The Worst Episodes of The Following
Every episode of The Following ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The Following!
Notorious serial killer Joe Carroll, after being found guilty of murdering 14 female students on the Virginia college campus where he taught literature, escapes from death row. The FBI calls former agent Ryan Hardy to consult on the case, as he was the one responsible for Carroll’s capture in 2003. Ryan, working closely with an FBI team, including Mike Weston and FBI Specialist Debra Parker, piece together the ever-growing web of murders orchestrated by the devious Carroll.
Lowest Rated Episodes Summary
The worst episode of "The Following" is "Guilt", rated 7/10 from 1118 user votes. It was directed by Joshua Butler and written by Kevin Williamson, Shintaro Shimosawa. "Guilt" aired on 3/25/2013 and is rated 0.1 point(s) lower than the second lowest rated, "Whips and Regret".
7.0/10 1,118 votes#1 - Guilt
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 3/25/2013
After discovering Claire's location, Joe sends two followers to capture her, but Ryan may be one step ahead. Meanwhile, Jacob struggles with recent decisions causing his reunion with Emma to be less than ideal. Also, a relationship from Ryan's past plays a significant role in his future.
Director: Joshua Butler
Writer: Kevin Williamson, Shintaro Shimosawa
7.1/10 1,003 votes#2 - Whips and Regret
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 4/1/2013
After losing Claire to Joe's followers, Ryan and Parker attempt to recover while the FBI tracks down an undercover location that may have dark ties to Joe's following. Meanwhile, Claire adjusts to life at the follower's mansion and has an unexpected reunion, while Emma and Jacob continue to deal with Emma's betrayal.
Director: Marcos Siega
Writer: Kevin Williamson, Rebecca Dameron
7.1/10 623 votes#3 - Home
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 3/23/2015
As Mark, Kyle and Daisy plan to make a personal attack on Ryan, the FBI receives a tip leading them to a secret location, which gives them a leg up in the case.
Director: Nicole Kassell
Writer: Marilyn Osborn, Jeff Eckerle
7.2/10 636 votes#4 - Exposed
Season 3 Episode 3 - Aired 3/16/2015
After a devastating loss, Ryan, Weston and Max aim to hunt down who is responsible and make them pay, leading Ryan to take a risk with deadly consequences. Meanwhile, Mark questions the loyalty of Kyle and Daisy, causing tensions to rise amongst the group.
Director: Gary Love
Writer: Brynn Malone
7.2/10 654 votes#5 - A Hostile Witness
Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 3/23/2015
On the day of an important trial, things go awry, causing the FBI to split up to hunt down a missing person. With his team breaking apart, Ryan enlists the help of a former enemy to defeat a greater one.
Director: Marcos Siega
Writer: N/A
7.2/10 589 votes#6 - The Hunt
Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 4/6/2015
With only a few days before Joe Carroll's execution, Ryan and Mike shift their focus to a new threat. Meanwhile, after being approved to start work again, Max rejoins the task force and comes dangerously close to a deadly menace.
Director: Sylvain White
Writer: Liz Sczudlo
7.2/10 541 votes#7 - Demons
Season 3 Episode 11 - Aired 5/4/2015
The investigation leads the team to a dangerous serial killer linked to Theo, while Theo and Penny seek refuge from an unknown source with the means of helping them disappear. Meanwhile, Ryan struggles with recent events, sending him into a downward spiral, and the search continues into which agent has been accessing Daisy’s laptop from inside the FBI.
Director: Marcos Siega
Writer: N/A
7.3/10 1,313 votes#8 - Mad Love
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 2/11/2013
Maggie devises a plot to put an end to Hardy. Meanwhile, tension rises as Paul reveals a secret that Jacob has been keeping from Emma and more information about Hardy and Claire's past relationship is revealed.
Director: Henry J. Bronchtein
Writer: N/A
7.3/10 1,149 votes#9 - Welcome Home
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 3/11/2013
With Joey Matthews still missing and the search for Joe Carroll escalating, the FBI brings in Nick Donovan to run lead on the case, much to Ryan and Parker's dismay. Meanwhile, a follower from the past meets up with Joe Carroll, and their plans have a life-threatening result.
Director: Joshua Butler
Writer: Amanda Kate Shuman
7.3/10 989 votes#10 - The Curse
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 4/8/2013
Ryan and the FBI discover a follower who might be able to lead them to Joe Carroll's location. Agent Weston returns to the case but his run-in with the cult may have had a bigger impact on him than anyone originally thought. Meanwhile, Claire and Emma come face-to-face for the first time since Joey's kidnapping.
Director: David Von Ancken
Writer: Seamus Kevin Fahey, Amanda Kate Shuman
7.3/10 799 votes#11 - New Blood
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 3/2/2015
With Joe Carroll awaiting execution on death row and all signs of his following erased, Ryan Hardy has moved on from the dark events of his past. But his newfound happiness is shattered when a series of brutally staged tableaus threatens to tear open old wounds. Ryan and his team are forced to unravel a twisted web of violence before it destroys them all - leading them to face a terrifying truth: Joe Carroll was just the beginning.
Director: Marcos Siega
Writer: Brett Mahoney, Alexi Hawley
7.3/10 677 votes#12 - Boxed In
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 3/9/2015
Ryan believes he has found the connection between Andrew and Mark, but he and the FBI are still unsure if - and how - Joe Carroll might be connected. Meanwhile, tension between Mark, Kyle and Daisy mounts and Ryan soon finds himself in a dangerous situation, in which facing the truth is the only thing that will set him free.
