It's Friday night and you're deciding what to do. Are you going to go out to that new restaurant in town? Maybe you might call up a few of your friends and hit your favorite bar for some good company? Or, how about checking out that new movie that just opened today that you've been dying to see? I'm sure the last thing most people would do is sit down in front of the television to watch a show.
The Friday night time slot has often signaled the demise of even the most well-conceived TV shows. The simple fact is that not many people want to stay at home on the first night of their weekend. The major networks have decided that this particular night serves as a prime place to try out niche entertainments that might somehow find an audience. One of these shows is quietly building a small cult status among television critics and those who recognize its brilliance . . . . Hannibal.
Based on the well-known characters created by novelist Thomas Harris, the show chronicles the period in Hannibal Lecter's life prior to his arrest for being a cannibalistic serial killer. His relationship with FBI profiler, Will Graham is at the core of the plot. Graham has been featured in previous adaptations of Harris's novel Red Dragon, including Michael Mann's excellent Manhunter where he was portrayed by William Peterson.
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| Michael Mann's excellent, Manhunter first introduced us to Will Graham (William Petersen) after he captured Hannibal Lecter. |
It should never have been a good show and when I first heard of its existence, I'll be honest, I wasn't interested. To me this was ground that had been covered again and again by those who would try to capitalize on the success of Silence of the Lambs and Anthony Hopkins' infamous performance as Dr. Lecter. We've had numerous sequels and prequels, some good, some not-so-good, and some downright awful. A television show, I thought, would rehash the same old serial killer stereotypes that Thomas Harris has brought into the mainstream.
One of the main things that made me interested in Hannibal was the man who would be the creative force behind the show - Bryan Fuller. He has created some of the most unique and quirky television shows of the last fifteen years, including such cult hits as Dead Like Me (2003), Wonderfalls (2004) and Pushing Daisies (2007). His work usually has a whimsical sensibility, but often veers into dark territory from time to time. He has never attempted anything as close to the gruesomeness and macabre of Hannibal. He also has never really created a series that has achieved real success or made it past a second season. I think part of the reason for this is his uncompromising commitment to an artistic vision. Sometimes these visions don't translate well to a mainstream television audience.
Season 1 of Hannibal introduced us to FBI profiler, Jack Crawford (Lawrence Fishburne) who is stymied in his pursuit of a serial killer called the "Minnesota Shrike". This particular murderer preys on young woman, all the same age, and he always takes them on a Friday. Crawford enlist the help of Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), a profiler himself, who has a unique ability. Due to abnormalities in his higher brain function Will can put himself in the shoes of a killer and through a form of empathy, is able to see how the crime was committed. In previous versions of the character this was portrayed mostly as an elevated form of intuition, but in this show it is obvious that Will has some form of brain damage. This allows the show to go to extremely abstract lengths when allowing us inside his head as he works on a crime scene.
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| Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) is asked to help Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) cope with the demons inside his head. |
Will has not worked with the FBI for some time, preferring to teach instead, because his gift does not come without psychological costs. For this reason, Crawford, sends Will to Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) for counseling and therapy to help him deal with the disturbing images in his head. After Will is successful in identifying and in a tense standoff kills the Minnesota Shrike, really a man named Garret Jacob Hobbs, a killer long thought captured returns. They called him the "Chesapeake Ripper", and fans of the books will know this actually is Dr.Lecter. The rest of the first season concerns the cat and mouse game Hannibal plays with Will and Jack, hiding his identity while also satisfying his own curiosity about Will and his tortured mind.
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| Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) confronts the daughter of Garret Jacob Hobbs, the serial killer known as the Minnesota Shrike. |
The murders that populate the story each week are ridiculously unrealistic, but this show is not grounded in any sort of normal. I would classify more as Gothic horror. Because Will is our window into this world we see things as he would. Characters are often represented as motifs instead of real people. For example, Will sees the Chesapeake Ripper as a man painted all in black with the horns of a stag. It's a disturbing image, the kind you don't often see on network television. The stag motif is a recurring image through both seasons. HBO's True Detective also had similar imagery, but was grounded more than this show.
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| Will sees the Chesapeake Ripper as a creature with black skin and the horns of a stag. I know, disturbing . . . . |
Second, the performances are brilliant, mostly by both Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy. Mikkelsen's version of the infamous cannibal is much more subdued and understated. We hardly see him kill at all throughout the first season. You have to look beneath his eyes to get a sense of the killer within. When he does reveal his true nature it has a much more shocking and cathartic effect on the viewer. I could argue that his nuanced performance is more effective than anything Hopkins brought to the table. Dancy is equally good as Graham. Through his ability/curse, he is the only man capable of seeing Hannibal for what he is. It always seems like he is so unstable that it might only take one slight push to make him cross the line into becoming the very thing he is paid to hunt down. This is why he is of such interest to his psychotic therapist.
Third, the writing is great on this show. It does not shackle itself to the previous versions of the this story. Choosing instead to weave its own web. Even though you may know how this story ends, you are still in its grip as Hannibal outsmarts everyone around him. Think of great reboots like Casino Royale and Batman Begins. Here is a television show that has succeeded on the same level as those excellent movies.
Each episode's title is a reference to some sort of culinary terminology. This is appropriate given how we get to watch Dr. Lecter creating some seriously insanely detailed meals week after week. We won't ask what the meat is . . . .
Fuller has said that in future seasons he wants to dive into the actual story in Red Dragon. I am greatly intrigued by the idea of him re-working that story. In my opinion it is still the best of Harris's novels. A third season should get us close to that part of the timeline. Seeing as how Hannibal is not a particularly expensive show for NBC it looks like they are fine with continuing with the show on Friday nights. So, my advice is set your DVR and record it, after checking out season one, of course. Watch the trailer below, it will give you good sense of what to expect.
Yes, despite my skepticism, Hannibal has become one of my favorite shows. Finally, Bryan Fuller has found some success. I just hope that NBC continues to support it and I hope you will give it a shot.
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