NBC’s ‘Hannibal’ season 3, episode 1 review: Hannibal and Bedelia’s great ‘departure’
“Hannibal” entered season 3 with lofty expectations. This is a series that has been off the air for a solid year, and left us with many questions in regards to how the series would move forward. Will Graham, Alana Blood, and Jack Crawford all found themselves injured, while Hannibal Lecter decided to go on the run rather than stick around and see what would befall him. He departed with Bedelia du Maurier to Paris, and we saw a brief essence of this in Thursday night’s premiere.
For the majority of the hour, we spent time in Lecter’s new home of Florence, a city where his education could be put to the test, and he could almost use an elevated cover for his anonymity. He almost paints so big a target that it disappears, since no one would expect a man like him to so out in the open. Yet, this is where Hannibal thrives. How could he not send out the dinner invitations and impart his viewpoint onto others?
The visual motifs in this episode were stunning, from the snails to the drowning to the animal blood. Bedelia’s demons started to play out front and center, which suggested a similar sort of strained co-dependence that Hannibal once shared with Will Graham. Part of her past is tied into a man (played by Zachary Quinto) who we could be seeing so much more of later this season.
Thematically, what we learned through Hannibal and Bedelia’s jaunt through Italy is that no matter how far you go, you can never fully escape your true self entirely. Bedelia’s nature, Hannibal’s nature, and temptation came home to roost, and there was the snapping of a neck and a tableau laid to rest. Hannibal’s greatest victory is sharing his art with the world, and yet it may also be one of his greatest follies.
This episode is a tricky one to review in immediate fashion, since it merits almost a second or third body to truly start to understand every drop of blood or every conversation Hannibal and Gideon share. It was a slow build and an introduction to how Will Graham could surface, and our first impression is a fantastic one. We’re thrilled to see the series back, and curious where it will journey to next. Grade: A-.
What was your take on the “Hannibal” premiere, and were you fine with such a departure from traditional episodes (if there is such a thing in this world)? Share in the comments, and head over here to acquire some other news on the show. Also, you can sign up over at the link here in order to acquire some other TV updates on all we cover, courtesy of our official CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: NBC.)