'The Following' Must Answer These Questions ASAP

Since the majority of TV's most popular shows were on hiatus over the holidays, I couldn't help but revisit an old favorite. It only took me about four-and-a-half minutes to remember how badly I've been craving the premiere of The Following Season 3 these past few months and it's about time it finally came back. Luckily for us, the captivating Kevin Bacon and charming heartthrob Shawn Ashmore are returning to the small screen March 2 with a two-hour premiere event and I have never been so thirsty for blood, er, this show.

When we left Bacon's Ryan Hardy, he was once again walking away from the love of his life; Mike Weston was walking (hopefully) into the arms of his; and Joe Carroll was walking into prison. Ryan is hoping Joe is going to die in prison, but we all know that won't happen. Here's a sentence I thought I'd never say: I need more Joe Carroll. Spoilers for the thriller series' third season suggest that Joe Carroll was only the beginning, but I'm not convinced. We know The Following has some new villains coming our way, but the Fox phenomenon also has to answer these questions ASAP.

Who's Next To Follow In Joe's Footsteps?

Good Wife star Hunter Parrish was cast on The Following as half of a new violent couple, Kyle and Daisy. You can see Parrish in the season preview, but confirmed details about his character are still being kept under wraps.

Can Mike Weston & Max Hardy Make It Work?

Max had the best reaction ever when Mike finally kissed her in the season finale, but something must have happened between then and now because they are no longer together. It would appear that Max has a new boy toy and Mike doesn't seem so happy about it. But that doesn't mean these two won't happen sooner or later. Hopefully sooner.

Where The Hell Are The Twins?

There were a thousand-and-one bad guys last season so I don't see why they would leave these two out of the impending fun. Is Luke even dead? Marc is carrying his limp body around, but then again what else is new...

Is Joe Really Gone For Good?

I don't really think the writers would repeat a Joe Carroll prison break, but Ryan and Joe's final conversation about seeing each other soon had to be foreshadowing something. They ended on fairly good terms, so if these new murderers aren't Joe's doing, Ryan might need his help to catch them.

How is Claire Gone... Again?

The Following broke our hearts when it appeared that Claire died only to have her brought back for the biggest shocker of the season. But we went through all of that, only to lose her again? No. Something is fishy here. The preview takes place at a wedding, but the girl Ryan kisses isn't wearing white, so we can at least hope that she'll be a temporary love interest like Carrie Cooke.

Are Joe & Ryan Really Cut From The Same Cloth?

We left Ryan already dreaming about the psycho twins so it's possible he's still unstable. Ryan is basically Joe, Mike is basically a Mini Ryan, and that cannot mean anything good for what's coming down the line.

You can watch the preview for Season 3 here, but prepare yourself:

Images: Sarah Shatz/FOX; Giphy (6)