On Friday, February 28th, Season 2 of Hannibal premieres on NBC. Inspired by the series of novels from author Thomas Harris and re-imagined for television by head writer and executive producer Bryan Fuller, Hannibal is about the tenuous friendship between Will Graham, a gifted criminal profiler whose overactive imagination allows him to empathize with and understand the serial killers that he hunts, and Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the noted psychiatrist tasked with ensuring that Will doesn't let his work consume him. Unbeknownst to Will and his colleagues at the FBI, Hannibal uses his professional reputation to conceal his true nature, and it soon becomes clear that his personal agenda might be more sinister than anyone could have imagined. Sound interesting to you? Because if it does, then there is no excuse for why you haven't been watching.
Hannibal is a show that is high on critical acclaim but short on ratings. Television critics can't stop raving about it, but audience members at home can't even seem to find the remote. And this is a problem, because low ratings means low interest from advertisers, and if a network can't sell advertisers on their show, then that show is not long for this world, unfortunately. And I'd rather not live in a world without Hannibal. So, in the interest of keeping a fantastic show on the air, I've put together a list of reasons why Hannibal requires -- and deserves -- your attention.
5. Bryan Fuller is due for a hit show. Hannibal is the fourth television series created by Bryan Fuller, with none of his previous three -- Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me, and Pushing Daisies -- lasting more than two seasons, despite near unanimous critical acclaim and small, but devoted followings. The problem is that Fuller tends to create shows that tread off the beaten path, which can alienate more mainstream audiences who are interested in less stylized fare that is easier to swallow. But because Fuller's shows offer a creative detour from your standard procedurals, his shows are best known for their affectionate fan bases, which are often small in number but unrivaled in terms of passion. NBC renewed Hannibal for a second season in spite of the first season's diminishing ratings because it was willing to take a chance on a brilliant show that had everything but the appreciation of a larger audience, after languishing in a tough Thursday night time slot opposite ABC's Scandal and CBS's Elementary. Now, NBC will be airing Hannibal on Fridays, a gamble the could either sink the show for good or allow it to take advantage of a night that more than a few people consider to be the graveyard shift of weeknight television.
4. Haven't read the books or watched the movies? No problem. Yes, the character of Hannibal Lecter was made famous by Anthony Hopkins' bone-chilling portrayal of the sophisticated cannibal in the film series that began with 1991's The Silence of The Lambs. But Hannibal is a bold re-imagining of the source material, drawing more from the original series of novels by author Thomas Harris, and serves as a prequel of sorts to the events that take place in the books. The first two seasons and, if all goes well, the third season are what Fuller likes to refer as the "lost novels" in the series, with Harris' original trilogy serving as the basis for the theoretical fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons. So you don't have to be familiar with either the books or the films to appreciate or understand the show, but it will enrich the experience, as the shows' writers do like to make subtle (and not-so-subtle) callbacks to the source material and even utilize supporting characters from the literature such as Freddie Lounds, Dr. Frederick Chilton, and Mason and Margot Verger.
3. This is not violence for the sake of violence. I must warn you: There are scenes and images in Hannibal that I'm positive you will find disturbing (See: The "cello neck"). But this is not a show that is interested in escalating the level of violence and gore of each episode for the sake of mere shock value, because Hannibal is more than a simple whodunit. Will is tasked with finding the individuals responsible for a variety of gruesome murders, but to do so he must first understand their motivations, and the key lies somewhere in the details of their heinous crimes. Part of what makes Hannibal so entertaining is watching Will deconstruct and re-enact (in his own head, mind you) the murder itself, hoping to use the specific nature of the crime to glean personal details about the person responsible. Most of the elaborate crime scene tableaus are borderline absurd, because the intent is not to reproduce a realistic homicide, but rather to create a macabre portrait that illustrates the twisted psychology of its killers. Hannibal is less about the "how" and more about the "why" when it comes to examining what drives people to take the lives of others, and the psychological toll it must take on the man being asked to step inside their twisted psyches.
2. The performances are among the best on television. I was disappointed, but also not that surprised, when not a single cast member of Hannibal was nominated for an Emmy or a Golden Globe this past year. It speaks to the current quality of television programming -- in particular cable dramas, which have dominated of late -- that a brilliant show like Hannibal can be shut out of the awards, but unfortunately it does also mean that a struggling show in desperate need of some much-deserved public attention will go unrecognized. Just watch the first season and you'll understand what I mean when I say that Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen are two of the most underrated actors on television right now. Their outstanding performances as Will Graham and Dr. Hannibal Lecter, respectively, and the relationship between those two characters are what serve as the show's central nervous system. In addition to the strong supporting cast, led by stalwart Laurence Fishbourne as Will's boss Jack Crawford, Hannibal also boasts an impressive line-up of guest stars, including the likes of Gillian Anderson, Eddie Izzard, and Gina Torres.
1. It is the boldest and most creative drama on broadcast television. From the simple fact that I even bothered to write this column, you can infer that I am a huge fan of Hannibal. Believe me, I never expected to like it as much as I did, but I was hooked from the first episode. I liked the movies, for the most part, but not enough that I was sold on the idea of a television show about Hannibal Lecter, sight unseen. But Bryan Fuller has defied expectations and, with a fresh take, re-invigorated source material that most considered stale, allowing the show to slip out from under the shadow of Anthony Hopkins' iconic performance and create a Hannibal Lecter for the modern age that is as spine-tingling as his predecessor. It is difficult to talk about the phenomenal writing of Hannibal without spoiling the events of the first season, but know this: This is not a show that is interested in wasting your time. With 13 episodes per season, the storytelling is tight and methodical, and the end result is an amazing achievement, thanks in large part to the exceptional cast and breathtaking production design, in addition to the stellar writing staff. With the unexpected success of FOX's Sleepy Hollow, I'm hopeful that audiences who are eager to embrace shows that are outside-the-box will discover Hannibal and see to it that this outstanding show survives.
Need to catch up on the first season before the premiere of Season 2 on Friday, February 28th? Season 1 of Hannibal is available for purchase on DVD or Blu-Ray on Amazon (or you can check your local retail store), where you can also stream the entire first season online for a price. Hannibal is also available to rent on DVD (by mail) with Netflix, but is not available for streaming on Netflix Instant. Or, if the idea of watching all 13 episodes sounds like too much work for you, you can check out the official video recap of the complete first season here.
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