Kevin Bacon’s Addictive Thriller Series Finally Lands on Netflix — All Three Seasons
Kevin Bacon’s chilling cat-and-mouse series The Following is making a Netflix comeback — the entire three-season run lands soon.
If you missed Kevin Bacon hunting a literary-obsessed serial killer the first time around (or you just want another lap through the chaos), good news: The Following is headed back to Netflix. All three seasons. One drop. The only catch: you have to wait a bit.
When it lands
Netflix is set to add the complete series on January 3, 2026 — yes, 2026 — with all three seasons arriving at once. That date comes via What's on Netflix. It also marks a return to the service for the FOX crime thriller, so if you were hoping for an easy rewatch, the calendar just became your friend.
What the show is
The Following is a psychological thriller about former FBI agent Ryan Hardy, who gets pulled back into the mess he thought he left behind when Joe Carroll — a serial killer Hardy previously caught — breaks out of prison. Carroll isn't just any killer; he's an English professor and novelist with a fixation on Edgar Allan Poe who murdered 14 women before landing behind bars.
Here's the twist that made the show such a ride: while in prison, Carroll quietly built a network of devotees who share his violent worldview. Once he escapes, he activates them. Suddenly you're looking at coordinated murders, kidnappings, and escalating mind games — all of it ultimately aimed at one target: Hardy. As the investigation widens, the scale of Carroll's revenge gets clearer and nastier.
Who made it and who's in it
Created by Kevin Williamson, the series is led by Kevin Bacon as Ryan Hardy and backed by a killer (sorry) supporting cast:
- James Purefoy as Joe Carroll
- Shawn Ashmore as Mike Weston
- Natalie Zea as Claire Matthews
- Jeananne Goossen as Jennifer Mason
- Annie Parisse as Debra Parker
Original run and recognition
The Following originally aired on FOX from January 21, 2013 to May 18, 2015, building a loyal audience over three seasons. It picked up industry nods along the way, including nominations from the People's Choice Awards and the Saturn Awards.
Why this drop matters
Whether you're curious and missed it during its broadcast run or you're a longtime fan who wants everything in one place, this Netflix return should do the trick. It also has that slightly surprising timing: a confirmed date way out in January 2026, which you don't see every day for a catalog title. Still, once it hits, it's the whole thing, start to finish.