The Following S3E13 - "A Simple Trade" Recap

Mark is furious about Theo seemingly going back on the deal but Theo says that Mike is just bait and once he has his sister back, Mike is none of his concern. Then Mark can enact whatever revenge he likes.

Max and the FBI are able to track Mike's cellphone to the abandoned warehouse where he had been but upon arriving, no one is there. Upon finding Mike's phone next a pile of blood and brain matter, Max fears the worst. She brings the FBI in on what she has found regarding Tom's betrayal. Max goes to Ryan's place and begins banging on the door. Max, Lisa, and other FBI teams are at the door. Ryan has to run to hide Penny and then lets Max and Lisa into his apartment. They spot the bottle of alcohol and Max is highly disappointed. Lisa gets a call that Tom's car has been found. Max wants to press Ryan further for answers so after leaving Ryan's apartment, she sends Lisa off and comes back into Ryan's place with the key she has to his place. She walks in to find him dragging Penny's unconscious body around. Max berates him for his foolish decisions. She wants to call it in but Ryan stops her, saying Theo has Mike and wants to trade Penny for Mike. Max has no choice but to go along with Ryan's irresponsible decisions because they note that Tom may very well have compromised the security so if they get the FBI involved, it could mean the end of Mike.

Theo brings Mike, Daisy, and Mark to a theatre where he intends to make the trade-turned-betrayal which will result in the death of Ryan and the return of his sister. Mark ends up killing the theatre caretaker when Theo had only told him to find him.

Max tells Ryan the drinking needs to stop and makes him dump out the bottle and his flask. They realise they're going to need to steal FBI equipment needed to undermine the surveillance Theo will have set up to rig the meet for the trade. Ryan sneaks back into the FBI, taking a drink once he finds another stash of his from his locker. With Max's help, Ryan is able to distract the guard so he can get the necessary equipment.

Mike talks to Daisy, saying if she lets him go then he will let her run. He warns her that Mark will turn on her the first chance he gets to try to kill Mark, noting how it was the same thing he himself did to Max. He is able to knock Daisy out, grab a knife and use it to cut through his zip-tie restrains. Mike runs off to try to make his escape and it's then that Mark and Theo return to the theatre and wake Daisy up. Theo warns him not to kill Mike and to bring him back to him. Daisy tells Mark in private that he needs to do as Theo says and that if he doesn't, Theo will kill both of them. But Mark says he's already dead without his mother and brother. Mark corners Mike and prepares to shoot him but Daisy sneaks up from behind and shoots Mark in the shoulder. Mark takes off running, and Mike finds himself back in Theo's custody.

Lisa corners Ryan, demanding to know what's in the backpack and rightfully assuming that he's up to something. She searches it but only finds his bottle and he claims that he's been drinking and is a mess so he has to go home and look after himself. It's a good cover and he manages to keep his stolen equipment hidden. He gets a call from Theo with the location of the theatre at which the trade will take place. Ryan brings the signal jammer which keeps Theo from using the cameras he planted. Daisy must now do Mark's job as the field sniper.

Ryan and Theo each have their hostage in hand and meet inside to prepare to make their trade. Theo cuffs Mike to the chair on which the dead caretaker's body is sitting. He orders Ryan to cuff Penny to the seat next to where they're standing. Ryan and Theo are pointing their guns at each other and must move in a circular motion to move towards each other's hostage. Theo taunts Ryan with the knowledge he got from tracking his and Gwen's credit cards. He knows Ryan's been drinking and that Gwen checked into a hotel. Max is able to stop Daisy from shooting at Ryan. Ryan gets Mike free while Theo and Penny take off running. Max and Mike meet up with each other while Ryan takes off after Theo and Penny. Penny doesn't want to leave with Theo without killing Ryan but she ends up shot dead in the back by Ryan for trying to go after him. An enraged Theo is able to make his escape with Daisy.

Ryan gets in trouble for going rogue to save Mike and Lisa says she will be putting him up for review. Ryan spins a story about how Penny attacked him at his apartment and he arrested her but then Theo called to say he had Mike. Lisa wants to get him suspended but Ryan points out that since he's just killed the only person Theo's ever loved so now Theo will go after him with guns blazing.

Theo tells Daisy she had her chance to disappear so now she will be with him until he decides to let her go.

Ryan returns to his apartment and finds that Gwen is there to get the last of her things. Ryan says she was right about everything and that he let Joe get inside of his head and now he's ashamed of what Joe made him admit. The drinking and shutting her out was because he was afraid that she would push him away once she learned everything. He promises that he'll let her go this time and won't call her anymore. Gwen is preparing to leave but then she turns around and tells him that she's pregnant. If he's going to begin the baby's life, he needs to turn things around. This gives Ryan the push he needs to go back to AA meetings and start to put the pieces back together. As Ryan makes his declarations of wanting to be better, the vision of Joe gives a nod of approval and then disappears.

Mike and Max redeclare their feelings for each other, and all signs point to their getting back together. Mike even tells her that she's the love of his life. Max invites him over but then Mark sneaks up from behind and stabs Mike four times in the back. Mark pulls Max out of her car and tries to kill her but then Mike uses his remaining strength to shoot Mark dead. Max then calls in for help as she holds onto a badly wounded Mike.

The Following airs on Mondays on FOX at 9PM.