Dr. Lecter Invites you to Dinner. The ''Hannibal'' Thread

[Pink Ranger]

If you've ever eaten a hot dog, yeah, there's lung in there. Not human lung, unless your hot dogs are from China.

 

[Brain Damage]

Watched the Pilot last night and loved it. Might even get around to watching it again at some point today. My biggest beef is that while Mikkelsen is good in the role, he's not anywhere NEAR as charismatic as Hopkins.

Not saying I wanted him to do a Hopkins rip-off (definitely did not want that), but Lecter should be oozing charm and charisma, and I didn't get too much of that with Mikkelsen.

 

[Matt]

Watched the Pilot last night and loved it. Might even get around to watching it again at some point today. My biggest beef is that while Mikkelsen is good in the role, he's not anywhere NEAR as charismatic as Hopkins.

Not saying I wanted him to do a Hopkins rip-off (definitely did not want that), but Lecter should be oozing charm and charisma, and I didn't get too much of that with Mikkelsen.

I agree. Mikkelsen's Lecter lacks the charm and sophistication of Dr. Lecter and is too overtly creepy, IMO. Of course, it is a pilot. The next few episodes could very well be DRASTICALLY different.

BTW, as someone who has an autistic family member, am I the only one who tires of the new trend in Hollywood of using Aspergers to explain away any social ineptitude of a character? It is especially egregious on this show, to suggest that Will Graham has Aspergers, in one breath, then in the next claim that he is hyper-empathetic. Do the writers not realize what Aspergers/autism is and just plugged it in as something to explain away Will Graham's awkward nature?

 

[Maximus One]

They didn't flat out say he has Aspergers or that he's autistic. He said that if you think about it like that hes closer to the autistics than he is the sociopaths. I don't think they came right out and said it at least. They just sort of implied it

 

[Matt]

They didn't flat out say he has Aspergers or that he's autistic. He said that if you think about it like that hes closer to the autistics than he is the sociopaths. I don't think they came right out and said it at least. They just sort of implied it

But it is a ridiculous implication to make. It is a cheap/trendy way of saying, "I'm socially awkward but it is okay because I have an excuse! Sympathize with me instead of seeing me as *****e bag!" So many of the character's traits just outright contradict the most crucial symptom of Aspergers and autism. If Will Graham is so purely empathetic that he can completely relate to others/put himself into their shoes, he sure as hell doesn't have any form of autism (such as Aspergers), because autism is the inability to relate to, communicate with and empathize with others.

 

[Schlosser85]

I agree. Mikkelsen's Lecter lacks the charm and sophistication of Dr. Lecter and is too overtly creepy, IMO. Of course, it is a pilot. The next few episodes could very well be DRASTICALLY different.

BTW, as someone who has an autistic family member, am I the only one who tires of the new trend in Hollywood of using Aspergers to explain away any social ineptitude of a character? It is especially egregious on this show, to suggest that Will Graham has Aspergers, in one breath, then in the next claim that he is hyper-empathetic. Do the writers not realize what Aspergers/autism is and just plugged it in as something to explain away Will Graham's awkward nature?

I agree about the sophistication part, but I actually thought Hopkins was a lot more overtly creepy than Mikkelsen, including in Hannibal where he's living free in Florence.

 

[Matt]

I agree about the sophistication part, but I actually thought Hopkins was a lot more overtly creepy than Mikkelsen, including in Hannibal where he's living free in Florence.

Well Hannibal was always fairly over the top for my liking, but I digress. You have to keep in mind, with the exception of one or maybe two scenes in Hannibal, Lecter is playing a cat and mouse game with that Italian cop. He knows that the cop knows and is just playing into it for his own amusement. Hopkins in other forms (Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs), was playing a Lecter that was already exposed for what he is. He was using the creepiness to manipulate Will, Chilton, and Clarice. This show was an interesting opportunity to explore Dr. Lecter in a time before his arrest, when he wore a mask for the world (much like Dexter). Unfortunately, Lecter's mask isn't much of one. It is just as creepy as he was behind bars. That, IMO, makes it feel like Mikkelsen's entire performance is just kind of a nudge and a wink to the audience (much like I felt Hopkins' performance in Hannibal was).

