Top 35 Shows of 2014: No 20 Hannibal

Last year Hannibal was in my Top 10 shows but something just didn’t click with me and season two. I liked the beginning, I loved the heartbreaking blood bath of the finale but some of the episodes inbetween didn’t really work for me.

Now I think a lot of it is has to do with starting the season with a flash-forward, a narrative device I usually really like. The problem was we had to wait so long for the pay off between Jack and Hannibal to happen that often the season felt like it was holding back. I know that sounds weird in a season where many regulars and reoccurring characters either died or were put in mortal danger on a regular basis but I just got frustrated.

That isn’t to say that Hannibal isn’t one of the masterfully crafted and acted series around because it really is. Everyone is tremendous and no one can deny just how beautifully filmed the show is.

I guess ultimately my issue is that I loathe Hannibal Lecter and I need him to face justice and I’m not sure if the series is ever going to provide that sense of closure for me. I know the books tell a different story and the good Doctor is eventually caught but the series is telling at times a wildly different narrative.

I am still incredibly excited about the next season but I think how I view the show has changed since S1 and if I can realign my feelings with what the show is doing then hopefully I can really enjoy it again and appreciate what it is trying to do.

Favourite episodes: Yakimono/ Mizumono

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