As is often the case with network television, a good series has had the plug pulled. Only granted three short seasons, Hannibal afforded itself very well. Consolation can be taken from the fact that they did leave on a high note with the ending of the third season being a strong one.
Plenty of tense moments, incredible cinematography, note perfect music and good acting were at the heart of this series based on the series of novels by Thomas Harris. High standards were set by the original Hannibal Lecter film – Silence of the Lambs. Everything that came after was not up to the test. That is until the television series Hannibal. Despite the fact that Hugh Dancy as Will Graham and Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal play quite odd and atypical characters because of the skill they display creating these two men you cannot help falling under their spells. The treat of watching a world famous psychiatrist and his patient, who happens to be an FBI profiler, evolve is at times haunting while others tension filled but always must see television. An added treat is that the rest of the cast also does a great job propping up Dancy and Mikkelsen.
This season really can be divided into two parts with the showrunners spending the first part mimicking the Silence of the Lambs film with the second focusing on depicting the novel the Red Dragon. Despite the fact that this is a high brow series about a serial killer, though admittedly no ordinary serial killer, at the true heart of the story it is about love – romantic and platonic. The interpretation of what type of love is happening is left up to the viewer. Different people will surely have different takes, so magically is the story woven. The two main male characters cannot exist without the other. It is all done rather subtly not lowering itself to explaining everything to the viewer.
Season three is very different from the first two seasons, but still strong. Once again this is a strong show that got better with each subsequent season, so it is a shame that it has been cancelled.
Special Features:
Audio Commentaries:
Antipasto with Bryan Fuller and Gillian Anderson
Primavera with Bryan Fuller and Hugh Dancy
Aperitivo with Bryan Fuller, Raul Esparza and Steve Lightfoot
Producer’s Cuts of Antipasto (1080p; 43:07) and Primavera (1080p; 43:09)
Beyond the Mind Palace (1080p; 18:54) is a featurette filled with a look at the direction of the third season.
Gag Reel (1080p; 8:47)
Audio Commentaries:
Dolce with Bryan Fuller, Steve Lightfoot and Don Mancini
Digestivo with Bryan Fuller and Steve Lightfoot
The Great Red Dragon with Bryan Fuller and Richard Armitage
And the Woman Clothed With the Sun. . . with Bryan Fuller and Rutina Wesley
Producer’s Cuts of Dolce (1080p; 43:09), Digestivo (1080p; 43:08), The Great Red Dragon (1080p; 43:09), and And the Woman Clothed With the Sun. . . (1080p; 43:09)
Avid Fannibals (1080p; 18:38).
Hannibal on the Run (1080p; 20:26) highlights places that the killer travels to in the third season.
Hannibal Season 3: Killer Intentions (1080p; 16:56) is a look at some of the gongs on of the third season.
Post Mortem with Scott Thompson Webisodes (1080p; 59:37)
Deleted Scenes (1080p; 10:06)
Audio Commentaries:
And the Woman Clothed in Sun with Bryan Fuller and Richard Armitage
The Number of the Beast is 666 with Steve Lightfoot and Lara Jean Chorostecki
The Wrath of the Lamb with Bryan Fuller and Hugh Dancy
Producer’s Cut of The Number of the Beast is 666 (1080p; 43:09)
Getting the Old Scent Again: Reimagining Red Dragon (1080p; 2:03:43) is a detail oriented look at the utilization of the Red Dragon novel for the third season.