 

[Maximus One]

Agreed on that last bit there. He should be acting a lot more normal and with a certain charm and Mikkelsen while playing the sophistication up pretty damn well is being overtly unassuming and creepy.

 

[Swordmaster]

His hair bugs me, too. Not to sound nitpicky, but it seems a bit too unkempt for someone of Lecter's refinement.

 

[Schlosser85]

His hair bugs me, too. Not to sound nitpicky, but it seems a bit too unkempt for someone of Lecter's refinement.

I don't like his hair either. Or his loud blue suit with the enormous tie that looks like 1980 threw up on him.

Hopkins just had an elegance in every movement that Mikkelsen doesn't.

 

[Monsieur Xavier]

That is by design.

 

[Shifty]

Deadline:

NBC To Repeat ‘Hannibal’ Premiere April 10

The new gothic drama premiered Thursday to OK ratings but will have another chance to audience-build on April 10. That’s when NBC will repeat the premiere of Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal Lecter series, temporarily filling Chicago Fire‘s Wednesday 10 PM slot. Hannibal‘s second episode airs the following night at its regular time, Thursday 10 PM. Chicago Fire returns with new episodes on April 24.

 

[James]

I agree. Mikkelsen's Lecter lacks the charm and sophistication of Dr. Lecter and is too overtly creepy, IMO. Of course, it is a pilot. The next few episodes could very well be DRASTICALLY different.

BTW, as someone who has an autistic family member, am I the only one who tires of the new trend in Hollywood of using Aspergers to explain away any social ineptitude of a character? It is especially egregious on this show, to suggest that Will Graham has Aspergers, in one breath, then in the next claim that he is hyper-empathetic. Do the writers not realize what Aspergers/autism is and just plugged it in as something to explain away Will Graham's awkward nature?

I don't have any personal link to aspergers, but I agree nonetheless. It's a cheap way to give the character 'super powers' by explaining it away with a quick word that most people know very little about.

In the nineties we had a lot of TV shows where the main character possessed literal superpowers, science based or otherwise. Audiences in general love the hero to have a leg up over others, some special ability that they can use in fun, humorous and advantageous ways. These days we no longer want them to be magical -we want them ground in 'reality'. What better way to give our hero his/her powers 'realistically' than by writing it off as something the audience has heard of (probably from another TV show) but most haven't bothered or cared to educated themselves about further? The audience knows just enough for the writers to take advantage, and not enough to break their believability.

 

[Matt]

I don't have any personal link to aspergers, but I agree nonetheless. It's a cheap way to give the character 'super powers' by explaining it away with a quick word that most people know very little about.

In the nineties we had a lot of TV shows where the main character possessed literal superpowers, science based or otherwise. Audiences in general love the hero to have a leg up over others, some special ability that they can use in fun, humorous and advantageous ways. These days we no longer want them to be magical -we want them ground in 'reality'. What better way to give our hero his/her powers 'realistically' than by writing it off as something the audience has heard of (probably from another TV show) but most haven't bothered or cared to educated themselves about further? The audience knows just enough for the writers to take advantaged, and not enough to break their believability.

Bingo. And the particular irony here is, the idea of Will Graham having any type autism while also being "purely empathetic," is completely contradictory.

 

[Spuzz]

The pilot was enjoyable despite a few gripes I had (Being a huge fan of Thomas Harris' work and the Hannibal character/universe I had to try very hard not to be too nitpicky). It has a lot of promise. My main problems were:

1) Dancy is a major over actor. Will Graham is not some quirky Sherlock-esque social outcast in my mind. And even if he was, his acting was way weird. Hopefully it gets better.

2) I LOVE Mikkelsen. His work in Nicolas Winding Refn's films is stellar. But his accent as Hannibal made him very hard to understand. I had to rewind a few times thinking, "The hell did he just say?". I've never had this problem before. TDKR's Bane for instance I understood perfectly. But Mikkelsen's English is just not up to snuff it seems.

