such negativity projected onto me. So they may only
be losing one viewer, but I, for one, simply can no longer subject myself to an hour of cruelly
denying the God I worship so openly. And its truly unfortunate, because I once enjoyed the
show so much that it became my favorite thing to watch but maybe watching a group of
brainwashed lunatics ended up brainwashing me.
With that said, Ive been a devoted follower of the show for quite some time, but now,
Im no longer following The Following.