I don't know how many times I said, "I can't believe this show was on network television and that hardly anybody has been watching it." The writing is absolutely superb, and it's not just me that thinks so. It has a 98% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and reviewers from io9 to Forbes have been raving about what a good drama this show is.
Hannibal is probably the greatest villain I have ever seen, and he is a remarkable creation of Thomas Harris. If you enjoy crime dramas, aren't afraid of some gruesome (and maybe a little stomach churning) scenes, and love the psychology that made Silence of the Lambs such a megahit over twenty five years ago, you owe it to yourself to watch this series. I never thought I would ever say this, but the actor that plays Hannibal in the series is better at it than Anthony Hopkins. And the series as a whole is a better tale than Silence of the Lambs could ever hope to be. For one it took the series in a bit of a new direction, however, never sacrificing the integrity of the books and the plot points that made the books so great (Yes, I've read them all). Additionally, it was a conclusive telling of Hannibal Lecter from his early days (a prequel), encompassing the events of Red Dragon, and borrowing heavily from the third book to tell Hannibal Lecter's history.
What a pleasure it was (and is) to watch.
Never watched it but obviously I wasn't alone on that score.
ReplyDeleteI never watched it either.
ReplyDeleteI've never watched it either, but probably because it's not my thing. What I want to see is one of the "victims" suddenly going ballistic and killing the sicko. Hmm...that could be a short story.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the plot of Hostel.
DeleteIt sounds like i missed out on something special.
ReplyDeleteI've heard nothing but good things about it. But I did not watch it. The subject matter was just too much for me. (Yes, I'm a wimp. I'm okay with that.)
ReplyDeleteI don't like gruesome but I liked Silence of the Lambs. So now there's another series I'll have to eventually catch up on. Why oh why is there so much great writing on TV now?
ReplyDeleteHannibal is one of those shows I keep meaning to watch but haven't gotten motivation to actually do it. Sometime next year I'll probably watch and based on your review I'm probably going to be mad I didn't support them when they were on TV. There's just too much good stuff to watch these days.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen Borgen or Deutschland 83? I started watching Borgen after looking up the actress from Hardhome on GoT and it's the best political drama I've seen in a while (much better than House of Cards). Deutschland 83 is great if only for the music but the story took me back to my Cold War nightmares as a kid.
I haven't seen Borgen or that other one you named. Speaking of GoT, did you hear the rumor from an Irish blogger that spies on the GoT set in Ireland? I guess Jon Snow is confirmed as the child of Rhaegar and Alyana. Oh and if you want the first season of Hannibal, I could mail it to you. You just need to give me an address (bought it on DVD and I rarely watch things twice).
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