The Late Bloomer Known as NBC’s Hannibal

I was having the craziest sense of deja vu when it came to this blog and this show we’re about to discuss. And it turns out, I was correct! Back in 2020, I did talk about this show and re-reading it on docs, this post is going to be way different with the new mindset and goal of this blog being more art/creative focused. The show I’m talking about is 2013’s Hannibal (NBC) which I feel like is in the cult classic category and then also randomly in the “best tv shows of insert year/decade” so I don’t know where to put it at this point.

If you haven’t seen this show yet, you’ve missed out but it ain’t too late to catch up on three seasons of gory, beautiful deliciousness on screen.

Let’s talk about the late bloomer show on NBC called Hannibal.

I think we all know of the character Hannibal Lecter, right? I mean, there are so many adaptations involving this character from Thomas Harris’ Red Dragon (1981) novel, its sequel The Silence of the Lambs (1988), Hannibal (1999) and Hannibal Rising (2006, a prequel) and with that came film and television adaptations, including the Oscar winning The Silence of the Lambs in 1991 and that character Hannibal has been ingrained into our pop culture since then.

So how I want to do this is break it down into five categories just to make it easier on myself and you guys and keep my thoughts together. I can be a bit scattered brained on this blog at times so thank goodness for notes.

AESTHETICS/VISUALS – A huge part of this show in my opinion is how visually everything is beautiful and detailed. It is a well shot, produced show. The entire world that is shown to us is something that I don’t see often in television shows, I think the other show in current times is Interview with the Vampire (AMC) where it looks so good. Fun fact, I know this very well because I run/ran the “art of hannibal” blog on tumblr where I compare screen captures from the show to literal pieces of art. And yes, I still get activity and occasional messages from the blog. It is time consuming but I enjoy the challenge of finding key images or art pieces used within the show and some are just open to interpretation.

WRITING/EPISODE TITLES/FOOD THEMES – Key things about the show is that food is very, very important. I mean, yes, Hannibal is a cannibal and yet so is everyone else is unknowingly (for a while) and there’s a lot of boundaries being crossed and established when Hannibal is opening his home to others, eating with them, dining together, this communal gathering that is important for values and friendships, culture, etc. The episodes of Hannibal are named after dishes, specifically French dishes until we get til season three but even the episodes themselves are written around said dish or the kills being presented to the law like on a platter, decorated to be absorbed.

SOURCE MATERIAL/ADAPTATION – I think Hannibal feels the most horror out of all the adaptations. I’ve seen the others and they all borderline or hang out in the thriller genre. There are hints of horror but I think Hannibal dives deep head first into horror and it swims there and floats there. Now I haven’t read the books, came close when thrifting them but I can imagine it can be like Jurassic Park where the book is more detailed and gory than the final product of the film (Hammond was the ultimate old man jerk) but until then, I can only go by what I’ve personally consumed.

SLOW BURNER – Everything is meticulous. Everything takes its time. The payoffs happen by the end of the season finale. And like all shows, it’s about establishing the small key details that lead up to someone getting framed, arrested, killed, fought, an overdue embrace. IYKYK what I’m talking about in the last one. And I personally feel like the show in of itself was heavily under the radar and didn’t help it came on at like 9pm or 10pm on a Thursday which is fine but I wonder what if the show was on FX or HBO. Would the show get the same kind of attention or focus that I think a show like that deserves but then again, the slow burn of audiences discovering the show, word of mouth, this cult status, is a part of its identity in my opinion.

WILL/HANNIBAL – The dynamic of our two leads is what I think a lot of us stayed around for. We have Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen) and Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and the relationship that these two have and don’t have and have is still so fascinating to me and the show’s been off the air since 2015. Oh my God, it’s been 10 years??! It’s been 10 years yet everyone still wonders about Will and Hannibal and the things they’ve done to each other or exposed to each other to. It isn’t just the good times of conversation, it’s the betrayal, the physical pain and torture of each other, bleeding on each other and mixing as one, it’s being on the same coin. They represent true horror within the show. Hannibal to me is very much about a facade, being in control. And when he isn’t in control, he’s very dangerous and hurting. Or hunting if you read it like that, too. And Will… oh Will, he’s so “covered up”, he’s also wearing a mask but doesn’t do a great job of hiding it until later. There’s a transformation that happens with Will (because of Hannibal and his doings) that I wish could be explored further but til then, I mean, we have fanfic.

So with all these things being said, NBC’s Hannibal is quite iconic. There are some weaknesses in the show, sure, no show is perfect but the strengths (like listed above and others I didn’t according to my notes), the longevity, the endless possibility of bringing in a new fan, there is so much going for this show NOW than it did back in 2013. And I think time is the show’s biggest fan. The more time goes on, the more that fans and critics (they did back then too) appreciate the show and word of mouth and a huge community on tumblr, you can’t go wrong if you haven’t watched it. It’s available on Amazon Prime (if you have it) and I’m sure its available on other streaming platforms, dvd/blu-ray, etc.

Have you seen the show? What do you think of it? Or have you read some of Harris’ novels? Do they compare? Leave a comment below and til then, when we do the final post of April, I want you to be “colorful”.

Peace, chicken grease, and be safe!