Save Hannibal

I've been rewatching Hannibal. It's a very sore subject for me, discussing the end of Hannibal. I loved this show even before it premiered. I loved the idea of bringing Hannibal Lecter, such an iconic literary killer, back onto the screen, the small screen this time. I had never seen previous work by Mads or Hugh so I didn't have any qualms about the casting and had no preconceived notions about their acting abilities. And right from the pilot, I knew this show as for me. As if it had been hand-crafted specifically for me.

The intellect behind the writing, the almost teasing repartee between Hannibal and, well, everyone, was a change of pace when it comes to representing bad guys and serial killers. The music was unlike anything my ears had experienced before. In the special features on the season 1 DVD, they thankfully talked about the music in the show, and I learned all about the very talented Brian Reitzell. The subtle screeching of a chord can send chills down my spine better than any loud in-your-face racket. And those crime scenes . . . those are the visuals that could almost give Me nightmares. Not quite, because I'm too busy basking in the brilliance behind the sets and the art crafted into each one. Each crime scene attempts to outdo its predecessor, so it's very hard to choose a favorite. And I liked the progression that creator Bryan Fuller was attempting to do. The first 2 seasons would be brand-new material, 3rd season would be Red Dragon, 4th would be Silence of the Lambs, 5th would be Hannibal, and the 6th would be an original closer.

I have major beef with NBC for canceling Hannibal during its 3rd season. I have faith that perhaps another network will pick it up and we can finish this grotesquely beautiful tale. I know that Bryan was shopping it around to Netflix and Amazon. I hope not too much time passes before something happens. Maybe Bryan and the cast and crew can do a few movies, mini TV movies, something! Anything but leave me hanging here, dying for more elegant horror!

I try to be understanding. I know that this show didn't pull in stellar numbers of viewers. Its subject matter is very specific and targeted toward a certain individual. NBC had to know that going in. And I don't think the dedicated viewers, us Fannibals, had wavered from season to season but had remained steady. Not that they really compare, but I know the same arc had been pitched for the TV show LOST. The people behind the show had a plan and wanted to execute that plan over 6 seasons (but really I think that halfway through the show they didn't know what the hell the plan was anymore). Now don't get me wrong. I'm a huge fan of LOST, but even I can admit that, as the seasons went on, my interest waned. If I were to rate each season from best worst, it would literally go season 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Yet ABC almost humored them and allowed them to finish all the seasons. Viewership had dropped a lot during the last few seasons, though it seemed everyone just had to tune in to the finale. You would think that knowing there was an end date would convince the network to keep the show going. And ABC did that with LOST. But NBC stopped Hannibal's ride right in the middle! And of course it had to be right before we got to see their interpretation of Silence of the Lambs and Clarice Starling making her debut! Then again, I know there were issues with getting permission to use Clarice Starling's name. And I had heard that the cost of the show was very high. So even though I can understand why NBC pulled the plug, I'll still carry a grudge toward them. For a long time. I had such high hopes for the full 6 seasons, and I wanted to see all of the story play out in front of my eyes. The more time that passes since the show ended, the less I believe it likely that someone else will pick up the pieces and allow filming to continue. The teacup will remain shattered forever.

Fingers and toes crossed. Possibly antlers as well. This is my design.

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