Director: Rob Seidenglanz
Writer: Barry O'Brien
7.4/10 1,119 votes#13 - Love Hurts
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 3/18/2013
With Weston still in the hospital, Ryan and Parker attempt to outsmart their new leader Nick as a way to continue their search. In a surprising move, Joe reaches out to Ryan to demand Claire's location and reveals that he will go to great lengths to lure her out of FBI custody. Meanwhile, followers from the past make a shocking return.
Director: Adam Davidson, Marcos Siega
Writer: Adam Armus, Nora Kay Foster
7.4/10 715 votes#14 - The Messenger
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 3/10/2014
After a tragic turn of events, Ryan attempts to find the man who originally taught Joe to kill, in hopes of finding new answers. Meanwhile, at the compound, Joe tries to get his bearings, while Emma and Mandy wait for him to reveal his new plan.
Director: Marcos Siega
Writer: Alexi Hawley
7.4/10 721 votes#15 - Teacher's Pet
Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 3/24/2014
As his power over the Korban cult grows, Joe sets a deadly plan in action using new acolytes to carry out his demands. Meanwhile, Ryan and Max devise a plan to contact Joe, in hopes of tracking down his whereabouts, and Weston meets with a face from the past.
Director: Marcos Siega
Writer: Brett Mahoney
7.4/10 696 votes#16 - Betrayal
Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 4/7/2014
After a series of public condemnations of Joe and his followers, Joe targets the son of a man who stands against him. Meanwhile, Ryan is faced with the shocking news of Claire's reappearance and Mandy makes a decision that leads her to a familiar face which could undo all that Joe has been working for.
Director: Marcos Siega
Writer: Lizzie Mickery
7.4/10 616 votes#17 - Flesh & Blood
Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 4/13/2015
The FBI closes in on a suspect whom they believe to be the culprit behind the latest murders, but Ryan believes the killer is still out there, leading him to dig deeper into dangerous territory. Meanwhile, Joe undergoes evaluation in the days leading up to his execution and a new threat tries to cover his tracks.
Director: Marcos Siega
Writer: Mary Leah Sutton
7.5/10 1,427 votes#18 - The Poet's Fire
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 2/4/2013
A new follower is found in Rick, who is on a determined path to follow through on Carroll's orders. Hardy and the FBI attempt to predict Rick's course of revenge, which leads to a surprising outcome. Meanwhile, Paul's jealousy over Emma and Jacob's relationship leads to a breaking point, and the origin of Hardy and Carroll's relationship.
Director: Liz Friedlander
Writer: Adam Armus, Nora Kay Foster
7.5/10 983 votes#19 - The End is Near
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 4/22/2013
Ryan, Parker and Weston prepare to storm the follower's mansion, but Joe already has an escape plan in action. Meanwhile, disguised followers create a diversion at the town evacuation center, which causes panic among the residents and leads to a dangerous kidnapping of one FBI official.
Director: Joshua Butler
Writer: Adam Armus, Nora Kay Foster
7.5/10 879 votes#20 - For Joe
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 1/27/2014
After the tragic subway killings, Ryan’s obsession with the case becomes stronger than ever. Soon, mysterious phone calls bring him face-to-face with what may be his biggest threat yet. Meanwhile, revelations surrounding Joe’s new life are brought to the surface.
Director: Joshua Butler
Writer: Vincent Angell
7.5/10 595 votes#21 - Kill The Messenger
Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 4/20/2015
After the latest shocking discovery, Ryan finds himself being tracked by the new illusive killer and a game of cat-and-mouse begins leading them both back to Joe Carroll, for different reasons. Meanwhile, Max and Mike look for a stolen clue and Mark makes a shocking decision.
Director: David S. Tuttman
Writer: Barry O'Brien
7.5/10 529 votes#22 - The Edge
Season 3 Episode 12 - Aired 5/11/2015
An increasingly reckless Ryan continues his search for Theo, as Mark and Daisy discover information that leads them closer to the FBI than ever and puts Mike in a dangerous situation.
Director: Nicole Kassell
Writer: Marilyn Osborn, Jeff Eckerle
7.6/10 1,267 votes#23 - The Fall
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 2/25/2013
Joe Carroll's true intentions are revealed through a new follower, Charlie. As Ryan learns of Joe's plans, he tries to stall Emma, Jacob and Paul by taunting them in hopes of turning them against each other. Meanwhile, Emma makes a shocking decision.
Director: Marcos Siega
Writer: Shintaro Shimosawa
7.6/10 1,187 votes#24 - Let Me Go
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 3/4/2013
With the help of attorney Olivia Warren, Joe Carroll makes a case against Ryan and the FBI to be transferred to a different facility, but Ryan suspects a larger plan may be at play. Meanwhile, Emma and Joey arrive at a meeting point and come across another one of Roderick's men who has a secret of his own.
Director: Nick Gomez
Writer: Seamus Kevin Fahey
7.6/10 829 votes#25 - Family Affair
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 2/10/2014
After the latest shocking revelation in the case, Ryan and Max attempt to put the pieces together and stay two-steps ahead of the FBI, despite Weston's constant warnings to stay out of the way. Meanwhile, Emma becomes even closer to Mark and Luke, while Joe and Mandy meet up with a follower in search of assistance.
Director: Marcos Siega
Writer: Brett Mahoney