Barbara Nitke/FOXHave you caught your breath since watching the end of The Following last night? Good, because we're sure you have some questions. And we've got answers, straight from the mouths and minds of executive producers Kevin Williamson and Marcos Siego!
Last night after a TV Academy screening of the finale, the cast and creators talked about the shocking ending, the death of a main castmember and what's next for Ryan Hardy and Co. Here are the answers to your burning questions:
Are Joe and Claire Really Dead? When asked if James Purefoy and Natalie Zea have season-two contracts, Purefoy responded: "I believe so, but that's not a guarantee." We might have to wait a bit longer to get a concrete answer on that, but if we were betting people, we'd say Joe is most likely not dead and will return to torture Ryan (Kevin Bacon) some more.
Why Kill Off Agent Parker? Debra's (Annie Parisse) death was an emotional one, especially since Ryan and Weston (Shawn Ashmore) were the ones who were too late to save her. Williamson weighed in on the decision behind killing her off.
"It's hard to talk about why I chose to let that be the emotional anchor of this piece without giving away [storylines] for next year. I'll just say that one of the things is [Ryan's] death curse. She asked to go out with a bang and we really tried to give her a breathless ending." They certainly succeeded.
Were Different Endings Shot? Yes, Siega and Williamson confirmed that "two-and-a-half-ish" endings were shot for the finale, and that Ryan and Claire's stabbing was picked by majority vote. "Everyone collectively weighed in and said, ‘You know what, this one seems to have the biggest come-back-next-year feeling,'" Williamson said. Added Siega: "We just figured that people weren't mad enough at us."
What's Next? Would you believe that some footage has already been shot that will appear in season two? "We thought ahead and we actually captured a lot of stuff," Williamson said. "Clearly, we left some loose ends that we will have to push forward into a new story. There is a whole big, huge story yet to tell."
As for Ryan Hardy, Williamson revealed that the aftermath of the finale will play a huge role next season. "There is a lot more story for Ryan Hardy. We need to see the aftermath of this and the effects of this and what toll it'll take on his life and I'm excited to write that."
What did you guys think of the finale? To get more feedback from the cast and creators, watch our exclusive interviews with The Following crew below!