With Kevin Bacon, James Purefoy
Monday Nights, 10 PM
Fox Television
Five Scoops of Bosco
Reviewed by Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco
Editor's note: The reviewer is no relation to actor Kevin Bacon although he is probably a few degrees closer than most people, being he has the same last name.
As many folks, I was saddened when Kyra Sedgwick's critically acclaimed and successful television series The Closer came to an end last year.
So it was nice that she tagged her husband Kevin Bacon to take over Monday nights with an extremely compelling television crime drama of his own.
Bacon's The Following which piloted this past Monday night on Fox Television is the most intense hour of television you are going to see this season on any network including Showtime, HBO and fx and I am going to go out on a limb here and advise Mr. Bacon that he better set aside some room for some Emmys on his mantle.
First of all, the character of FBI Agent Ryan Harding played by Bacon to perfection, is one of the most complex and flawed heroes on episodic television right now with the possible exception of Dexter Morgan.
Not only is he haunted by the Demons of a FBI career where one case consumed him, he also has heart problems, drinks too much and gets romantically involved with the victims of the criminal he is chasing.
The main object of the chase: Criminal, serial killer, Edgar Alan Poe fanatic and Lit Teacher Joe Carrol (played by James Purefoy) is possibly the most sadistic, manipulating and gruesome criminals on episodic television.
Unlike Bacon's wife show which meandered along at a nice pace like a warm Southern Summer day...this show, with New York City as the backdrop, moves in rapid order, your mind trying to assimilate what is happening as it moves from one set of twists and turns to another.
The Following is definitely an E-Ticket Roller Coaster Ride.
This show is shot and plays like a big screen motion picture and you feel like you are actually watching a first run movie each week.
The costuming, set and artistic style is reminiscent of something Michael Mann (The Insider, Miami Vice) might do with a Dark color pallet which sets the mood of the show. Very stylistic and interesting to look at.
And just when you thought chasing one criminal through the series was not going to hold your interest...Joe Carroll was busy when he was in prison establishing and creating a cult following and spawning a whole bunch of copy cat killers.
This show has only begun to get interesting.
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