The Following is an American television drama series, which premiered on Fox on January 21, 2013[1] about an FBI agent trying to catch a serial killer and his murderous cult.
By season 2, after Claire's death, Ryan has started having a more active life, being healthy and sober, becoming a professor at the Hudson University, and opening up more, specifically to his niece, Max Hardy.
His fears are proven true in "Fly Away" as he sees Joe drive away from Lily Gray's home, along with Emma and Mandy.
He is called in to track Lily and her twin sons Luke and Mark, followers of Joe and murderer of Mike Weston's father.
When Ryan goes to the house of the girl to apologise to the parents, he discovers that the man wasn't her father, and later finds that he is instead working for Mark Gray, who is attempting to avenge the deaths of his mother, twin and sister.
Ryan then walks through the halls, stopping to look at Gwen, Mike and Max, before leaving the hospital to begin his new life as a vigilante.
When the facility is made aware of the man's presence, Joe strangles and kills him, taking the glasses to make a weapon out of.
After hearing of Joe's return, Claire wishes to help the authorities, leaving witness protection so she can see Ryan again.
It is revealed in a flashback that they broke up when Mike went with other FBI agents to hunt down Mark Gray, the man who killed his father.
Mike recovers from his injuries around the time that Ryan and Theo scuffled and fell off a bridge, leading to both being presumed dead.
She assumes de facto leadership of the small cell tasked with abducting Joey and has no qualms about using violence to accomplish her goals.
After they leave Korban, Joe receives a message that Claire is alive and asks Emma and Robert to find out if it is true.
Parker dies in the season finale after being buried alive by a couple of Carroll's cult members, who are subsequently killed by Hardy.
Hailing from El Paso, Texas, Paul is a cyber security expert and a vicious serial killer who as an extreme dislike for kids.
To achieve their goal, it is decided that Paul and Jaco pose as a gay couple living next door to her so that they can earn her trust.
Living under the alias of Will Wilson and pretending to be the gay partner of "Billy Thomas," Jacob and Paul surveilled Sarah Fuller for over 3 years.
("Pilot") At the house in the country where they are keeping Joey, he and his girlfriend, Emma show affection towards one another, much to the dismay and jealousy of Paul.
As Emma parks the car for a moment she answers a call from Jacob who is crying; demanding to know why she left them; she tearfully hangs up the phone without a word.
After Paul dies, Jacob lightly kisses him on the head and later reunites with Emma seeming to have a whole new outlook on things in Love Hurts.
Since then Jacob now acts much more aggressive and serious, going as far as to throw Claire to the ground stating that he's been ordered to put her in her place for Joe less she refuse.
When Carroll escaped from prison, they kidnapped her and brought her over to a property they owned, the Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast, so that he could finish his work.
He is abducted by Emma, Paul, and Jacob and taken to a farm house where he is told he's on an "adventure" and can't call his mother.
In season 2, Joey and his mother and grandmother have been put in witness protection so that Joe and his followers can't find them.
Max is hit especially hard when Mark and his friends kill the crew members of her deceased fathers fire company.
A wealthy socialite, she is initially successful at pretending to be the sole surviving victim of the subway attack and begins developing a close friendship with Ryan Hardy.
After discovering Luke's survival, Lily hires assassins to save him and kill anyone in their way, and her son reunites with her and Mark.
She is found by Mike Weston, who shoots and kills her, avenging his father's death despite Ryan and Max's efforts to persuade him not to.
In the season 2 finale, Luke and Mark capture Ryan and Joe and attempt to kill Claire, but Mike and Max save them.
In season 3, Mark enlists the help of a young married couple, Kyle and Daisy Locke, to take part in a series of murders, manipulating the crime scenes to shadow the deaths of his mother, twin and sister.
He kills FBI agent Jeff Clarke, who he had recorded on video admitting to allowing a black ops mission to take down Arthur Strauss, among others.