'Following' up on FOX's new show

Last week I took at look at the new FOX show, "The Following," which seems to be the drama they've put the most energy into promoting. I saw the pilot and liked it. Then I read some reviews of the show, which were overwhelmingly negative. Then I didn't know what to think.

Last night the second episode premiered, and it actually drew a larger rating — which hardly ever happens. But I thought the episode wasn't as good and actually started to make me worry about some of the things I brought up last week. So, I remain cautiously optimistic.

The pilot I loved most in the fall was "Last Resort." It had good actors, an engaging plot, and a unique voice. But I wondered how that could be sustained for a series. It turns out, that was a trickier proposition. The show wrapped up its 13 episodes Thursday — having been cancelled by ABC — and it hardly resembled the promise of the pilot. In some ways, it was a blessing the show got to wrap up early.

Watching the second episode of "The Following," I couldn't help but wonder if we're heading down the same path. The pilot was great — for a lot of the same reasons as "Last Resort" — but it felt like the kind of story that makes for a cool movie. That can be a lot to sustain for a series.

And while the pilot sought to push boundaries in terms of violence, the second episode seemed to tone that down a bit. Some might disagree, but I thought it was a little less edgy. But perhaps the most troubling thing might be the central conceit — how does James Purfoy's Joe Carroll remain a compelling villain getting two to three scenes in an interrogation room per show. And why do they need to keep going back to him? And how many followers can he have? And how does this hunt stretch to 13 episodes keeping the tension tight, much less multiple seasons.

This show, in fact, might end up suffering from some of the same things that dogged "The Killing," a show around a central mystery that had a compelling pilot and slide downhill from there. I'm not saying that is definitely the path "The Following" is on, but I think it certainly bears watching.

I still like the show, and I'm still intrigued, but I think there are still some red flags moving forward. Since FOX is banking a lot on the show's success, it will be given time to keep developing. We'll see where we end up at the end of the first 13 episodes.

Pilot Grade: A
Second Episode: B