A Taste of Hannibal’s Season 3!

Get a taste of the Season 3 trailer for Hannibal! 

Purely from later events, Thomas Harris fans already know Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) must have survived the bloodbath at Hannibal's to catch Dr. Lecter later, and we also know for sure that Dr. Chilton (Raúl Esparza) will be a future obstacle. But if you've forgotten how much of the cast was involved in the tremendous casualty count of the Season 2 finale, re-watch the episode coyly named for a seasonal dessert—see 2.13 “Mizumono” online at NBC.com. So much rainfall, and I didn't feel a bit clean afterwards.

It's also not a secret that there have been loads of Season 3 exteriors shot in Florence, so Dr. Hannibal Lecter's (Mads Mikkelsen) and Dr. Bedelia du Maurier's (Gillian Anderson) time in Italy will appear just as glorious as we'd expect from this gorgeously-designed show. I can't wait to see the chubby, disapproving faces of appalled marble putti

Hannibal's 13-episode Season 3 airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. Eastern from June 4th through September 5th, 2015.  If you're spoiler-sensitive, skip the rest of the post…

Okay! Show creator Bryan Fuller has been interleaving notable events from the novels with detours along the way, keeping minor characters as he's been able to get the rights, but making new ones, too, and excelling in the challenge of making endings we know feel exquisitely suspenseful all over again. Half of this season, we're told, will deal with Hannibal's Italian escapades as he deceives, and I assume, dismembers delicious Florentines with his colleague-therapist-paramour and now partner-in-crime (?), all while earnest Will closes in pursuit. 

The season's second half will jump forward in time, as Will is asked to come back and assist the FBI by interviewing the now-imprisoned Hannibal to profile another serial killer, The Tooth Fairy. Tall actor (and, perversely, famous dwarf king) Richard Armitage will have huge shoes to fill as he takes on the role of film tech, stalker, and serial killer Francis Dolarhyde, played memorably by 6'6″ actor Tom Noonan in Manhunter (1986), also by Ralph Fiennes in Red Dragon (2002). Other new faces joining the cast include Tao Okamoto as Chiyoh, handmaiden to Hannibal's aunt, Lady Murasaki. Nina Arianda is cast as the Mrs. Graham of the future, Molly, essential to Will's return to the FBI… and to Hannibal's side. 

The show delights in making the world of exceptional killers feel intimate and connected, and a few favorite deadly characters from Hannibal High will return for at least fannibal-pleasing cameos—and we can always hope for more integration. First, there's creepy, cowardly surgeon and killer Dr. Abel Gideon (Eddie Izzard). Next is the serial killer's daughter turned bloodthirsty maiden of the hunt, the child Will and Hannibal never had, the not-dead (!) Abigail Hobbs (Kacey Rohl). Sadistic, sister-obssessed Mason Verger, enticed by Hannibal to dine on his own face—one must eat the rude—rounds out the reunion. The deformed and debilitated tycoon will be played in Season 3 by Joe Anderson (formerly Michael Pitt) and shouldn't be allowed near the punch bowl.

If you don't know already, cast interviews in the clip below will provide even more dish on who made it out of Season 2 alive. Hannibal is back, and we'll be covering it here. Get your viewing aprons and plastic tarps ready!


Clare Toohey is a literary omnivore, admirer of slow custards and elegant textures. Aside from editing The M.O. and site wrangling here, she freelances as as editor, writes short, surreal crime fiction, blogs at Women of Mystery, and tweets @clare2e.

See all posts by Clare Toohey at Criminal Element.

Comments

  1. Mary Saputo

    I know I’m in the minority because it got renewed but I find no benefit whatsoever about the main character being a serial killer.

  2. Leigh

    It’s like the portrait of Kramer on “Seinfeld.” It’s so repulsive, yet I cannot look away. I’m looking forward to this season.

  3. Mary Saputo

    That proves my point. Never liked Seinfeld either. I watched the final episode and came away saying – these people have no value whatsoever.

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