Television
Bold New Season of NBC's Hannibal Has Critics Salivating
Clandestine, scheming, and off the radar since Hannibal Rising’s release in 2007, psychopathic killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter’s triumphant return to screens in the hit NBC series Hannibal is bolder and brasher than ever before, luring Forbes into calling season three "… the Hannibal everyone has been waiting to see."
Based on Thomas Harris’ novel Red Dragon (1981) and the multi-million dollar film franchise highlighted by Silence of the Lambs (1991), Hannibal charts an insidious cat-and-mouse course between criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and his psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen). Unbeknownst to Graham and the FBI, the brilliant and well-respected doctor is by night "The Chesapeake Ripper"—the headliner on the FBI's most wanted list.
The second season’s dramatic finale staked FBI agent Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) and his consultant Dr. Alana Bloom (Gillian Anderson) to a grizzly scene at the hands of Hannibal. With the true identity of the crooked psychiatrist revealed to the FBI, season three picks up in Europe where Hannibal tries to reestablish himself as the good doctor.
Director David Slade developed an intense storyline and dynamic characters in the first two seasons, and in the words of The Guardian, the momentum has continued into season three "… where confidence and talent gel to produce something remarkable, something classic."
Hannibal has received acclaim not only for its enveloping plot, but also for its daring cinematography. Business Insider praised the show for its "distinct visual style that sets it apart from literally any other show on network television. The cinematography of Hannibal is unparalleled — between the gorgeous shot compositions, the use of slow motion and the visual and aural horror associated with Will’s ‘dream’ sequences, there is always something gorgeous to behold."
The chase continues all summer long, Thursdays at 10 p.m. on NBC.
- Jillian Harrington for Comcast
