SPOILER ALERT: The Following season 3 will act as a reset

Warning this article contains spoilers that some readers may prefer to avoid.

Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) and Weston (Shawn Ashmore) capture one of Joe's followers in The Following S01E13: 'Havenport'

The Following’s upcoming third season will follow an entirely new storyline according to the shows creator.

Kevin Williamson revealed the news at the show’s Comic-Con International panel and gave a few details on what the third season will hold following Joe Carroll’s arrest in the season two finale.

“We have a brand new story whether Joe is alive or dead. We don’t know how he’ll appear in season three. We always saw it as a reset,” said Williamson.

It was also revealed that the new season will see Kevin Bacon’s character Ryan Hardy with a romantic interest, but his obsession with catching killers will still be evident.

“In episode one, we find that Ryan has looked at every case, just to make sure it isn’t Joe Carroll related,” said producer Jennifer Johnson.

 

Show creator Kevin Williamson and executive producer Jennifer Johnson attend FOX's 'The Following' panel during Comic-Con

 

“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.”

The Comic-Con panel began with fans being shown an alternative ending to season two, in which serial killer Carroll is shot by Lily Gray’s son Mark, rather than being captured by the FBI.