Two TV seasons ago saw the debut of a rather well received
show about a serial killer with his own cult and the FBI profiler trying to
hunt him down (played in order by James Purefoy and Kevin Bacon). It’s a
formula that’s been done a few times before in film and television, the killer
and the cop playing a game of cat and mouse. What made this incarnation
different was that this particular serial killer has an entire cult of devoted
followers who feel the need to kill in his name. So while the FBI agent has to
unravel the plans of the brilliant sociopath, he also has to deal with a long
line of killer wannabes who are just as vicious as their mentor.
Of course while watching this brilliant written and acted
(there’s a reason people play six degrees of KEVIN BACON, not six degrees of
Gary Sinise) a part of us wonders why such an idea has never occurred before.
The world has had cults, the world has had serial killers, one would think that
the two mixing together would be like chocolate and peanut butter (extremely
bloody chocolate and peanut butter). Certainly this show is not that far
fetched. Certainly most cult leaders are ruthless enough to be serial killers
just as most serial killers could be charismatic enough to be cult leaders.
The easiest thing to do is examine various serial killers
and see if they have what it takes to endear them to an entire following (hence
the name of the show) like that of Joe Carrol in the fictional TV show.
5.) Ed Gein
Perhaps the most popular film ever made about serial killers
is the movie Psycho. Norman Bates killing his mother and keeping her in his
house is truly chilling. But what most people don’t realize is that the film
Psycho is based on a book by the same name and that book was inspired by real
life serial killer Ed Gein. While one can not ignore the amazing filmmaking
skills of Mr. Alfred Hitchcock, without the source material, such a film would
never have been made. And Psycho has gone beyond being simply a mere film. It
is a pop culture phenomenon. There has been not only a prequel series (Bates
Motel) but also a film about the making of the film (Hitchcock).
In the series The Following, Joe Carrol is seeking a sense
of fame from his killings. Also he seeks to inspire people to follow in his
footsteps in his serial killing ways. While Joe Carrol wrote his own novel
about his killing, I doubt he would object to someone else chronicling his
exploits and he certainly would not object to having a major motion picture
adapted from that book. He would see it is an honor.
4.) H.H. Holmes
Perhaps not a household name as some of the other members of
this list, H.H. Holmes is a figure of infamy among people who are fascinated by
murder and mayhem. Not quite famous for who he killed but more for how. H.H.
Holmes built elaborate traps and mazes for his victims. He would rig an entire
hotel with the intention of luring multiple victims (estimates place his final
tally somewhere close to 200 though he only ever confessed to the deaths of 27
people).
Joe Carrol would probably open a bed and breakfast with H.H.
Holmes. Like Holmes he wanted to rack up a sizable body count and also like
Holmes he treated his kills like an art.
3.) Jeffrey Dahmer
On the show the Following, Joe Carrol wants to make his name
synonymous with murder. In the real world, Jeffrey Dahmer’s name has been made
synonymous with cannibalism. The only person who perhaps rivals Dahmer in his
recognition with the subject of cannibalism is the fictitious character of
Hannibal Lecter.
When you read a biography of Dahmer and look at the
character of Joe Carrol, you can certainly see some similarities. Both seem to
be fascinated with the workings of the human body. Both come from an educated
background, almost driven to their killings out of curiosity than an actual
pathology. Certainly Dahmer was about more than just killing as it has been
documented he engaged in acts of necrophilia. Certainly there have been hints
of necrophilia tendencies on the show The Following, though not by Joe Carrol
himself but certainly his followers.
2.) Aileen Wournos
Serial killers are typically considered male, so for a woman
to join the ranks of the multiple kill club is quite an impressive feet. And
being a killer is not just all there is. Aileen has inspired multiple
documentaries and films, one of which earned an Oscar (the film Monster
starring Charlize Theron). Aileen Wournos has reached a pop culture level of
fame, even though she only killed seven people and claimed self defense for all
of them (a defense that did not work and she was executed). While Aileen’s fame
came as an after affect of her killing, Joe Carrol kills specifically because
he wants fame. So what Carrol works towards through hard work, Wournos stumbled
upon by accident.
1.) Jack the Ripper
The name is practically synonymous with the term serial
killer. Although the true identity of Jack the Ripper was never discovered (and
I’m sure that sentence will have angry Ripperologists sending me angry letters)
the very idea of the character has inspired books, movies, and any number of speculations
and theories about his life and motivations. The very fact that the term
“Ripperologist” exists should show how much of a following Jack the Ripper has.
A similar trait between Jack the Ripper and the fictional
Joe Carrol seems to be the desire to cause some sort of inspiration in others.
While Joe Carrol was seeking to teach his followers, the infamous Jack was
notorious for leaving cryptic messages and sending letters to the press all
claiming some sort of unique world view he was trying to share with the world.
Certainly both figures are seeking a sort of infamy for their actions. And like
the Ripper, Joe Carrol has not gone on massive killing sprees. Jack originally
only killed five people and over a long period of time. Similarly on The Following,
Joe Carrol does not seem to get his hands dirty, preferring to let his
followers kill in his name and only killing when he has to. It’s not the amount
of people killed, it is the violent way in which they are dispatched that
matters.
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