Apéritif

This was an artistic, delicious start to this show, which I always felt was underrated as not enough are watching it or talking about it!

The introduction to the characters were great, as well as the premise! There is a lot happening and a lot to take in at first, but it never feels to much! By the end, you know exactly what you need to know!

Hugh Dancy is great as Will, with abbilities that will make this show very interesting moving forward!

Mads Mikkelsen absolutely nails it as Hannibal! His Chemistry with Dancy is what carries the show for me! Hannibal is in control from the start and you never quite know what to expect from him when he serves you food..

I love the artistic style of the show! It is no stranger to gore and disturbing scenes, amd it is always presented in a hauntimg, yet captivating way!

Amazing direction and camera work! This show has its unique style that really makes you feel like you watch something by Brian Fuller, and not a studie!

Set before The Red Dragon. This is a strong and dark show for US network television.

The focus is on FBI profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy). A nervy academic who has been picked by Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) the head of Behavioural Sciences at the FBI.

Graham can empathise with serial killers and recreate the crime scenes in his mind. Crawford wants Graham to help him with a case where 8 young women have been abducted in 8 months.

Crawford also gets forensic psychiatrist Dr Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) to take an interest in Graham and help out with these abductions.

The stories are original with characters created by Thomas Harris. Dancy's Graham is far away from the burnt out agent played by William Petersen in Manhunter who was badly injured when he captured Lecter.

The first episode sets up the meeting of minds between Graham and Lecter with Graham as the potential prey but he does not yet know it.

Of course Lecter gets all the delicious lines and the gourmet food. Mikkelsen laps it up.

A very good first episode, of course the source material is very strong. You can relish the games these two characters will play.

That is how do an excellent precedural episode. We have a true mistery, a lot of blood, grey characters and a good final.

Okay right off the bat you have Hugh Darcy who really shines in this show, reenacting his own interpretation of a murder. His GIFT, allows him to see into the minds of killers.

+1 Star for the initial investigation

+1 Star for the whackiness of Graham's gift.

+1 Star for Fishburnes amazing presence

And then, we are finally introduced to Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Played by the Incredible Mads Mikkelsen. This is undoubtedly what will be known as his signature performance throughout his career, much as Anthony Hopkins is known for the same character.

+1 Star for Mads thoroughly convincing introduction to a great character.

And +1 Star for a great line. 'Don't psychoanalyze me. You wouldn't like me when I'm psychoanalyzed. Now I have to go! I have to give a lecture on psychoanalyzing. ' Haha, brilliant.

Will Graham also deduces that the killer, is 'eating them'.

And we have the brilliant beginning episode to a great series. :)

So I never really had an interest in watching this. Not because I don't find a backstory of Hannibal Lector interesting, definitely not that. But, regular network dramas just aren't good enough these days. But I've already heard from several people how great it was, so I gave it a chance. Definitely atmospheric, very well shot, very carefully edited and precisely paced, with the right balance in tone and both Dancy and Mikkelsen have been fantastic so far. Network dramas do tend to be more self-contained than cable dramas, so I kinda expected this to be. In a way it's a crime procedural, but definitely not like any other on TV. Episode 2, while not as strong as the pilot, still confirmed that this show is definitely to look out for.

Now, the problem is this- this is NBC, and this show doesn't seem like one that will stick with viewers from these regular networks. That's also been the problem with network TV the last several years. So many dramas get cancelled so soon, and because this definitely doesn't feel dumbed-down at all, I fear it won't find the right audience. I wish a cable network had picked it up. But so far, definitely really good.