3) It hasn't been revealed yet but Freddie Lounds is a woman...WHY???

Things I liked that I didn't expect to like were:

1) Graham's time lapse/seeing through the killer's eyes sequences were cooler and less cliche than I expected.

2) Fishburne as Crawford worked for me. Didn't think it would (not race related. Just didn't think he fit the role. I was wrong. He was good.)

3) Thought it was cool twist to have

Spoiler

that one victim actually be the work of Hannibal, but would the man who only kills "the rude" really kill her just to mess with Graham? Seems against his code/character.

Otherwise, all in all a solid B+ for a pilot. Nothing mind blowing but it was fun. If it wasn't based on characters I already liked it'd probably be more boring and just sort of another CSI type show.

 

[James]

3) Thought it was cool twist to have

Spoiler

that one victim actually be the work of Hannibal, but would the man who only kills "the rude" really kill her just to mess with Graham? Seems against his code/character.

There's every possibility she was a rude/unlikeable person, not too much of a hiccup I think.

 

[Pink Ranger]

3) Thought it was cool twist to have

Spoiler

that one victim actually be the work of Hannibal, but would the man who only kills "the rude" really kill her just to mess with Graham? Seems against his code/character.

It's a misconception that Hannibal only kills "the rude" or people who otherwise bring it upon themselves. He is almost a pure psychopath, and will kill anybody, for any or no reason. He "prefers" to kill the rude, but again that is only a third-party observation from a hospital orderly. His so-called "code" is only that which we as the audience project upon him, making him as terrifyingly brilliant and manipulative as a fictional character as he would be in real life.

Remember he bit the face off a female nurse who was only doing her job. Officers Pembry and Boyle in Atlanta treated him to a nominal amount of politeness, yet that did not spare them their gruesome fates.

 

[lime]

2) I LOVE Mikkelsen. His work in Nicolas Winding Refn's films is stellar. But his accent as Hannibal made him very hard to understand. I had to rewind a few times thinking, "The hell did he just say?". I've never had this problem before. TDKR's Bane for instance I understood perfectly. But Mikkelsen's English is just not up to snuff it seems.

Well, lets not forget that Hannibal is Lithuanian. So it's not that out there for him to have a slight accent.

 

[James]

I'm surprised so many people are having issues with Mads' accent. It sounded perfectly clear to me.

 

[lime]

I'm surprised so many people are having issues with Mads' accent. It sounded perfectly clear to me.

It was clear to me too. And I'm a Bulgarian!

 

[Sawyer]

I didn't have much problem with the accent itself, but alot of the time it felt like he was almost speaking too softly. So the combo of the accent and the soft voice made me do alot of rewinding to hear his dialogue.

 

[Maximus One]

Same here. Had to watch a few times to catch it all.

 

[squeekness]

I agree. Mikkelsen's Lecter lacks the charm and sophistication of Dr. Lecter and is too overtly creepy, IMO. Of course, it is a pilot. The next few episodes could very well be DRASTICALLY different.

BTW, as someone who has an autistic family member, am I the only one who tires of the new trend in Hollywood of using Aspergers to explain away any social ineptitude of a character? It is especially egregious on this show, to suggest that Will Graham has Aspergers, in one breath, then in the next claim that he is hyper-empathetic. Do the writers not realize what Aspergers/autism is and just plugged it in as something to explain away Will Graham's awkward nature?

I think what gets me is that all the Aspergers people I see on tv are smart ones. I know this isn't really PC to say, but my daughter is a low IQ one and she is nothing like them. Most folks I know with Aspergers kids, their kids are on the low end too, not the high end like TV. The only super power my kid has is ticking me off over stupid little things most folks naturally get.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Aspergers is to today's pop culture what homosexuality was to the 1990s: a slightly amusing tragicomic "affliction" to give to fictional characters that grant them superhuman abilities. In the former case, it is the ability to do complex math, see into other dimensions and predict the future; in the latter case, it is the ability to rifle off caustic one-liners, know everything about fashion and decorating and put up with all women's crap.

 

[Sawyer]

Not on Parenthood.