Our love for Hannibal Lecter (Hannibal the Cannibal) goes all the way back to the days when Thomas Harris wrote and published The Red Dragon. For those of you who read this work (I enjoyed it quite a bit), you'll know that Hannibal had but a bit part in this story. Now, because of the popularity of Silence of the Lambs, the movie of The Red Dragon harbored more of Lecter than the original book, but this is because WE JUST LOVE OUR SERIAL KILLERS! This is particularly true of the gruesome ones with a hearty affinity for the baroque era.
Our most recent installment of the charismatic serial killer is Joe Carroll, who is the main antagonist in the TV show, The Following. Joe Carroll was once a literature professor and possesses a wondrously attractive personality. But, as he puts it, he has a monomaniacal need to kill and it's only going to intensify, so he chooses to embrace it. But what makes Joe more fun for the TV viewer is he is the leader of a bizarre cult of followers who will (until recently) do his bidding. Recent episodes have demonstrated some dissension in the ranks, but this just adds to the drama.
But there's no doubting that those overseeing such programming coming and going bit right into the idea of a TV show featuring such characters. If the show is well written and the characters are enjoyable, there is every reason to assume such a show could enjoy some lasting power. The Following is coming up on the first season finale with no clue to a possible cancellation (the fact that these heathens cancel good programming is why there are such things as serial killers), so it seems we might have something to, well, follow.
Dexter has been out there for years, enjoying a wonderful time in hunting down, killing and then dismembering other killers (there can be only one!) while trying to adhere to a code of ethics. Dexter only goes after the bad guys, although recently he's found it easier to simply dispose of those who threaten his way of life. But one of the major things we like about Dexter is his uncanny ability to negotiate his dark world. If he could turn these abilities towards a life of, say, real estate, Donald Trump would report to him with questions akin to how does he like his coffee. Yes, Dexter is good at what he does, which is admirable to most viewers. This translates to clever characters and good writing, which should claim responsibility to Dexter making it this far. Further, the show harbors a myriad of distinct and believable characters. This includes Dexter's foul-mouthed sister played by the very talented Jennifer Carpenter. Like a good sister, she took care of some of Dexter's dirtiest work for him during the last season finale.
But, one has to wonder how much further they can go with this show. It is getting repetitive, but then, with Dexter's anonymity unraveling, there might be some spice.
The new Hannibal TV show is demonstrating some imaginative writing and some gruesome murders, along with a twist of characters surrounding the good doctor. Much of what is going on is reminiscent of the CSI series of shows, which makes it easy to guess it might do well with its unique twist on a successful formula. We'll just have to see if the viewers will allow for this new Hannibal which seems a bit different from what Anthony Hopkins would present.
I just cannot help but to imagine what might occur should these three go after one another. We saw this silliness in Alien vs. Predator and Jason Vs. Freddy, so I cannot help but to amuse myself with the thought of how far it could go should these three fun and exciting serial killers decide there really can be only one.
I think that if J.J. Abrams is truly worth his salt, he would give this a thought.
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