Look, I love a good psychological thriller – seriously, if it’s out there, I’ve probably seen it. But there are always a few that slip through the cracks. There’s one that aired on NBC back in 2013 that I only recently discovered. It’s by Bryan Fuller, who’s behind some fantastic shows like Pushing Daisies, American Gods, and Star Trek: Discovery – so I knew it had potential. It definitely delivers; it’s a really solid thriller with some genuinely creepy horror elements thrown in.
I just finished watching Hannibal for the first time, and now I understand why fans were so disappointed when it ended. It’s clear the show has had a big influence on a lot of other series too.
‘Hannibal’ Is a Procedural With a Twist
NBC
Hannibal Lecter, the character from Thomas Harris’s novels, has appeared in many different versions, most famously in the movie The Silence of the Lambs with Anthony Hopkins. But in the series Hannibal, Mads Mikkelsen offers a uniquely captivating portrayal of the forensic psychiatrist, who subtly assists people with their emotional pain while concealing shockingly disturbing behavior.
The show centers on the complex connection between Hannibal Lecter and FBI investigator Will Graham (Hugh Dancy). Will has a unique and unsettling ability to understand serial killers – and their twisted thinking. However, he’s deeply troubled, experiencing nightmares, visions, and even feeling like he is the killer himself. These disturbing cases take a huge emotional toll on him, which is understandable given their horrific nature. His colleagues, including Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne), the head of the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences unit, constantly struggle to manage his fragile mental state while still utilizing his extraordinary skills.
While Hannibal is captivating, it doesn’t quite live up to all the praise it’s received. It feels more like a standard network drama with some dark elements than a truly exceptional show for a streaming service. Still, it’s hard to look away. Similar to Cross on Prime Video and the excellent Mindhunter on Netflix, Hannibal is so compelling because it centers around characters who can understand what makes killers tick.
What really sets Hannibal apart – aside from Dexter, maybe – is the fascinating twist that the guy who gets serial killers is actually one himself. Will Graham hasn’t actually done anything, but you can tell he’s incredibly fragile and has a lot of darkness inside him. He just manages to hold it back, thankfully, because he still has a strong sense of empathy. And that’s where things get really interesting. Lecter immediately sees this darkness in Will, but instead of helping him work through it, he subtly pushes him towards it, almost encouraging him to embrace that side of himself. It’s a really unsettling dynamic, and it drives the whole story.
Graham’s struggle against his impulses begins to impact Lecter, who surprisingly develops a fondness for him. The show, Hannibal, presents a unique connection between a killer and the man who hunts him, which is a clever take on the typical crime drama. After watching Hannibal, it’s clear to me that many other shows have been influenced by its style and themes.
‘Hannibal’ Made Its Mark on Other TV Shows
Fox
After watching Hannibal, you start to notice similar themes in other shows. Prodigal Son, a well-made crime drama that was unfortunately canceled after two seasons, is a prime example. The show centers on Malcolm Bright, played by Tom Payne, a gifted FBI profiler who uses psychology to understand criminals and crime scenes. Malcolm, like the character Will Graham in Hannibal, struggles with his own inner demons and is deeply affected by his father, Martin (Michael Sheen), a terrifying serial killer locked away in an asylum. Similar to Hannibal Lecter, Martin enjoys manipulating his son, and Malcolm suffers from such intense nightmares that he needs medication and has to physically restrain himself at night.
BBC America’s Killing Eve features British intelligence investigator Eve (Sandra Oh) and her complex, even romantic, connection with the assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer). Their relationship has a similar intense and unhealthy dynamic to the one between Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham. Similarly, the British crime thriller Luther, starring Idris Elba, shares parallels with Hannibal. Luther‘s main character, Detective Luther (Elba), is haunted by his own inner demons and has a troubled connection with a serial killer, Morgan (Ruth Wilson). Though Luther came out before Hannibal, these two pairings of detective and killer have a comparable, compelling energy.
On ABC’s Will Trent, the main character, Will (played by Ramón Rodríguez), is a special agent haunted by a difficult past and experiences hallucinations. He has a unique ability to reconstruct crime scenes in his mind, showing him what likely occurred. As Will confronts his history of being an abused orphan, he begins to visualize himself committing acts of violence, similar to the character Graham. Like Hannibal, Will is torn between his drive to catch criminals and a disturbing sense that he’s capable of the same terrible acts.
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The TV series Hannibal wasn’t just a critical success – it also influenced the creation of the horror series Chucky. Don Mancini, the creator of the Child’s Play franchise, worked on Hannibal and realized the potential for a similar concept after seeing how well it translated to television, even with a new actor in the lead role. He particularly admired how Hannibal boldly tested the boundaries of what was acceptable for a network show, featuring intensely frightening and graphic content that was unprecedented at the time. While many shows now push those limits, Hannibal arguably paved the way. For example, the show Tracker has included some horror elements, even depicting a particularly gruesome scene with a decapitated couple – something that likely wouldn’t have been seen without Hannibal setting a new standard.
‘Hannibal’ is a Network TV Masterpiece
NBC
I’m still working my way through all three seasons, so I’m holding off on a final review until it’s over. But honestly, Hannibal feels like a real achievement for network television. It doesn’t quite reach the same level as shows on HBO or streaming services like Dexter, The Outsider, Mindhunter, or True Detective – those shows have a bit more freedom. But Hannibal is incredibly dark and unsettling, and the characters are so fascinating, it completely draws you in.
Each season of this show surpasses the last, and revisiting it highlights how groundbreaking it was for network television. It’s easy to see why Bryan Fuller still wants to make a fourth season of Hannibal. The show demonstrated the power of psychological thrillers and crime dramas, and proved that new actors could brilliantly embody classic characters. Hannibal holds up incredibly well – it’s as captivating now as it must have been when it first aired.
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2026-03-03 17:04