Moving on to the Main Course


"We're conjoined. I'm curious whether either of us can survive separation." — Will Graham, "Hannibal"

As we near the mid-point in the third season, Hannibal (Mads Mikkelson) is about to be brought to justice. Either he'll be killed by someone he's wronged, or end up in jail. Of course, we know jail is more likely since the series will mirror the events of the books, at least in overall structure.

Recently, "Hannibal" was cancelled by NBC. Its third season will be its last. While I think it remains incredibly unique, and one of the best shows on TV, I wasn't surprised by the cancellation. It's never been a ratings juggernaut, and this third season has continued the slide. Nor was I disappointed, exactly.

Creator Bryan Fuller had mapped out future seasons, including doing the "Silence of the Lambs" story in a potential season four. But NBC passed, as did streaming services such as Amazon and Netflix. So the third season — featuring Hannibal's capture and the "Red Dragon" narrative will be the last.

Unless Fuller gets his wish to turn the series in a set of feature films. At first blush that seems like good news, but as I've reflected on it, I don't see that as a positive. "Hannibal" belongs on TV, and it seems fitting that the series will conclude with this story.

Why, you might ask? Because, to me, the series has been about Hannibal and Will Graham (Hugh Dancy). Graham had to discover who Hannibal was, now he's trying to catch him. And in the "Red Dragon" story, Graham has to confront Hannibal and work with him to catch another criminal. That continues the show's central and most fascinating dynamic.

The "Silence of the Lambs" story is about Hannibal and Clarice Starling. In the film, Graham isn't even a part of it. How would that work with the dynamic of this series? It wouldn't.

Secondly, how can Fuller reasonably expected to re-make the "Silence of the Lambs." That film, released in 1991, is iconic and one of the most decorated films in cinematic history. It's one of only three films ever to win Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress. It should never be re-made as a film. Doing the story in the context of TV could be something different, re-making the story on film is a misstep.

I've enjoyed "Hannibal," but it seems fitting the run should end here. And I can't wait to see it play out over the next seven episodes.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju...
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co...
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve...
Read more