Hannibal - Season 3 Premiere - Advanced Preview

Note: Please be aware that English is not my first language
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I truly know the feeling of waiting approximately a year for your favorite show to return. It’s a horrible feeling, especially with "Hannibal" and that mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, earth-shattering season 2 finale. I mean, how could they let us wait a whole year after an episode like that? So imagine how crazy and insane I went when I saw that I could watch the season 3 premiere earlier than everyone and that I could preview it ! It’s the main reason why I am posting this preview only now because I know it would have been torture to give you the preview and let you wait again a long time before the episode airs. With only four days to go before « Antipasto » airs, I’m going to give you a taste of what's to come on "Hannibal" this season.

Last year, "Hannibal" finished its course in a riveting and unexpected way. It could easily have been a series finale as all the storylines converged to that bloody massacre in Hannibal’s house sealing the fate of all the characters. But through the summer, Bryan Fuller reported that we had to revise our expectations about that massacre and about the fate of the characters involved. But if you think you’re going to get answers in the first episode, revise again your expectations. This season premiere is a very special episode like the show never did before. Remember how last season ended with Hannibal and Bedelia flying off to an unknown destination? Well, in the season premiere, we follow them during their journey in Paris and Florence. And that’s it. You were expecting to see Will, Alannah, Crawford, Freddie Lounds and all the team of the Behavioral Sciences unit? Nope. You were thinking you’d know what happened after that bloody butchery? Neither. They chose to do an ellipsis and let us in doubt about the fate of the different characters.

Subjectively, I can understand why it could be a little frustrating not to know what happened but objectively, I think that it’s the best way to tell the story of those characters because the season 2 finale changed literally everything on the show so it was maybe necessary to start this season with a Hannibal-centric episode.

I think that the fact that Hannibal was both betrayed and deceived by Will was really disconcerting for our serial killer, so he had to fly away and start something new elsewhere. We also learn some interesting things about what Hannibal did since he left with Bedelia, what he’s been up to.
But in my opinion, the most interesting part of the premiere is the evolution of Bedelia. She’s always been on the show, but they never deepened her character, so it was truly enjoyable to learn a bit more about her, her motivations, her feelings and so one. In her new life that she shares with Hannibal, she’s pretending to be his wife.
This episode will allow you to position yourself on Bedelia’s motives: is she forced to follow Hannibal in his journey or is she’s taking part in discovering the darkness that lies inside her?

What I also really like was the fact that they used a lot of flashbacks. They used them very smartly to help us fill the blanks in that ellipsis. You will also probably witness what was the beginning of the « relationship » between Hannibal and Bedelia and ultimately, you’ll see where their « relationship » is leading and what lives they are living in Europe.
Hannibal is becoming himself again after being betrayed and you’ll even see a glimpse of that at the end of the episode, giving us the tone of what’s to come next on the show.

All in all, this season premiere was brilliantly structured, although a little baffling regarding what the show used to do before. Expect to be surprised, amazed as usual by the quality of the picture and the directing. And of course, expect also to be compelled and intrigued in front of this very complex episode that confirms that the show is definitely one of the best shows on television.

Tune in to "Hannibal" on Thursdays @ 10/9c on NBC Network. Be sure to come back here to SpoilerTV to let everyone else know what you thought of the episode. Hit the comments section below and tell us what are your expectations from the season premiere of Hannibal.

About the Author - Adil Daoumer

Adil Daoumer is an almost 18y/o Moroccan student living in Paris, France, studying law and economy. He spends the majority of his life watching TV shows, reading books and listening to music. He has a lot of favorite TV shows such as Breaking Bad, LOST, Six Feet Under, Friday Night Lights, Shameless, Fringe, Hannibal, The Good Wife, Revenge and more recently, Fargo and The Leftovers. He also enjoys having a good laugh in front of Community, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Happy Endings and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
This season on SpoilerTV, Adil will review Ray Donovan, The Affair and Shameless.
Don't hesitate to contact him on one of these social media sites.

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