Well it's not trending anymore. And people were probably like, "OMG, @Hannibal sucks."

Or it's a Bryan Fuller show. They always tank.

The show trended, Joe. An NBC show trended. That's a colossal victory in and of itself. They could score, like, a 1.5 in the demo.

Yeah, trending just means a lot of people are talking about it. Doesn't take into account what they thought of it. Can't imagine most people liking this as nothing can compare to how brilliantly Hopkins played the role. Anything else pales in comparison.

I loved Fuller's Wonderfalls and was happy to see the star of that show, Caroline Dhavernas, show up on Hannibal. I didn't know she was on it. Too bad the show wasn't better.

You have so many biases, Joe. I pity you a little bit.

The Silence of the Lambs is one of my favorite movies. The final scene between Clarice and Dr. Lecter is my favorite scene in any film ever.

But fuck Anthony Hopkins. He has nothing to do with this.

Considering what it's based on, I'd hope they get a lot of people sampling it. Maybe NBC should just adapt all their shows from popular novels or films. They'd trend a lot then by your logic.

Hopkins is intrinsically linked to the character forever. And what biases do I have? I guarantee other people thought the same thing I did, that nothing beats Hopkins playing the role. Bates Motel is a better show about a psychopath. At least it's entertaining without trying too hard like this did throughout the pilot. You hate The Walking Dead and this pilot was just as slow-moving as that show often is.

You walk into films and TV shows with a very distinct thought about what something should be, and when it's not that, you hate it. You never give anything a chance to succeed on its own terms.

Who cares if nothing beats Hopkins playing the role? Second best doesn't mean awful. Brian Cox was quite good in Manhunter.



Sure, but my issue with The Walking Dead has nothing to do with how slow it is. I don't like the characters on Walking Dead. People do things because the plot demands it, not because they have any consistency. Hannibal could run into those problems, but they certainly didn't spring up in the pilot. (And I absolutely loved The Walking Dead's pilot, by the way.)

I have expectations based on trailers and footage I've seen. That's normal last time I checked. I edited my previous post, adding more. If by your admission Cox was good in Manhunter, that would mean the new guy isn't even second best. And I'm intrigued to hear what you think my expectations for this were going in seeing as how you think the expectations I have are very specific.

I liked Mikkelson more than Cox.

Hannibal's trending again. Woot. And the response seems pretty good. Not that it matters; his is NBC. It'll be gone in three weeks.

Hannibal was cool, but WTF is with Graham, he's weirder than Hannibal, and the actor is just awful. Was there a scene where he didn't cry or tear up? He was awesome when Norton played him, and even Peterson was good. Turning him into a cross between The Mentalist and Dexter really is just goofy at times.

It got better in the middle though. The pacing was just completely off. I don't understand how they got to the place, Graham all of a sudden was trained with a gun, and there was no back up at the final location. Mads was good if a little hard to understand at times. I'll check it out one more time, but it's really nothing different.

They're not turning him into that. That's Graham in the book.

I'm glad I never read the book then. I thought this was completely original, and Red Dragon takes place after Hannibal is already caught. Norton and Peterson's character still employ empathy and their disgust over it, but they still maintain presence and competence. Even still, there are better ways to present that kind of character, which NBC just isn't doing in favor of copying style of other shows. Like said, doesn't help that the actor is awful.

Red Dragon does take place after this. But if you've seen Manhunter or Ratner's flick, Graham has been seriously traumatized. He's not a well individual, and he freaks out when Crawford shows up to have him look in on a case. Peterson and Norton were both too bland.

They're not copying other shows; the other shows stole from Thomas Harris. It'd be like calling Hannibal a rip-off of The Following.

Yeah and Harris stole from Arthur Conan Doyle, Poe, etc. Everyone borrows from other people when writing. As long as it's good and different enough, it's all good.

I'm not saying it's copying other shows in story or characterizations, obviously it came first. But this story has nothing to really do with Harris' work, besides he's become a hack himself. The idea had a lot of potential to be different or at least engaging. Instead they went very generic route that has been done before. Only difference is it has some non original characters.

Pilot is airing again on Wednesday night instead of Chicago Fire.

The pilot is amazing. Perfect cast. An involving storyline. An elegant, gothic visual style. I cannot wait for episode number two.

David and Dark Shape vs. World of KJ on this.

I enjoyed the pilot episode, the acting was really strong. The artistic flare is also something that impressed me.

I'm in for the longhaul.

Second episode also great. I almost cannot put my finger on why I love this so much, but I do. Beyond the quality of the acting and the cool visual style, it has this unique quality. It is a procedure oriented, but in such a left-field way--this distinct blend of the creepy and the melancholy. It has a genuine respect for its characters and also for the intelligence of its audience, even as it also fulfills their desire for suspenseful pop entertainment.

And with due respect to Anthony Hopkins and his laurel decorated legacy as Hannibal Lecter, he never pops into my mind as I watch Mads Mikkelsen' hypnotic portrayal, which is definitely a major achievement in its own right.

I didn't try the second episode because it will probably get canceled. We'll see how ratings are tomorrow.

I am interested in this, but I'll admit that I'll first wait to see whether it will be cancelled or renewed before I start this. I don't have the time and the tolerance of frustration to get into a good show just to see it cancelled.

Hannibal held steady with a 1.6 demo last night.

Thought it was gonna crash and burn 'cause it was so terrible. Guys?

Oooh, a 1.6 Demo. It's tearing it up...

Not to mention its competition was repeats on all the other networks.

Criminal Minds, a similar show based on subject matter, on a bad week never gets below a 2.6 and 10M viewers and has been running for 8 seasons.