The Following Recap: "... Yet So Far Away"

The Following, Episode 6: "The Fall"

Huh.  So, yeah.  I have mixed feelings about this episode.  There were some definite good and not so good moments.  I think the good outweighed the bad for the most part.  Let's look at the good and not so good individually. I am a glass half full kind of guy, so we'll start with the good.

The Good

Ryan.  Ryan was definitely bringing his A game this episode.  There hasn't been a lot of focus on Ryan's skills.  You are supposed to believe that he was this fantastic FBI agent, who brought down this serial killer single handedly, but we haven't seen a lot of those skills in action, until this episode.  Even though he is out numbered, he is certainly not out.  He quickly picks up on the groups new and twisted dynamic and exploits it.  He is adept at sort of turning them against each other.  He is also able to single Jacob out as the weak link.  There is still a little bad, when it comes to Ryan.  His pacemaker continues to be his Achilles Hill, which Emma is able to exploit with the taser.  This wouldn't be such a big deal, if he was being portrayed as super human, but he's not.  Hardy is already a pretty flawed guy, why not try to get rid of one.  I'm also a fan of how quick to action he is.  Way to stab Paul!!

Agent Parker's backstory.  We also got a glimpse of Parker's life before she became a profiler and why she chose cults as her area of expertise.  It seems that Parker was a part of a cult and was raped by the leader at a young age.  Her parents are still part of the cult and it turns out her mom turned her back over to the leader when she tried to escape.  It was great to see Kristine Sutherland back on my tv.  We've missed you, Joyce Summers!  Parisse gave a great performance in her scenes with her parents.  The emotions that played across her face as she forgave them, even as they scorned her were great.  It was very subtle, in a show that is not known for its subtlety.  

"Roderick."  We were also introduced to a shadowy figure who seems to be the head Follower.  Emma references him a couple of times after she abandons Paul and Jacob, seemingly at his order.  Who could he be?  Is he someone we met before or someone new?  I like this.  I like that Joe is not the one doing all of this behind bars.  I'm excited to meet his head lieutenant.  Hopefully, he, or she, will be a nice foil for Ryan, that he can engage with outside of an interrogation room.

Some other good things: Meghan is finally gone.  All the laser sights aimed at Paul when he opened the door of the house.  What a cool visual that was.

The Not So Good

More Followers of Conveinience.  I complained about this in the last recap and it was back in this episode.  Weston and his female deputy friend confront Emma and Joey as they are escaping.  She shoots Weston and tells Emma Joe sent her.  Groan.  This just smacks of lazy writing.  I mean, sure, there was some shock value, but once you realize what is happening it's just lame.  Silver lining, Weston is alive.  I'm glad.  He is the only person on the show who brings any sort of lightness to it, so I'm all for him.

Claire.  So, television writers seem to have a huge problem writing for complex, well-rounded female characters.  Breaking Bad is a great show, but Skylar is hated by fans.  Lori Grimes, Andrea, and even Michonne are earning fans' ire on The Walking Dead.  Now, Natalie Zea is saddled with a stereotype.  The grieving mother who needs a big strong man to get her son back.  It looked like Claire was going to be proactive when she decided to get in the van with her follower, a former soldier who had been surveiling her for two years and now was in love with her.  Instead, she made the same three faces she normally does, choked back sobs, and eventually escaped.  She did learn that Joe wants her to survive this, but for what reason?

Joey is still kidnapped.  Ugh.  I know that it was foolish to think that Joey would be rescued so quickly, but this is getting old fast.  Also, Emma has forsaken her new boyfriends and now Paul is bleeding out from his stab wounds and Jacob has to take care of him.  Jacob is not exactly a leader so, it will be interesting to see how this all pans out.

So, what did you guys think?  Are you getting antsy waiting for the reveal of Joe's master plan?  Were other Buffy fans excited to see Joyce?  Hit me up in the comments.