Hannibal
The first season of Hannibal ended on quite the cliffhanger with Episode 13, Savoureux. We are absolutely loving this series. Hannibal is according to us the best crime drama on TV at the moment. Hannibal is is truly beautifully shot (by director and executive producer David Slade) and is a surprisingly thoughtful look at how darkness, overwhelming darkness to be precise haunts an FBI profiler named Will Graham.
Hannibal is set in the kind of horror realm we might imagine when we indulge our worst fears of the hideous forms the civilized world could be capable of assuming. The cityscapes are richly foreboding shades of night blue and blood red, and the clouds rush by the screen in accelerated speed to affirm a general sense of relentless dislocating unease. The show’s characters are of two stripes: flamboyantly deranged serial killers who often communicate among one another in a perverted sort of Morse code via the fashions with which they mutilate their victims, and the law enforcers who’re wearing down their own mental faculties in their ongoing war against those killers. Presiding over this mayhem is the titular Prince of Darkness, psychiatrist and cannibal gourmand extraordinaire Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen).
Hannibal
We are tempted to give away a few spoilers as we are burning to discuss the last episode, but, here’s a few reasons why you should watch this series now:
Hannibal: 5 Reasons why you should watch this Series:
1. It is the best directed and produced crime drama currently out there: Whereas The Following on Fox had a heavy hand and seems too energetically gleeful about the violence it abounds in, Hannibal is beautifully shot with its thoughtful look at how darkness haunts, acts, behaves, and twists. Hannibal very rarely comes into the bright lights of the day, and that eerie tone is reflected in many of the visually traumatic and scary scenes. None of them used as a method to shock. I have yet to experience any episode of this series that I found lacked a compelling story arc, great moments of character development, and moments of brilliant writing. Hannibal is, well, delicious. I’ve never found the gore to be gratuitous, and just enough horror elements are served up on a silver platter.
2. Hannibal Lecter. Yup, Dr. Lecter alone is reason enough. Watch a truly good Hannibal Lecter depiction by Mads Mikkelsen. As the series continues we simply love him more and more. Mikkelsen truly does doe role of Hannibal justice. After initial fears that the worlds most famous serial killer and cannibal might face the effect of another poor acting performance, we were quickly put at ease as Mikkelson wears the dark mysterious and extremely intelligent shroud of Dr. Hannibal perfectly. Hannibal is scary again.
Hannibal
Hannibal
3. Character development. This is something that is almost unheard of these days in most TV series, or simply rushed and the viewers are left wondering what or how the lead actor even got to this/that point. With Hannibal exceptional detail is given to any type of character development. An example would be the the downward spiral of Will Graham into the psychiatric black pit of chaos where reality and dreams confuse. Even Hannibal’s development is great. We see a human side of the prince of darkness. Where you truly believe he IS trying to connect and “make friends”. The final episode is a great example of this where we see a genuine emotional Hannibal.
4. Great Expectations. We are continually left expecting a major showdown of some sorts, or the clever Dr. Lecter being caught out or having his true nature exposed. We want the FBI to know who he truly is, we want the manhunt to begin for the most wanted serial killer ever. Every episode is this dance of under cover serial killers touching the line of being caught, and remaining free.
5. Attention to detail. What we love most about this dark series is all the things that are left unsaid, and left to the imagination of the viewer. The things that are said, is done so superbly. Whether it is a luxurious meal prepared by Dr.Lecter for his guests and we are always left wondering “what exactly IS in that veal?” Or the hellish nightmares Will Graham has that tells so much more of what is going on not only in his mind but with the plot of the series. You will realize that everything means something in Hannibal. Example, the title of the penultimate episode is “Relevés“, Traditionally in French cuisine, this is a savory dessert appealing to diners with no interest in a sweet ending to their meal. And we intend to leave FANNIBALS of the series with the same salty bite. Both forewent the physical gore in favor of the mental gore, but where “Relevés” saw Hannibal Lecter putting the final touches on his latest dish—the destruction of Will Graham—”Savoureux” (episode 13) was Lecter serving that dish at an intimate dinner party and then basking in the praise.
Will Graham
