'The Following' Season 1, Episode 9: 'Love Hurts' Recap

“The Following”, season 1, episode 9, “Love Hurts”

Hardy and Park run a debriefing with various law enforcement groups, however the tables are turned on them, and they quickly realize how little they know about Carroll or his followers, like how many there are, and what their mission is.

In his cult mansion, Carroll asks his followers for their inspirations, and hoping to get their help to finish his story.

Donovan informs Parker that their base of operations will now be in D.C., and for Parker to stay behind and babysit Hardy.

In Arrowhead Lake, Pennsylvania, Jacob’s mother arrives at her vacation home and finds Jacob there, nursing a deathly ill Paul back to health.

In the mansion, one of Carroll’s followers, Amanda, begins to present her inspirations to Carroll nervously.

Flashback to 2007, Amanda visits Carroll in prison, telling him that she killed her cheating husband and the woman he was with. She cleaned up the scene, but she’s scared that DNA will lead the police to her, and Carroll says that Roderick will help her out.

Back to now, Amanda reveals that her chapter for Carroll is for him to have a happy ending.

In the vacation home, Jacob’s mother is worried about Jacob. She’s seen the news reports and know he’s a wanted felon, but she asks him to explain because she doesn’t understand. He tries to make it clear that he’s never killed anyone.

In the headquarters, Hardy gets a call from Carroll, asking how Weston was doing. He goes on to ask if Hardy misses Claire and explains that he does as well. Then he wonders how much hurt one man can endure before spilling the truth. Hardy, fearing for Weston, hangs up.

At Union Hill in Richmond, Virginia, two women are sitting down for lunch when one excuses herself to go to the restroom. As she leaves, Amanda, sitting next to Louise, gets up and takes the empty seat with the woman. She asks the woman to do her a favor and give someone a message. She tells her to tell Ryan Hardy “Sometimes, love hurts.” When the woman’s friend returns, she shoots her in the stomach with a spear gun, and she and Louise make their exit.

Hardy and Parker and the rest of the team arrive at Union Hill diner. Hardy overhears the message, and he asks the witness what her friend’s name was, and she says it was Claire Matthews. Hardy tells his boss that he need to double check on Claire and make sure she’s safe, and doesn’t see the news about Claire Matthews. Hardy tells Parker that he’s worried that Carroll is targeting women named Claire Matthews.

Back at their vacation house, Jacob’s mom tends to Paul’s wound, informing him that it’s badly infected. Jacob keeps trying to call Emma, and Paul tells him that it’s no use and she’ll never call back. She left them to die.

Back in 2008, Emma picks a woman for Paul to kill. She has Jacob tag along, since she doesn’t trust him. He agrees.

Back to now, Jacob comforts Paul, who’s obviously in pain.

In the cult mansion, Carroll watches the news and tells Emma he’s quite impressed with Amanda. Emma gets touchy-feely with Carroll and he turns her down, saying they shouldn’t be so public. Roderick sees them together, and Carroll asks him if there’s any word from Jacob or Paul.

In the vacation house, Jacob’s mom tells Jacob that Paul has sepsis, and is going to die unless he’s taken to a hospital immediately. He asks if she can do anything, and she can’t. He needs a blood transfusion and antibiotics and surgery. And she tells him they she go soon because his father is coming to the vacation house.

Donovan briefs his team on Amanda and her past. Hardy narrows it down to 5 Claire Matthews on the Richmond area, leaving 3 for them to find and make sure they’re safe.

One Claire Matthews is located, but Amanda got to her first. Posing as a police officer, she burst into her apartment and strangled her with some wire before throwing her out a window, crashing to the feet of the real police just below.

Donovan calls for a press conference and gives them the rundown on Amanda and Joe Carroll and how anyone named Claire Matthews needs to contact the police. Parker tells Hardy there’s just one Claire left in the area, but he’s concerned that if the actual Claire Matthews saw the news that she’d sacrifice herself to make the killings stop, but Parker reassures him that she’s in a media blackout.

