Hannibal set new standards among horror television shows and made a name for itself among the fans of the genre. The Mads Mikkelsen show found its fans both in the masses who loved the critically acclaimed 1991 movie as well as the lovers of Thomas Harris’ book series. Despite its popularity as one of the best TV series ever, it faced cancellation after 3 seasons against the original plans of the creator Bryan Fuller. While the fans of the show were mostly disappointed, certain reasons also show that it was best for the story.
Following Brian Cox’s version in Michael Mann’s Manhunter and Anthony Hopkins’ iconic portrayal in The Silence of the Lambs movie series, Mads Mikkelsen took a different take on Hannibal Lecter. His relationship with Will Graham played by Hugh Dancy was one of the key elements of the TV series that amassed such a huge fandom for it.
Did the Hannibal series end for good?
When Hannibal started its iconic run on NBC, it changed the game for horror shows on television, especially the ones coming from memorable movies. The show garnered a huge fandom despite its unconventional themes and unique nature. Based on the works by Thomas Harris, the series largely focused on Red Dragon, Hannibal, and Hannibal Rising. Although Bryan Fuller had more plans for the show, it faced cancellation just after 3 seasons and a total of 39 episodes.
One of the elements that bring in such a large amount of audience for Hannibal is the relationship shown between Hugh Dancy’s Will Graham and Mads Mikkelsen‘s Lector. There are innumerable fan art out there of the two and it can’t be denied that it was one of the reasons why the fandom goes mad over the show. Their story is one of the reasons why it can be said that the show might have ended for the good.
At the end of the series, we were shown a deadly and bloody confrontation where Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham go against Francis Dolarhyde. After a gruesome battle, they both get successful in killing off Dolarhyde while Graham pulls both him and Lecter over the cliff. Following that, a post-credits scene suggested that both of them survived. But at this point, the series had already provided a solid and better story to both the characters than we had in the books.
The novel version of Red Dragon had a different approach to this ending and it was the last time we saw Graham and Lector with only mentions of the former FBI profiler being there in the next book. So it can be said that it would have been tricky for them to carry out the fourth season with the same fire, had the series been run for some more seasons.
Can we get Hannibal Season 4?
The fans loved Hannibal for how it flawlessly blended beauty with horror. There are some of the most memorable shots from the tale which kickstarted when FBI special investigator Will Graham joined hands with a forensic psychiatrist and secret cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter for a case. The creator Bryan Fuller wanted to drive the story more and even adapt The Silence of the Lambs on television.
But unfortunately, his plans were badly interrupted when NBC canceled the show. Fuller tried a lot to work it out with other networks and streaming platforms to revive the show. Even though the ending was quite conclusive in Season 3, they wanted a fourth season as well. During several interviews, both Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen stated their desire to return to their roles if called for.
There are also many other reasons involved why the show couldn’t continue its run beyond three seasons. On the other hand, it must be agreed that there are a huge number of projects made recently that can’t continue their run for long due to several issues involved. However, the pre-existing large fan base and the positive fan reactions to every season confirm the success of a fourth season even if it’s pulled off.
Hannibal can be streamed on Hulu.
Source: Bloody Disgusting
