Ricky Church reviews the season – and series – finale of Hannibal season 3…
As the noose tightened around the Red Dragon, so too did it around Hannibal as the series was brought to a close. The (hopefully temporary) series finale of Hannibal was a bittersweet and satisfying conclusion to an excellent show. Appropriately titled ‘Wrath of the Lamb’, everyone was out to get Francis Dolarhyde and, in the process, get Hannibal Lecter killed as well.
With the finale beginning exactly where last week’s episode ended, no time was wasted resolving the Red Dragon storyline and moving forward. The first few minutes played out exactly as they did in the book as Francis spared Reba in order to fake his death and go after Will. This was very refreshing as the finale could have simply ended up as a ‘will he/won’t he’ scenario where the unspoiled audience had to guess whether or not he’ll kill Reba for most of the episode, giving the FBI enough time to track Francis down and save her. Though Rutina Wesley only appeared in this scene and briefly afterward, she gave a very good performance as Reba struggled to stay alive.
It was surprising just how much the finale strayed from the source material after the introduction. Nearly every story development afterward was original with a few nods, through either dialogue or action, to the book. It only serves to reinforce the notion that Bryan Fuller, while honouring the legacy of Hannibal Lecter, put the needs of his own particular story first rather than sticking strictly to the page. Though Francis did attack Will in the book, here it was to strike a deal as the two conspired to kill Hannibal.
It’s a testament to the character of Hannibal, and Mads Mikkelsen’s portrayal of him, that even though the doctor has been in a cell for half of the season he’s still been considered a great threat to all the characters. The mere possibility of Hannibal escaping frightened nearly everyone to their core, but none more so than Bedelia. For someone who ran away with Hannibal and essentially acted as his accomplice, she was especially scared and angry at Will’s proposed plan to fake Hannibal’s escape, calling him reckless and thoughtless. Of course, any plan involving a fake escape, and letting Hannibal know about said plan, only gives Hannibal a chance to really escape so Alana and Bedelia had good cause to be frightened.
I do have some criticism regarding a few of the supporting cast. While it was great to see Chilton again, this time dressing down Alana and showing a darker side, it would have been fine if last episode were his final appearance. Because of this, we missed out on seeing Freddie Lounds one last time and her reaction to Chilton’s injuries, possibly even guilt over her involvement in the botched sting (though knowing Freddie, guilt is the last thing she’d feel).
We also never had a final moment between Molly, her son and Will before he initiated the escape plan. Given the fact that Will knew there was a good chance he may not have survived an encounter with Hannibal and Francis, a goodbye between them would have been nice. It could have been a loving encounter or, since Will was sinking deeper into a darker state of mind, he could have, as Hannibal would put it, shed his person suit and fully embrace his darkness.
Despite this, it led to a very exciting climax as Will and Hannibal faced off against The Great Red Dragon. The physical confrontation was very well choreographed and executed as it took everything Will and Hannibal had to take Francis down. Hannibal always wanted to share a kill with Will and it ironically took the betrayal of a killer he set on Will to do just that. It ended with a poignant moment between the two just before Will made one final, and possibly fatal, decision.
Each Hannibal finale has been crafted in such a way that it could be The End; Hannibal framed Will in Season One and Hannibal seemingly killed everyone in Season Two. Now it looks as if Will and Hannibal died together after Will forced the both of them off the cliff. This brings to mind another famous rivalry in fiction, Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty, and their fates as they tumbled over the Reichenbach Falls. Considering Hannibal and Will have their own twisted version of the Holmes/Moriarty relationship, this end was very appropriate. Whether or not Hannibal comes back through some means down the line, this was a great send off for both characters and a fitting end to an outstanding series. Though it must be pointed out, the post-credits scene showed Bedelia’s dinner table set for three people…
Ricky Church
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=8k_v0cVxqEY
Originally published August 29, 2015. Updated April 13, 2018.
