15 Episodes
Short on time? Here's the essentials:
Former FBI agent Ryan Hardy is pulled back into action when notorious serial killer Joe Carroll escapes prison. Hardy knows Carroll's dangerous charisma has attracted a cult of devoted followers who help him enact his violent plans. Carroll's primary goal is to reunite with his estranged wife, Claire Matthews, and manipulate those around him to achieve this.
The season's central conflict revolves around Hardy's desperate attempts to stop Carroll and his followers from carrying out increasingly brutal acts. Key turning points include the followers kidnapping Carroll's son, Joey, to use as bait, and Joe Carroll's successful escape from custody. Hardy and his team face constant threats, with followers like Emma and Paul proving particularly ruthless, leading to shocking violence like Paul killing a couple and Tyson being shot.
The season culminates in a final confrontation at a lighthouse where Joe Carroll seemingly dies in an explosion. However, the danger isn't over. In the aftermath, Molly stabs both Ryan Hardy and Claire, leaving their survival in question.
Season 1 of The Following covers episodes 1-15. Here's everything that happened:
Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot - Former FBI agent Ryan Hardy is brought back to consult after serial killer Joe Carroll escapes prison. Hardy discovers Carroll has a cult following aiding his plans. Carroll's follower stabs herself in the eye, and Sarah Fuller, Carroll's surviving victim, is targeted. The episode concludes with Carroll's followers kidnapping his son, Joey, using him as bait.
Season 1, Episode 2: Chapter Two - Ryan investigates Carroll's psyche with Agent Parker as Emma, Jacob, and Paul hold Joey captive. Flashbacks reveal Emma's recruitment by Carroll and her murderous tendencies. Jordy, a ridiculed follower, is still at large. The episode concludes with a follower in a Poe mask setting a man on fire.
Season 1, Episode 3: The Poet's Fire - The FBI hunts a new follower, Rick Kester, who is enacting Carroll's revenge by burning his book critic alive. Flashbacks reveal the beginning of Ryan and Carroll's relationship. Paul's jealousy peaks, leading him to kidnap a woman. The episode concludes with Joey learning to kill, burning a bug and suffocating a mouse, and Carroll sending Claire an email.
Season 1, Episode 4: Mad Love - Maggie kidnaps Ryan's sister, Jenny, to lure him into a trap. Ryan, despite Debra's orders, goes to New York to save her. Maggie attempts to kill Ryan with magnets to disable his pacemaker, but Mike arrives in time to shoot and kill Maggie. Meanwhile, Jacob can't bring himself to kill Megan, so he lets her go, but Emma and Paul recapture her.
Season 1, Episode 5: The Siege - Joe Carroll's lawyer makes a statement that spurs his followers to action. Joey calls Claire, leading the FBI to the farmhouse. Paul kills a couple who recognize Joey. Ryan and a local cop find the house, but Hank kills the cop. Ryan kills Hank but is then held at gunpoint by Paul.
Season 1, Episode 6: The Fall - Ryan becomes a hostage of Emma, Paul, and Jacob while the FBI surrounds the farmhouse. Claire is taken by a new follower, Charlie, who reveals his obsession with her. Emma escapes with Joey, while Jacob and Paul are rescued by other followers disguised as FBI agents. The episode concludes with Emma, Paul, and Jacob on the run.
Season 1, Episode 7: Let Me Go - Joe Carroll argues for a prison transfer, raising Ryan Hardy's suspicions. Emma and Joey encounter a suspicious man. Joe's lawyer, Olivia Warren, aids his escape plan, which involves the warden's daughter being held captive. Joe successfully escapes custody. The episode concludes with Joe free and ready to reunite with his followers.
Season 1, Episode 8: Welcome Home - Joe Carroll, now at a new house with followers, seeks to reunite with Claire. The FBI brings in Nick Donovan to lead the case, upsetting Ryan and Parker. Mike Weston is kidnapped and brutally interrogated. Charlie asks Joe to kill him, and Joe complies. Ryan saves Mike, who insists he didn't reveal Claire's location.
Season 1, Episode 9: Love Hurts - Amanda initiates a plan to kill women named Claire Matthews to draw Joe's ex-wife out of hiding. Jacob and Paul seek refuge at Jacob's family home, where Paul's worsening condition leads Jacob to smother him. Ryan apprehends Amanda after she targets a college student named Claire. Roderick locates the real Claire Matthews.
Season 1, Episode 10: Guilt - Ryan moves Claire to Tyson's home, but a tracking device leads to an attack where Tyson is shot. Jacob hallucinates Paul and confronts Emma about his death. Claire willingly surrenders to Roderick. Molly appears at Joe's, revealed as a follower. Joe tells Ryan that he can't quit.
Season 1, Episode 11: Whips & Regret - Following Claire's arrival, tensions rise at the follower's mansion. Ryan spirals into alcoholism, but Parker pulls him back to investigate a potential lead at an S&M club. The FBI discovers a "deprivation" test cell. Claire is allowed to see Joey. Molly's connection to Joe is revealed.
Season 1, Episode 12: The Curse - Ryan and the FBI investigate a follower, hoping he will lead them to Joe. Agent Weston returns, seemingly changed by his experiences with the cult. Claire and Emma have a face-to-face confrontation. Joe struggles with writer's block. Jacob, seeking redemption, is tasked with hunting Ryan. The episode concludes with Ryan reflecting on his past and Joe plotting his next move.
Season 1, Episode 13: Havenport - Roderick's identity is compromised, leading him to kidnap Joey. Roderick is then killed by Joe's followers for his betrayal. Claire stabs Joe, and a female follower stabs an FBI agent. Joe, injured, tells Ryan that Claire must die.
Season 1, Episode 14: The End is Near - Joe orchestrates an escape while his followers cause a diversion at the evacuation center, leading to the abduction of an FBI official. Emma kills Jacob after he suggests leaving Joe. Agent Parker is buried alive. Joe flees with Claire on a boat.
Season 1, Episode 15: The Final Chapter - Ryan races to stop Joe's deadly endgame, as Joe leads Claire to a lighthouse for a final confrontation. Joe murders Neil to prove Claire isn't to blame for his followers' actions. The lighthouse explodes with Joe inside, seemingly killing him. However, back at Ryan's home, Molly stabs both Ryan and Claire, leaving their fates uncertain.
