Hannibal Series Preview: Who’s the Smartest Man in the Room?
Steve Barton
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For the first time this iconic character firmly established in the universe of fiction and film displays his talents on the small screen. He has been portrayed in numerous adaptations over four decades, and a new face now steps into the limelight, one sure to add to his mythology and legacy…
No, I’m not talking about Hannibal Lecter; I’m talking about Will Graham. Hugh Dancy plays the tortured profiler this go-around, and NBC’s new show “Hannibal” plans on convincing you that he’s the character really worth tuning in for.
In a nutshell, “Hannibal” is a raw, intellectual procedural following Will and Hannibal as they track a different serial killer each week (Eddie Izzard, for example, appears in an upcoming episode as the Chesapeake Ripper, who originally appeared in the novel Red Dragon). Through the course of their investigations, you slowly find out more about Hannibal through Will’s findings and theories about the killer they seek. Then Hannibal, as Will’s oddly engaging therapist, discusses the emotional effects of the case while dealing with the usually violent conclusion at the end of each episode.
Hannibal in the early episodes is the compass of the show, making sense and moralizing why it feels good to kill – it feels powerful. Will has the ability to relive the murders in a way no one else can, and it tortures him. As the show progresses through the five episodes we’ve seen, the question is whether or not Will begins to enjoy the intense visions he experiences because he gets to imagine himself on a murderous, glorious rampage. Does Will have the desire to kill, too? But the biggest question to answer is who is the most interesting character? Should it be Will or Hannibal? In the first episode, “Apertif,” Will insists, “You wouldn’t like me when I’m psycho-analyzing,” an obvious reference to The Incredible Hulk. Is he dangerous? Right off the bat, Will is more unstable than Hannibal.
Or should the relationship between the two leads be the thing we care about the most? Mads Mikkelson is absolutely delectable as Lecter, but it’s not because of how he slices, dices and dines. In The Silence of the Lambs, you care about Clarice, right? Lecter, in their relationship, scares her and challenges her in a way that no one ever could. He understands her like no one ever has. She reveals more to him than she ever would a lover. But Lecter ultimately serves a purpose: to aid Clarice in not only catching the killer and becoming a full-fledged agent but also to exorcise her demons and give her the courage to fight the sexism of the FBI and her sad past. Then she can use that courage to fight the bad guys. Admittedly, it might be difficult to care about Will Graham more than Clarice Starling. But if we do, Mads Mikkelson’s Hannibal will help us get there. You care about Clarice because you see her overcome her fear and her past, and then you can’t really help but like Lecter since he’s the catalyst. In “Hannibal” Lecter is also that catalyst for Will, but in a more loving, less invasive way. Let’s just say it’s a very close professional relationship. Ultimately, Hannibal just wants someone to understand him.
Related Story: Exclusive Interview: Mads Mikkelson on “Hannibal”
The key to viewers continuing to tune in is giving Hannibal plenty of compelling screen time early on so the audience stays with the show long enough to care about Will. The early episodes are on their way to accomplish that, but it’s not until Episode Five, where we see a flashback of one of his kills, that we are compelled to keep watching solely because of Hannibal. Hannibal is very direct, and his seeming omnipotence provides comfort and makes Will, Agent Jack Crawford and others respond to him openly. That makes him the most important character because he makes the other characters more accessible and therefore more engaging.
Lastly, the character of Hannibal could be jeopardized if too much is revealed about his past, but interestingly, finding more and more about Will enriches his character. That’s how the show will succeed: by making the audience care more about Will than they do about Hannibal, a feat that has not been accomplished before in the books or the films. We did care about Clarice more, didn’t we? Hannibal should be the most interesting character but not the character we want to find out about the most.
Episode by episode, we’re learning about other serial killers through Will so we don’t sympathize with the killers. We would prefer to learn more about Hannibal, initially. But the writers are pulling a trick here: If the focus is on other serial killers and that focus is more on method than motive, the less that needs to be revealed about Hannibal, keeping his background and motivations secret to retain his appeal. Hannibal just sees the world in a different way than us. So do these other serial killers but not as clearly as he does. There is no line for him, which is why he sees beauty in killing. He is pure in this way, and Hannibal must stay mysterious for the show to work long-term.
As mentioned, each episode is about a different serial killer, but our insight into the killer is only through Will, who has an intrinsic understanding of their motives. Does this bring us closer to Will or distance us from him because of his ability and eccentricity? Maybe we don’t want to be too close to Will and Hannibal because they’re a little off-putting, to say the least. If early episodes are clear indications, surprisingly, Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) may wind up being the emotional center of “Hannibal.”
Obviously, having these interesting characters on television means you can think about their motivations and discuss them even more than before, if you so desire. Usually shows like “House” or “Sherlock” are compelling mostly because the lead character is always the smartest man in the room. “Hannibal” gives you two such characters, and the compelling thing is guessing which one of them is smarter.
Be sure to watch the “Hannibal” series premiere on April 4th at 10pm on NBC, and then come back here to share your thoughts on the show.
“Hannibal” Episode 1.01 – “Aperitif” (airs 4/4/13)
When the FBI takes on a case of disappearing college girls, Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) recruits Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), a gifted criminal profiler with a unique view into the psyche of serial killers, to consult. Jack also seeks the help of Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), a brilliant psychiatrist, who, unbeknownst to him, is not only one of the most successful serial killers of all time, but also a cannibal. After a copycat strikes, Will and Hannibal join forces to track down the culprit.
For more info visit “Hannibal” on NBC.com, “like” “Hannibal” on Facebook, and follow “Hannibal” on Twitter.
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