Hannibal - Episode 1 "Apéritif"
...woah now.
Rarely can a show that is done in a mature, haunting, and genuinely stimulating fashion be found on network television, and Hannibal presents itself as the exception. So many elements of this are 'in name only' in regards to the previous Hannibal franchise incarnations, most of all Will Graham-- his characterization here is strong, intense, and incredibly multi-faceted, played to perfection by Hugh Dancy.
My biggest fear going into this, putting what I knew to be a fantastic cast aside, was with NBC's primarily comedy-lead track record, with no attention given to dark dramas like this. I feared for a highly lit, bright, and tacky look to the series for maximum viewership appeal, but it's muted tones and grainy images give it a very grounded and ominous vibe, making the show distinctly atmospheric. Aside from non-distractingly hiding some nudity and avoiding above PG-13 language, the show hardly compromises itself to fit the network standard (as done with Breaking Bad, Battlstar Galactica, LOST, etc). After seeing the preview for the season's coming events, it's looking to follow through on the promise of character tension that seems to be amped up more and more with every scene between Will and Hannibal.
