Why "Hannibal" deserved to be cancelled

One of network television's innovative, stylish and creative dramas in the first two seasons, Season 3 was a big disappointment. Beautifully shot and designed but it's no fun any more. No more devilish dinner parties and psycho-of-the-week.
Sure, Florence looks gorgeous and Gillian Anderson is very watchable as the ice-queen (like in "The Fall") but it's same-same after that.
Episode 2 dragged painfully. Will is becoming a bore. Lots of torrents of blood and the stag-critter is back (looking like some hybrid-beast from "The Thing").
Why do US series drag out over so many seasons (10-13 episodes each)? The Brits keep things short and sweet (6-8 episodes a series).

"Hannibal", NBC, 13 interesting things about Season 2

1. A suspenseful opening scene, it seems cornfields are mandatory in thrillers.
2. "I love your work" intones Hannibal from the top of the silo. We all laughed.
3. An elegant departure from Dr Du Maurier (Gillian Anderson). Or is it?
4. Now I know how to cook Osso buco.
5. The photography and design in this show is top shelf. If you see the eye/death/mural in the Tate Modern I wouldn't be surprised. 
6. The beehive man, the flight into the hive scene. Stunning/macabre.
7. I'd forgotten how great Amanda Plummer is at doing deranged characters on screen. See "Pulp Fiction".
8. The body cross-sections under glass (a real "Oh my God! moment) in Episode 5.
9. Michael Pitt ("Seven Psychopaths" and Jimmy Carmody from "Boardwalk Empire") as Mason Verger giving the creepiest performance of the season, a psycho-Willy Wonka. Making the little boy cry in the stable in order to take a tear sample, then tossing him a chocolate. An inspired turn. He seems to be channelling Christopher Walken/Robert Downey Jr, with a touch of Jerry Lewis's Nutty Professor. Love the Dr Strangelove hair. Mason Verger is definitely standout psycho of both seasons. The face-feeding scene was almost too hard to watch in Episode 12.
10. Freddie Lounds' resurrection, didn't see that one coming.
11. The huge Shiva statue rearing up at Will and Hannibal in Episode 11.
12. The return of Gillian Anderson. She now specialises in playing the ice-queen character (see BBC's creepy and compelling "The Fall").
13. Spectacular (and gory) season finale. Don't turn off when the credits roll!

"Hannibal" Season 2, Episode 1, NBC A great opener

For me the standout in his show is its visual style. This season opener is just as beautifully shot. The stunning image of the antlered demon (Hannibal?) rising out of the stream or the closing image of the entwined corpses (think Saul Bass meets mad old Ken Russell's "The Devils" meets Dante's Inferno/William Blake).
What a brave idea (the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink fight between Jack and Hannibal) jumping forward to the climax of Season 2 (I'm assuming, as the rest of the episode flashed back to 12 weeks earlier).
Observations:

• Last year it was French gastronomic titles, this season it's Japanese.
• Great to see Gillian Anderson is back, calmly paring back Hannibal's layers. It was fun to see Cynthia Nixon playing the icy investigator (describing her job as 'putting down' the battle wounded). Bet she'd be a riot at the FBI Christmas party.
• Will our hero, Will, being locked up slow down the pace in this season. Solving cases behind bars is tricky. Liked the sorting of photos according to colour palette.
• Prissy Dr Frederick is still annoying (but I suppose he serves his purposes).
• 'Psycho of the week' has been tweaked so it carries over to the new episode.

Still thinking of that stunning final creepy tableau. Quite groundbreaking for network television. Hope Bryan Fuller can keep this standard up.

"Hannibal" NBC Episode 13 Series 1 final "Savoureux" review, spoilers

Don't expect fast moving action in this series final. This is a mood piece. The beautifully executed final scene between Will and Hannibal (with Mads Mikkelsen's glimmer of a smile). He knows that he knows. And he knows that he knows....
Dr Du Maurier (Gillian Anderson) certainly knows heaps about Lecter's past.
No graphic violence, apart from a regurgitated ear in Will's kitchen sink. Toward the end, Will sees Hannibal as the darkly demonic deer creature he has been dreaming of throughout this series - the realisation of who and what Lecter is. Now you realise what Lecter was doing with Will's fishing lures in an early episode.
I suppose some viewers might be getting a bit toey (restless) - waiting for a confrontation. But I think the tension is delicious - as delicious as Hannibal's weekly gourmet treats.
Series 2 must feature the missing Abigail (Kacey Rohl).

"Hannibal" NBC Series 1, Episode 12 "Releves" review

This penultimate episode started with a horrific incineration scene. The comb of death reminded me of the comb the queen/witch/pedlar gives to Snow White in the longer version of the fairy tale.

This series has featured some stunningly conceived set pieces – Will’s surreal dream sequences are highlights. Lots of morphing and weirdly moving/speaking humans(David Lynch “Twin Peaks” territory).

Will (Hugh Dancy) has made the big link between all the copycat killings. But will he be believed? Who was the patient swallowing his tongue with Dr Du Maurier (Gillian Anderson)?  She definitely knows more about Hannibal than anyone else – apart from Abigail, but I don’t think Abigail is long for this world , from watching the final scene.

Jack (Laurence Fishburne) confiding in Hannibal, telling him his latest theories makes for delicious viewing. No, there were no extravagant dinner party scenes this week, except for Chef Lecter brewing up some exotic, but medicinal chicken soup for the disturbed Will.

