Compliments to the Chef: Hannibal Lecter  

It’s Show Down time! Every week, I break down a show and walk you through whether I think a cancelation is in its future, or if we’ll be lucky enough to get a second season. Normally, I’d be discussing a newer show, but on occasion I like to discuss a show that’s been down for a while, and this week, we’ve got “Hannibal.” 

“Hannibal” is based on novels by author Thomas Harris, the writer of “Silence of the Lambs” and the rest of the “Hannibal” novels (there are four in total). Premiering on NBC in 2013, the show had three seasons and received critical acclaim, winning awards and gaining a cult following that remains even after the cancellation in 2015. 

And one thing I will say is this: I genuinely can’t believe this was able to air on network television. I say this as someone who’s favorite show is “Hannibal,” but the scenes they were allowed to put on cable had my jaw on the floor.  

To understand why “Hannibal” has such a dedicated fanbase, we must get into the premise: FBI profiler, teacher and genius Will Graham is recruited by Special Agent Jack Crawford, who is intrigued by Graham’s ability to empathize with serial killers to the point where he can mentally re-create their crimes and what led them to make certain choices. Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a forensic psychiatrist and a cannibalistic serial killer. A part of me wonders why they didn’t just figure it out from his name. Hannibal the cannibal? It’s so obvious! 

The show focuses on the relationship between Graham and Lecter and how their growing relationship is authentic and portrayed with immense skill. The show is filled with gore, as it is a psychological thriller, but there is a purpose to every scene. I find that show creator Bryan Fuller’s script and the effort put into creating this show made for compelling and thrilling television. If the premise doesn’t convince you, let’s get into the cast.  

Hannibal Lecter is played by Mads Mikkelsen, who is featured in movies such as “Casino Royale” as Le Chiffre, the main antagonist, and the newest “Lion King” movie, “Mufasa: The Lion King” as Kiros. And portrays Hannibal with immense skill. Hannibal has been adapted in many forms, and in my opinion, Mikkelsen is one of the best to do it. 

His acting is distinct and his subtle expressions and ability to humanize the character stand out to me in his truly exquisite performance. Hugh Dancy portrays Will Graham. He, like Mikkelsen, embodies the character and becomes an entirely different person. It’s one of those shows that made me appreciate acting as an art form more than I already did, truly. 

The rest of the cast is comprised of equally talented actors. Caroline Dhavernas plays Dr. Alana Bloom, Jack Crawford is portrayed by Laurence Fishburne, and all are joined by Scott Thompson, Aaron Abrams, Gillian Anderson, Hettienne Park and more.  

The show’s promotion came from posters, trailers and the appearance of the cast in comic-cons. They attended the infamous San Diego Comic Con in 2015, and to my knowledge, Dancy and Mikkelsen still make appearances at conventions. I was lucky enough to meet Dancy in the Boston Fan Expo 2024 and view a “Hannibal” panel at New York Comic Con in October 2024. 

Fan reactions connect to the promotion, as I have genuinely not seen a fan base this large and dedicated in a long time.  Fans use all social media platforms and create fan art, posts and many other works to show their love for the show. A fan’s work was even placed in the U.S Capitol. Kathleen Palmer, winner of an art competition which earned them painting the place in the Capitol, titled the piece “Dolce” after an episode from the third season of the show.  

To be clear, they were not aware that Palmer’s work was art of characters from “Hannibal” when it was selected, but I do believe that this goes to show how dedicated fans are. The work is gorgeous: a cubist style portrait, oil on canvas and Palmer’s use of colors and technique were wonderful.  

Despite critical acclaim and love from fans, the ratings on “Hannibal” were low. Apparently by season three, which is the final one, “Hannibal” was drawing below a 0.5 in the 18–49-year-old demographic, which is quite low. However, the fans are still here. To this day, the cast still talks about playing these characters with fondness and makes appearances in convention.  

“Hannibal” remains one of the greatest network TV series. The performance of actors Mikkelsen and Dancy are pure art and the fact that it retains such a large number of fans even almost 10 years after its cancellation that is incredibly impressive. “Hannibal” might be a show down, but compliments to the chef: It’s cooked perfectly and well done.