Kevin Bacon plays ex-FBI profiler Ryan Hardy who is forced back to work with the bureau when a serial killer on death row, Joe Caroll (played by James Purefoy), the man Hardy put behind bars, escapes from prison. Caroll escaped for one reason---to kill the last victim who survived him before he was captured.
Unbeknownst to the FBI, the event was also a test drive of the network of serial killers that Caroll cultivated during is incarceration via the internet. He was able to create a cult following of serial killers who are at his beck and call who enabled him to orchestrate his escape and the kidnapping of Sarah Fuller (played by Maggie Grace), Caroll's only surviving victim, amidst the tight law enforcement protection.
Caroll allows himself to be taken back in custody when Hardy catches up to him but not after he gets closure by consummating the kill of his escaped victim. However, he is now the least of the FBI's concern since they are now faced with the cult of serial killers whom Caroll unleashed to create their own brand of havoc.
Other than catching Caroll's disciples of serial killers another underlying story plot is his personal plan for retribution aimed at Hardy and his ex-wife Claire (played by Natalie Zea).
The only thing that I didn't like about this new series is that the writers teased me with Maggie Grace and then kills her on the pilot episode (good thing I can still follow her in Californicaiton)! Other than that, The Following is definitely a MUST WATCH series!
