When Season 2 of The Following ended, Joe Carroll was carted off in chains. It turns out that another ending was filmed and it will be used to lead the show towards a complete reboot. In the alternate ending Joe gets shot by Gray’s son Mark.
Here’s what show creator Kevin Williamson had to say about it:
“We have a brand new story whether Joe is alive or dead. We don’t know how he’ll appear in season 3. We always saw it as a reset.”
New Showrunner, Jennifer Johnson had this to say:“In episode one, we find that Ryan has looked at every case, just to make sure it isn’t Joe Carroll related. There’s a brand new threat that throws New York under a lockdown. The city will be a character and we’ll see urban paranoia and the disintegration of the city. Ryan will go to Mendez (Valerie Cruz) and suggest that a task force be established.” Bacon’s Agent Ryan Hardy is in a better place with a romantic interest, but his stressful career chasing killers will always get in the way of his evolution. The Following will be set largely in New York this season.