Natalie Zea Signs On for The Following Season 2 — And Yet Almost Didn't

Natalie Zea Signs On for The Following Season 2 — And Yet Almost Didn't

Claire Matthews is a survivor — or is she?

Natalie Zea will return to The Following for Season 2, after signing an eleventh-hour deal with the Fox drama. Her comeback, however, could be short-lived.

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Speaking with TV Guide Magazine, Zea would not disclose how long she’ll be sticking around the Fox thriller, indicating that the near-death events of the first season’s cliffhanger could lead to a goodbye arc or a new storyline.

Zea — who will appear on CBS’ Under the Dome later this summer — was very close to not returning at all for The Following‘s sophomore run, leaving Claire on the chopping block.

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“My concern, and [creator] Kevin Williamson’s concern, was always, is there more story to tell with Claire? And we both discovered that maybe there wasn’t,” Zea tells the magazine.

As such, Joe Carroll’s ex was set to be killed off at the close of Season 1 — TVLine can confirm that the finale was edited two different ways — but Fox execs pressed to resurrect the character, according to TV Guide Magazine‘s sources.

Following fans, are you glad Claire survived?


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