It's unusual for me to like a procedural show, but The Following has a combination of things that makes it something that I look forward to watching each week.
One of the best (if not the best) thing about the show is James Purefoy as Joe the villain. He doesn't overplay the character, and he manages to be creepy and a bit charming all at the same time, making it hard to avoid the urge to root for him even as I wonder why he's not in a higher security facility (because he's clever and smart and deadly).
Kevin Bacon was definitely the right choice for Ryan the hero. He looks great, he acts great, and he and Purefoy have excellent chemistry on screen. It makes me wish we could see more of them being amicable with one another (like in a couple flashbacks).
The rest of the cast is good, too. I like the lead agent woman, the younger boy agent, and I'm strangely drawn in by the bizarre love triangle between Joe's followers Paul, Will and Emma. It's crazy but interesting, and I'll be sad when they ax that plot line.
Overall, I think it's interesting and entertaining. And I think the season only has 12 episodes, so they aren't as likely to get bogged down with filler episodes (as is wont to happen with many shows). I look forward to watching more of it.
