The Following 3.3: The Mellowing of Ryan

A good episode - 3.3 - of The Following last night, with a confirmation of a change in Ryan's character which we saw in the first episode this season.  He's mellowing, insofar as he's not pushing people he loves - like Gwen - away from him.   This can have a profound impact later in the season, making Ryan both a better human being and more vulnerable.  Will be fun to see how that plays out.

The other aspect of this episode that really struck me - for mostly personal reasons, though - is that a crucial scene took place at what I'm pretty sure is Salinger's, an orchard and farm stand (founded in 1901), about a 25-minute drive from my house. I've been there with wife and family more than a dozen times - they have great apples and peaches and pies - and now I'm thinking, what if one of its customers had been part of some homicidal following?   (And, in breaking news, it looks as if the orchard is now up for sale - you can have it for a cool three mil.)

Who's following whom is the big question this season, anyway.   Clearly, Mark is not ultimately in charge of Daisy and Kyle - who delivers the best line of the night, also featured in the promos, remarking about Mark, "he never had it," after Daisy notes that Mark is "losing it".  The obvious missing psycho or sociopath here - I'm never sure exactly which word best describes him, probably both - is Joe.  But where is he?

The Following and Joe have progressed as follows:  he was in charge in the first season, he was initially out of it in the second but worked his way back, and now in the third season he's just out of it, with no sign that he's working his way back.  Of course, as already saw in the first season, Joe can easily be behind bars and inspire and command a following.   But so far, we've seen no sign of it, barely a shadow of what Joe is up to and may be planning and doing.

Mark likely has to be killed first and/or we discover Daisy and Kyle's ultimate boss.  Looking forward to more on this in the two-hour presentation next week.  In the meantime, I'm definitely not heading over to Salinger's.

See also The Following 3.1: Miasma of Terror
And see also The Following Is Back for Its Second Season ... The Following 2.2: Rediscovering Oneself ... The Following 2.3: Coalescing ... The Following 2.4: Psycho Families and Trains ... The Following 2.5: Turning Tides ... The Following 2.8: Coalescing? ... The Following 2.9: The Book Signing ... The Following 2.11: Lily not Joe ... The Following 2.13: The Downfall of Mike ...The Following 2.14: Twists and Deaths ...  The Following Season 2 Finale: The Living

And see also The Following Begins ... The Following 1.2: Joe, Poe, and the Plan ... The Following 1.3: Bug in the Sun ... The Following 1.4: Off the Leash ... The Following 1.5:  The Lawyer and the Swap ... The Following 1.7: At Large ... 
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