I’m pleased to see that NBC has renewed Hannibal for a second season. What first seemed like a desperate attempt to revive a 90’s-era pop culture phenomenon has turned out to be one of the most compelling network dramas since Lost (before Lost became too clever for its own good). Mads Mikkelsen plays Hannibal Lecter with a sophisticated air of menace that is missing from Anthony Hopkins’ iconic but scenery-chewing portrayal. And Hugh Dancy is brilliant as the borderline autistic criminal profiler Will Graham.
The show is uncompromising in its bleak vision and contains scenes of pretty horrifying violence, making it an unlikely candidate for a network primetime slot. Kudos to NBC for giving the series to develop and attract more of an audience. Let’s hope it lasts long enough for creator Bryan Fuller to realize his plans to bring in David Bowie as a guest star.
