The Hunt is On

"If I were like Hannibal, I would have killed you already, cooked you, ate you, and fed what was left of you to him. It's what he would do." — Will Graham, "Hannibal"

The story of Hannibal Lecter has been told and re-told many times by many people. His story appears in a series of novels by Thomas Harris. And those novels have been the basis for a number of films, sometimes multiple films covering the same ground.

Those novels are also, now, the inspiration for NBC's original series, "Hannibal," which is now in its third season. I have been a fan of the show since it began, and there are many reasons for that. I love the visual aesthetic, which I've written about before. I like the performances, pacing, and way the story is told visually. It's unique.

It's also unique for the ground it covers. I haven't read all of Harris' novels, but I have seen all the films. One of the things that always interested me is how Hannibal was originally caught. When you begin "Manhunter," the first film from Harris' novels directed by Michael Mann in the 1980s, you see Graham is haunted by his chase of Hannibal, yet drawn to him. But Hannibal is already in prison, the tales of his devilish deeds well known.

"Hannibal" has focused on building an intricate backstory to that moment. The second half of this season will cover the familiar ground of "Manhunter" and its book, "Red Dragon," but for now we're basking in the backstory — the chase and the conflict between the broken and damaged will Graham and the monstrous and damaged Hannibal Lecter.

Even Thursday's episode, which provided some of the same background details for Hannibal's life that were depicted in the practically unwatchable film "Hannibal Rising," did a great job of setting the stage, filling in the gaps, and pitting these two characters against one another. They're playing a deadly game, and neither will come away unscathed.

That's where the story we're familiar with picked up, and it's fascinating to see how it's playing out in this series.