Back at the vacation house, Jacob’s mom urges him to take Paul to a hospital, because the second his father gets there, he’ll call the police. He says he’s not a murdered and asks Paul back up his claim.

Back in 2008, Paul and Jacob pull into a shipyard and open their truck to reveal the woman he was tasked with killing, bound and gagged. He asks Jacob if it’s an audition, and he says it is. He tells Jacob to make the first cut, then, so he knows he can trust him, but Jacob hesitates. Paul laughs, realizing that Jacob has never killed anyone. He drops the knife and Paul picks it up, telling him it’s okay. He proceeds to kill the woman.

Back to now, Paul confirms Jacob’s story. His mother looks slightly relieved.

Back at the cult mansion, Roderick confronts Emma. He mentions that everyone has gray zones and contradictions. Carroll’s sleeping with her was one. Her having a boyfriend who has a boyfriend is another. Then he asks if she even misses Jacob. She says she loves him and wants him to be there with her. Then he reveals that he checked her satellite phone, and it was filled with messages from Jacob asking her why she left him. She isn’t too pleased.

Hardy tells Donovan that Carroll is trying to send Claire a message, but he wants Hardy to think the message is for him. Donovan confirms that Claire hasn’t heard about any of the incidents and that she’s safe. Parker walks in and says they’ve located the final missing Claire Matthews, and that she’s at a festival without her cellphone. The team dispatches.

In the vacation house, Jacob gets an email from Roderick, giving a location to meet him so he can take them to the mansion. Jacob’s mom says that his father will be there in 5 minutes, and Jacob tries to lift Paul, only to have him fight back. Paul tells Jacob to leave him, and that he owes him.

Back in 2008, Jacob has a panic attack after watching Paul kill that woman. He calms him down and promises that he won’t tell Emma about it.

Back to now, he begs Jacob to put him out of his misery, for his life to mean something. Paul thanks him and tells him he loves him, and Jacob decides to smother him with a pillow. He kisses the lifeless body goodbye.

At the festival, Donovan preps his team and sends them to canvas the party and remain in radio contact. In the midst of all the bodies, and man finds Claire and pulls her away from the group. Hardy spots Louise amidst the group, but she puts on a mask. He asks if her last name is Matthews and then tells her what’s happening and that she’s in danger. He takes her to find a cop, but Amanda spots them. Claire runs and Amanda stabs the man helping her.

Hardy happens upon the man and see Amanda running. He chases after them. Claire Matthews finds a cop and runs to him for help. He radios the others giving her location, but Louise shoots him.

Claire runs inside, and Amanda follows. Louise goes to follow but Hardy show up and draws a gun on her. She taunts him, saying he doesn’t have the balls to kill her, so he shoots her in the chest.

He follows the pair inside. Amanda grabs a nail gun and shoots Hardy in the arm with it. She runs, finding Claire. Hardy walks up and it’s a standoff. She tells him to drop his weapon, so he does. She informs him that he needs to be punished for sleeping with Carroll’s wife.

She asks Hardy why he slept with Claire Matthews, and he says that it was because he loves her. It distracts Amanda enough for him to grab the nail gun out of her hands. He team rushes in and saves Claire and takes Amanda into custody.

Back at the cult mansion, Roderick tells Carroll about Louise’s death and Amanda being captured. Carroll apologizes. Roderick says there’s good news, though. Donovan made an encrypted call earlier to check on the status of Claire, and they decrypted it, and they now know Claire Matthews is in Huntington County, Pennsylvania.

In their FBI base, Hardy wants to question Amanda, but Parker tells him that Donovan wanted her sent to their D.C. Headquarters, so he can’t. The whole investigation is being moved there, and Parker feels like a failure. Donovan tells Parker that Hardy’s feelings for Claire are twisted.

Back at the mansion, Roderick tells Emma there’s someone there to see her. He takes her downstairs, and they find Jacob standing in the doorway, not looking too pleased.