Hannibal (2013)

The series is a superlative TV take on cinema's greatest psycho, where the how matters despite knowing the outcome. It varies in narrative satisfaction but features cameos from the Thomas Harris texts and horrific, magnetic beauty.

The critic calls Hannibal the most beautiful series on network TV, praising its dreamlike, sculptural visuals, color, texture, and impressionistic imagery over familiar serial-killer plotting. Performances are strong but secondary to the stylistic experience.

The series takes a familiar procedural and makes it feel like a cable series, engaging and haunting without being formulaic. It is beautifully shot and a surprisingly thoughtful look at darkness haunting Will Graham.

The series has a semi-hypnotic quality as a prequel adaptation, ungainly and messy but visually arresting and interesting thanks to the central performances. The creepy tone and Mikkelsen's understated take on Lecter make it work.

The review finds the twisted relationship between Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter the most interesting aspect of the show, with genuine edge in their scenes. It complains that too much budget and screen time goes to explicitly gross murder scenes rather than more of the central dynamic.

The review praises the cast, especially Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy, and finds the concept intriguing but criticises the immediate dive into a standard procedural format instead of exploring the leads more deeply. It concludes the show is edible but not quite cordon bleu.

The premiere is visually inventive and dark with an outstanding cast, particularly Mikkelsen's creepy Lecter and the Graham-Lecter dynamic; it delivers an enjoyably nightmarish tone and ranks among NBC's best recent drama pilots despite the familiar source material.

The pilot is promising with gorgeous cinematography, strong casting (especially Dancy and Fishburne), and effective stylistic touches that make it feel like cable TV; Mikkelsen shows menace but faces a high bar. It has definite potential despite a weak initial case plot.