Binge for thought: A look back at ‘Hannibal’
Mads Mikkelsen portrays Dr. Hannibal Lector in the origin story television series “Hannibal.” Photo By: BBC.com
By Drew Henderson//Staff Writer
Binging television shows have become a daily part of our lives, whether it is catching up on the last few episodes of that hit show on television, or crushing a whole season of a Netflix original in under a day. With this article, I am hoping to start a series that looks back at some of the most binge-worthy TV shows that have recently ended or are still on the air. With this first binge for thought, I am revisiting one of my favorite shows of all time, “Hannibal.”
On paper, many thought that a “Hannibal” reboot would be disastrous, a pale reflection to “The Silence of the Lambs.” However, “Hannibal” blew away everyone’s expectations. With some of the most gorgeous visuals and cinematography ever seen on TV, a twist on the procedural format used in every other network show and terrific performances from all four leads, “Hannibal” has become a one of the most underrated and acclaimed shows on television.
The first season starts off with FBI Special Investigator Will Graham being assigned by Jack Crawford to investigate a series of kidnappings. Will Graham thinks differently than any other person in the FBI; a special combination of social disorders gift him with the ability to reenact any crime scene with amazing precision. However, this gift is also a curse as it starts to wear down Will mentally. That’s where Dr. Hannibal Lector comes in. As the season goes on and Hannibal “helps” Will, Will starts to question his sanity and reality as he blacks out and does not remember certain periods of time. Procedurals usually bore me, with the case of the week being an old dinosaur in my eyes. However, Hannibal flips the script on this genre, using the cases to further showcase Will’s mental deterioration and moving the story forward. The cases of the week can be grisly too, showing some of the most gruesome and gory things I have ever seen on TV. By the end of the season, if you have the stomach for it, you will be like me asking, “How did NBC ever let them get away with this?”
The visuals in the series are astonishing, too, highlighting Will’s mental gift and deterioration and showing Hannibal’s cooking skills. The kitchen scenes are where the cinematography truly shines, as watching the meals prepared are truly astonishing yet macabre to watch. Watching Will get into the minds of killers and criminals is creepy, too, as he mimics every move they made and has to relive the gruesome kills they committed as well. If there is one thing I have noted when watching “Hannibal,” even when it is at its most gruesome and disgusting, it still looks the best visually.
The acting and characters are top-notch in “Hannibal,” having a movie quality cast, with major props going towards Mads Milkkensen’s (“Doctor Strange,” “Rouge One” and “Casino Royale”) new take on Dr. Lector, and Hugh Dancy’s (“The Path”) portrayal of a broken Will Graham. If Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal depicted what the beast looked like in the cage, Milkkensen’s shows what happens when the beast is free to roam and create carnage. Every scene that someone has with Milkkensen is nail biting. The tension between predator and prey is obvious in every scene. However, Milkkensen’s Lector shines the most with Dancy’s Will Graham. Every therapeutic talk and brotherly moment these two have strengthen the bond that is apparent in later seasons. Dancy does a terrific job as Will Graham, being able to depict the works of sadistic criminals, while trying not to become one himself. Balancing off the main cast is Laurence Fishborne (“The Matrix Trilogy” and “John Wick: Chapter 2”) who plays Will’s superior Jack Crawford and Caroline Dhavernas, at as a long time colleague of Hannibal, Dr. Alana Bloom. Fishborne’s Crawford could be looked as a selfish in the first season. He rarely shows any care for Will’s deteriorating mental health, and often pushes him at his worst moments. However, he plays the part well as a demanding boss, but sometimes you will wonder why he does not see the bigger picture at play. Dhavernas’s Dr. Bloom serves as a shoulder for Will to rest on and later as a romantic interest, however, that does not last long.
As the final episode comes to a close, the audience and Will finally see what is going on, and the hunt for and capture of Hannibal begins to take shape. In its first season, “Hannibal” offered something tonally different from what is usually on network TV. If you are prepared to dive into this series, I warn you that it is not for the faint of heart. However, if you love horror, thrillers, and have the stomach for it, pull up a seat at the table, and prepare for the first course that is “Hannibal.”