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Pretty
obviously, Hannibal is based on the Thomas
Harris serial-killer books. Not so much
an adaptation as a reimagined prequel, the show follows gifted, unstable Will
Graham in his work with the FBI. Will
has a neurological disorder that allows him to feel total empathy with anyone,
and given a crime scene, Will can extrapolate the killer’s mindset and
motivations. It’s not nearly as hokey as
it sounds, and I should clarify that his insights help guide the investigation
rather than serve as admissible evidence themselves. However, stepping so fully into the shoes of
killers does a number on Will’s psyche, and his boss sets him up with a
therapist to make sure he’s looking into the abyss without the abyss looking
back. Mental health services can be enormously
beneficial, of course, but when your therapist is Hannibal Lector? Not so much.
The
show naturally lives or dies on the strength is its Hannibal, and Mads
Mikkelsen gives an utterly fantastic performance. Dr. Lector is erudite and cultured, hiding
audaciously in plain sight with all the subtlety of a peacock who likes
cannibal innuendo. He’s an excellent
feigner of emotion and empathy, but Mikkelsen can go so cold at the drop of a
hat. While he gives the impression of
being a thoroughly cerebral creature, he can also be tremendously physical,
striking silently with cobra speed and alarming strength. He plays everyone
around him like a regular Iago, for reasons of self-preservation, curiosity,
revenge, or simply because he can.
Hugh
Dancy’s Will is excellent as well. On
the surface, he seems a much weaker man, sensitive and skittish. But Will is capable of great fortitude, and
he’s been especially resourceful in the face of staggering odds in season
two. The cast also features Laurence Fishburne
and Caroline Dhavernas (Jaye from Wonderfalls,)
and tons of Fuller alumni make guest appearances (my favorites include Ellen
Muth from Dead Like Me and Eddie
Izzard from Mockingbird Lane.)
Additionally,
the series is stuffed with twisted beauty.
The DC area is apparently chockfull of serial killers who are fond of complex
murder tableaus. From the killer who
turns his victims into mushroom gardens to the murderer who constructs a human
totem pole, the crime scenes in Hannibal
are wildly inventive, absolutely disgusting, and unsettlingly gorgeous. The visuals are stunning throughout; plus,
even though you know the food is made
of people, it looks delicious.
I
highly recommend Hannibal to anyone
with offbeat sensibilities and a strong stomach. If you can, go back to the beginning before
digging into the current season. The
show is pretty serialized and rewards attentive viewership.
Warnings
Tons of
violence (though much of it is either crime scenes or mental reconstructions,)
some swearing, and extremely dark subject matter. Only watch if you think you can handle it.
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