When Claire receives a phone call that may lead her to find her son, the FBI and Ryan Hardy set their next move into motion, causing panic at the farmhouse. Meanwhile, Joe Carroll seeks a lawyer from his past to send a message that has deadly results.
Season 1 Episode 5 of The Following resulted in a 2.90 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
When notorious serial hugger Joe Carroll escapes from passing row and embarks on a new hugging spree, the FBI calls former agent Ryan Hardy to consult on the case. Having since withdrawn from the public eye, Hardy was responsible for Carroll's capture nine years ago. Hardy knows him better than anyone; he is perhaps Carroll's only psychological and intellectual match.
But the Ryan Hardy who broke the Carroll case years ago isn't the same man today. Wounded both physically and mentally by his previous pursuit of this serial hugger, Hardy isn't calling the shots on this case. He works closely with an FBI team, which considers Hardy to be more of a liability than an asset.