Hannibal…I was as skeptical about this show as I am any obvious cash-grab or “adaptation” of already popular characters (a la Bates Motel, A&E’s new show following America’s other most notable serial killer), but Hannibal is a bit different for two reasons:
1. The source material has already been shamelessly exploited by Thomas Harris, the writer who just couldn’t help himself after The Silence of the Lambs and went on to create two other books with Dr. Lecter that were adapted into movies. Add that to Red Dragon the book, Manhunter the movie based on Red Dragon, and the Red Dragon remake, and that’s a lot of the Dr. Lecter/Will Graham or Clarice/other serial killer dynamic. How could Hannibal the show possibly cheapen material that is already nothing but a cash register?
2. It’s actually good. Yes, it unfortunately uses the tired procedural format (the entire basis of Red Dragon, with Will Graham using Dr. Lecter as a source, oblivious to his side-work as a serial killer himself will be a weekly occurrence) that all dramas seem hell-bent on sticking to (poor Grimm), but it has undeniable style and an ominous mood that separates it from the pack. The opening scene (watching a crime scene free-float backwards with an eerie sense of dread) hooks us from the beginning. And I found Hugh Dancy (or Mr. Claire Danes if you’re feeling less generous) surprisingly compelling in the role of Graham. Mads Mikkelson (as the infamous Dr. Lecter, the character that’s scared me out of seeking out a therapist’s couch) is certainly the right actor to scare the hell out of you with his cold, imposing face, but his accent is a little too thick to make him the masterfully eloquent, hypnotically verbal villain that most of us have come to expect Hannibal to be. Only time will tell but the show’s off to a promising start…Grade for pilot: B+
Bonus Review: The New Normal…The gayest show ever allowed on broadcast television concluded their first season Tuesday with a two-part episode that saw Brian and David (the inspired Andrew Rannells and the less successful Justin Bartha) quarreling over the details of their wedding right before the wedding. There was a lot of shit going on from a technical standpoint (Goldie had to decide whether to remarry her ex, Nana sold a house in what will be Ellen Barkin’s last episode due to reported diva-like behavior, David and Brian couldn’t decide what cake to get for the wedding) but everything mostly stayed in place except that the long over-due event (the birth of the baby) happened. The New Normal gets points for being a “baby show” that’s actually about having a baby (unlike Up All Night), but it often felt like an awkward mix of biting comedy, gay-rights sermonizing (if a drama tried to pull off some of this same speechifying without the ironic wink, the reaction would have been unfairly poor), and unbearable schmaltz. Still, it’s a lot braver than any of the other comedies with gay characters on TV (Modern Family, Happy Endings), and that’s worth something. Plus, the scene between Nana and Goldie where Nana thanked Goldie for her blue-state happiness and making her more open minded was genuinely touching. If it gets renewed, I’ll probably watch a second season, but if it gets cancelled, I won’t exactly petition Netflix to pick the show up. Grade for the finale: B…Grade for the season: B