Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal series on NBC adapted Thomas Harris’ novels to bring the character of Hannibal Lecter to the small screen, but instead of having him face off with Clarice Starling, Fuller gave him a different - and better - character foil: Will Graham.
Hannibal ran for three seasons and adapted Harris’ novels Red Dragon and Hannibal, but didn’t cover as much material from The Silence of the Lambs, partially because he couldn’t obtain the rights from MGM. Fuller did make attempts so he could include the character of Clarice Starling in future seasons, but as the show was canceled, she never graced the small screen with her presence. Fuller and fans of the series still have high hopes that Hannibal will be picked up again on another network, perhaps even one of the major streaming services like Netflix. However, with CBS recently green-lighting a series based around Starling’s character, it’s unlikely MGM wants to part ways with the character any time soon, even if Hannibal was renewed.
Many fans of The Silence of the Lambs are familiar with the character made famous by actress Jodie Foster as she is nearly as iconic in her role as Anthony Hopkins was in his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter. However, with Fuller lending a new lens to the story, as well as a very different Dr. Lecter, another hero rose to face off with the notorious cannibal in an epic battle of the minds that spanned all three seasons.
Hannibal’s Will Graham Improved On The Clarice Starling Dynamic
Clarice Starling is an FBI agent who is training under Special Agent Jack Crawford when she meets Dr. Lecter; her intention is to get insight on serial killers from an inside perspective and - when they meet - he is already imprisoned. This relationship immediately puts her at a disadvantage with Will Graham, who meets Lecter outside of jail, before he’s been caught. Clarice’s perspective and lessons from Dr. Lecter are all second-hand; she has seen case files, she has knowledge of the things he’s done, but she hasn’t seen them directly. After Lecter escapes, he continues to show an interest in Clarice, even from far away - he writes her letters, and later tries to brainwash her (in the novels), but she’s too strong. Despite all of this, the novel, Hannibal, sees them become lovers, which is a plot point that many readers disliked and thus has been left out of the films.
Many have implied that Clarice was the love of Hannibal’s life and the only person who could truly understand him, but Will Graham’s character in the TV series poses some major competition. In the novels, Will Graham is a gifted FBI profiler who assisted in Lecter’s capture. In the TV series, he is a single man who lives in an isolated cabin with rescue dogs, and the series has insinuated he is on the autism spectrum. He has a gifted mind for profiling serial killers and works with the FBI and Special Agent Crawford despite being unstable. In the first season, he is a lecturer at the FBI Academy, as he couldn’t handle the stress of working in the field. In a sense, Hannibal preys on Graham differently than he did Clarice, but this is partially because he’s free - and actively killing - when they meet. It’s the difference between a caged predator and a free one at the height of his ability.
The back-and-forth between the two men where they start as friends, then end up as doctor/patient, then enemies with Will being framed for the murders Hannibal committed, and beyond is an interesting dynamic that shows great flexibility from both Hugh Dancy (Graham) and Mads Mikkelsen (Lecter). Because Will has seen the true capabilities of Hannibal first-hand, worked alongside him, been tormented by him mentally and physically, and also seems to still love him in a way that has implied to be more than platonic, his dynamic with Hannibal is so much more varied and intriguing in Hannibal than what he had with Clarice.
Next: How Hannibal Could Have Remade Silence Of The Lambs
