Hannibal Revealed

*** Spoiler Alert *** Turn back if you aren’t caught up on Hannibal ***

I had hoped it would take longer to reveal Hannibal for who he was. I hoped they would drop little hints all through the season and then drop the bomb for the final episode cliffhanger. But they went all in and ripped off the mask early. The clues have been coming in pretty fast, but now there is no doubt – Hannibal is racking up a hefty body count and using his friends to dispose of the bodies. This last episode was riddled with images of Hannibal selecting recipes tailor made for each victim. Then his freezer was fully stocked for a banquet.

So where does this leave us? Obviously the secret remains intact as far as the rest of the team goes, but how will this affect how we see Hannibal? Before, we looked for the subtle clues like gestures or key words that would let us know what kind of person he really was. Now that the cat is out of the bag is it going to be as intriguing to watch him and how he interacts with other people?

We all know that Dexter, with his Dark Passenger is a serial killer yet we watch as he tries to stay out of trouble and keep his world together. We look to see if Dexter can live up to his code and keep his human side. Over the seasons it’s been a struggle for him to be human. Now he’s a father and his sister has come face to face with who he is and what he does. We want to see how that affect their relationship and if she can handle the truth of it all.

We all know that Hannibal is on the decline. He’s already passed himself off as perfectly normal if somewhat aloof. Will the show chronicle his descent? Will we watch him unravel and spiral out of control? Or will they tow the line like Dexter and chronicle his deeds and show him one step ahead of the law? Dexter comes across as sympathetic, even likable because of his code and how he only kills people who have escaped the law. Hannibal kills without cause or reason. Justice isn’t part of his code. His actions seems random and indiscriminate. Can he still be likable? Knowing the meals that Hannibal is serving to his guests, can we feel anything but disturbed? Or is there a twist to all this and his life simply parallels the "Chesapeake Ripper"? Are we jumping to conclusions and the "break" that set him off still to come?

We’ve hit the halfway point with a bang that’s for sure. I’m anxiously waiting to see where we go from here. I’ve become a fan of this show, I hope reveal hasn’t torpedoed it.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Hannibal – S01E08
• Hannibal Season 2 Finale
• Hannibal – The Series
• Hannibal – Tome-Wan – S02E12
• Hannibal – Takiawase – S02E04
• Hannibal – Season 4 not on the books, but could it be?
• Hannibal – Coming back for another Season February 28th
• The Rise of Hannibal. The Decline of Will Graham.
• Hannibal – Season 2 Premiere
• Hannibal returns for Season 3