Joe Carroll is back behind bars, but can Ryan Hardy ever lead a normal life? Ryan is pushed to the limits by an insidious new foe in the psychologically intense third season of The Following - coming to Fox in 2015.
Returning to San Diego Comic-Con for a third year, Kevin Bacon will be joined at by Shawn Ashmore (Mike Weston), Sam Underwood (Luke/Mark), Jessica Stroup (Max Hardy) and executive producers Kevin Williamson and Marcos Siega.
Digital Spy will be bringing you live updates from The Following season 3 panel from 11.15am PT / 2.15pm ET / 7.15pm UK.
12:17And that's all our time - before the cast departs, Kevin Bacon thanks all of the show's fans for their support and encouragement. The fun continues here in Hall H very soon, with a panel for Sons of Anarchy - stay tuned!
12:15Bacon reveals that he'd just come off a string of villain roles in movies when he was first offered The Following - "So the opportunity to be on the other side of right and wrong was interesting to me - as long as the character had flaws."
12:14The next question comes from a Kevin Bacon super-fan, who wants to know whether he enjoys playing good guys or bad guys more. "I don't think of them as good guys or bad guys," the legend explains. "I try to make 'em all individual people."
12:11What was Shawn feeling in the scene where Mike witnesses his father's murder? Ashmore reveals that it was a tough scene to shoot - not only because of the high emotional content, but because in reality, he was staring at a green screen and never even met the actor who played his father!
12:10Next fan query - do the writers worry about the show inspiring real-life copycats? "It's a work of fiction and everyone should recognise it as such," Kevin Williamson says. "I don't think [that concern] should define what we do."
12:06How is Luke's death going to affect Mark this season? In "an incredibly dramatic way", says Sam Underwood, "That was a much-needed death, in order for one of those characters to move forward and progress."
12:03Shawn picks "the satisfaction" of killing Lily Gray (Connie Nielsen) - "I thought that was really twisted and fun - don't mess with Mike!" he says, adding that he received a hugely positive fan reaction to the dark twist.
12:02The cast pick their favourite moments from season two - Sam picks dancing with a corpse (of course!), Marcos recalls the subway slaughter, while both Kevin Bacon and Jennifer are big fans of the entire finale episode.
12:00Does Mike blame Ryan for being drawn down a dark path? Shawn doesn't think so - "He's thrown himself so far into this case, there's no stopping him - but I don't think Ryan is responsible for any of that. I don't think Mike blames Ryan - I know I never did."
11:59Has there ever been a scene too graphic for air? "Fox has been lovely with us to the extent that they will let us go," says Kevin Williamson. "I don't like violence - I'm not a violent person. But this show is supposed to be shocking."
11:54If Ryan were given another shot, would he kill Joe? "That was a big thing we discussed last season," Kevin Bacon admits. "It became such an interesting twist - for two seasons, Ryan has done nothing but take the law into his own hands. He made the decision not to [kill Joe] and for me, that was a really powerful thing."
11:53Now it's fan question time - could we ever see a crossover between 24 and The Following - Ryan Hardy meets Jack Bauer? "I would love that," says Kevin Williamson. "That would be a dream come true for me, but unfortunately I think those are two different universes."
11:50Will we see Carrie Cooke (Sprague Grayden) again this season? It seems unlikely - Kevin Williamson says that she is not planned to be a part of "this chapter".
11:49Kevin Williamson reveals that the enigmatic figure is not a familiar face - but rather someone the audience hasn't met yet. Perhaps we'll learn their identity this season?
11:48Who is the man in the car with Mark at the end of season two? The cast and crew admit that they were surprised and thrilled by the response to this mystery on social media.
11:45It sounds like the third season will have a more personal slant. "I want to explore these characters more," Kevin Williamson admits. "It will continue to be a thriller... but more of a character thriller."
11:38How does Ryan feel about being a bad influence on Mike? "Ryan has learned so much over the past two seasons," Jennifer says. "He's taken Mike down a very dark path, so this season it will be very important for Ryan to try and break that pattern."
11:37Will Claire (Natalie Zea) be back in the third season? "Maybe, I don't know, we'll see!" Kevin Williamson seems to be skirting the issue! Ryan will have a new love interest this season, with a daughter - so Hardy will be playing Daddy!
11:37Kevin Williamson admits that it was "really hard" to kill the character of Emma (Valorie Curry) - "We knew it was her time - you just have to say goodbye to some characters that you love."
11:37Sam Underwood will reappear on the show in the last way you would expect - and Mark will have "transformed" himself... intriguing!
11:37Season three will play back into the themes of the pilot episode - who can you trust? "We're going to get back into the psychological roots of the pilot and explore the anatomy of a follower," Jennifer reveals.
11:36Despite trying his best to move on from Joe, the season premiere will see Ryan still on the lookout for 'Joe-related incidents' - only to come up against a whole new threat, which leads to the establishment of a whole new task force.
11:28Jennifer also promises a "bigger, badder, more complicated" villain for season three, which will be a more "Hitchockian" run of episodes - more suspense, less gore.
11:28Ryan will find love and start the third season in an "incredibly happy" place - his new challenge is to move on, evolve and hold on to the happiness he has found, says new showrunner Jennifer Johnson.
11:27"It was going to be provocative either way - I'm glad he's still around," Sam Underwood adds. "I would've been incredibly sad to lose James Purefoy from the show."
11:27On the alternate ending, Shawn Ashmore says: "Losing James Purefoy would've been tough. The door is open now to having Joe Carroll involved in our lives - in one way or another."
11:25How is Ryan's mood in the third season? "Next season, he will truly be in a better place in his life and open to deep and lasting relationships," says Bacon. "We jump ahead again - to see someone a little more at peace with who he is."
11:24Kevin Bacon talks Ryan's desire to sever his "dysfunctional" connection with Joe and "open up a new chapter" in his life - whether Joe's alive or dead, Hardy is done with his long-time nemesis.
11:22How would season 3 have unfolded if Joe had died? This new season was always intended as a reset, explains Kevin Williamson - even though he's alive, Joe might not be back in 2015.
11:21In the alternate ending, as Joe is being taken into custody, he's shot by a sniper - revealed as Mark - and dies (for real, this time) with Ryan at his side. Blimey!
11:18We're promised something "extraordinarily exclusive" right now - an alternative ending to the second season. "Nobody's ever seen it before!" reveals Marcos Siega - not even the cast.
11:17The cast and crew take to the stage - of course, the biggest cheers are reserved for the man himself, Kevin Bacon.
11:16The fun in Hall H continues now with a panel for Fox's brutal thrill-fest The Following - previewing the third season, which will arrive early next year.