Gillian Anderson is much in demand on telly at the moment. She seems to have the sexy, but knowing ice queen down pat, if you have seen BBC’s “The Fall” series. Note the lush greenery feature wall in the female psychiatrist’s office (similar to Hannibal’s dining room).  A link or just the style of the set designer?

Liked it when she tells her patient, Lecter, that he needs to “maintain the boundaries”.  Just when you think the FBI is getting closer to cracking the case, the cool, unflappable Hannibal is one step ahead, playing his trump card: Poor Will. Perhaps not that poor – he can afford Business Class seats for 2 (his misguided jaunt with Abigail).

Looking forward to final episode of Series 1.  

"Hannibal" NBC Series 1, Episode 11 "Roti" review

It is novel to find a lead character in a prime time show who is truly disturbed. Will is the real deal. As usual, the show serves up some stunning images - glaciers, tidal waves and the corpse totem. Let's not forget Will's 'wet dream'. Use of colour is powerful - wintry greys and white contrasted with deep greens and blood red.

The scene on the operating table ("Ms Lounds will be assisting") combined the gruesome with the comic - shades of the 1985 cult movie "Re-Animator". Nice to see Dr Gideon (Eddie Izzard) back (Bryan Fuller worked with Izzard in the "Mockingbird Lane" pilot). "Hannibal" raises the issue of the power of psychiatrists    can wield with their patients.
Check out the thriller cliche - the killer waiting in the car's rear seat - nice switcheroo - this time the killer is in the front seat.
The final scene with Gillian Anderson as Hannibal's savvy shrink was good value.

"The Fall" Creepiest show on TV at the moment Episodes 1-5 review

I am knocked out by "The Fall".
Gillian Anderson (confession: I have never been a big fan) is fantastic as the cold and complex detective. I was gobsmacked when she tells the handsome copper, "I'm at the Hilton, the room number is 203". I am sure Agent Scully would not have been so forward with Mulder!
The gliding camera through the serial killer's home, shot from the ceiling, was astounding. Very Brian De Palma or was it like that shot in the brothel in "Taxi Driver"? Anyway, it was cool.
Jamie Dornan is compelling. The creepy part is how he is living a 'normal' family life. The scene with the psychologist taking notes by sketching his patient was disturbing.
Episode 2 was harrowing. Lots of juxtapositions - the baby in Intensive Care/the father mourning for his baby - his daughter in the morgue; the killer washing his daughter's hair after washing the strangled solicitor. Some good plot twists - the smarmy solicitor being a friend of the latest victim, the final scene where the detective is gunned down in front of his son. Believable situations - the parent-teacher interview, the mother in the maternity ward. The scene with the police emergency operator was a gem. This is clever, but creepy television drama.
Just watched last episode, was sort of disappointed. Bit of a cliff hanger. Is there another series in this? Or does the viewer have to fill in the gaps (when the witness regains consciousness and ID's the bastard, will the creep stay in Scotland?).
Brilliant TV though. Gillian Anderson is now officially a hot TV property (a juicy cameo in "Hannibal", now this superbly written part).
More please.

"Hannibal" NBC Series 1, Episode 7 "Sorbet" review

This episode was a real feast, beginning with an amazing scene showing a journey through the opera singer's vocal cords, Hannibal in the audience looking uncharacteristically emotional, symbolic red ribbons splashed across the stage. The singer was played by Broadway great, Ellen Greene ("Little Shop of Horrors"). For "The X-Files" tragics we had Gillian Anderson (looking more like Jerry Hall) as Lecter's quirky psychiatrist, Dr Du Maurier. Her comment to Hannibal that he was "wearing his person suit" was illuminating. At the same time we have Lecter analysing his Michael Jackson worshipping patient.

The subplot about the organ removal psycho was fascinating. Parallelling organ removal with USB cables??? Will does a particularly graphic mental crime reconstruction. Again we have the mystical deer, central in Will's thoughts.
Hannibal remarks to his socialite friends, "Who's hungry?" The dinner party this week featured pate, with a lot of preparation details.
Good job, Bryan Fuller/Jesse Alexander (script) and veteran director James Foley.

"Hannibal" NBC TV series Episode 1 review

"Hannibal" has Bryan Fuller ("Pushing Daisies") as the creator/writer. The first flashy scene establishing William Graham's (Hugh Dancy) credentials as a profiler grabs the viewer. William is a flawed, tortured  character, but that's the way we like 'em.
Ever see U.K.'s "Wire in the Blood" about a flawed, tortured profiler played by Robson Green. Well, perhaps other people in NBC have.
I never thought I'd hear "Willie Wonka's Golden Ticket" in the same breath as "serial killer"....well done NBC!
The connection with Dino De Laurentiniis brings back memories for this old fart (Martha, Dino's later wife), is executive producer - connection with "Hannibal" (2001) movie I guess. And wasn't that a  real shitty sequel?
Casting Mads Mikkelsen (Le Chiffre in "Casino Royale") was inspired. Bond villain=Serial killer/psycho?
Stylish art direction - the white and blood red Men's room scene. Some surreal dream sequences  involving antlers and bodies. There's not a lot of laughs in this first episode, but it's delicious to see profiler Graham and boss Laurence Fishburne in the same room as Hannibal Lector - on the same team!
An intriguing first ep. It blitzes "The Following" in many ways. Well done, Mr Fuller, sorry people didn't like "Mockingbird Lane". I did.
Bring on Ellen Greene and Gillian Armstrong in coming episodes.