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[CreeperBlocks]

I'm thinking Hannibal Survived but Will Did not. That's the way I see it.

Also question whatever happened to The Psychopath in Season Two who Nearly killed Hannibal? Did he die?

 

[GiantBreadbug]

I'm thinking Hannibal Survived but Will Did not.

Nah Fuller says the future of the series is all about them, so I say both did.

Dunno why Will would go dying?

 

[Cornballer]

- Sepinwall's review

Interview-palooza:
- Sepinwall interview: 'Hannibal' creator: 'I wanted to be sure we had an ending for the story'
- TV.com: Hannibal Boss Bryan Fuller on the Finale: "If the Audience Is Done, Then I Will Be Done"
- IGN: Bryan Fuller on the huge events in the Season 3 finale and continued hopes for the future
- Variety: ‘Hannibal’ Finale Postmortem: Bryan Fuller Breaks Down That Bloody Ending and Talks Revival Chances
- EW: Hugh Dancy explains that shocking Hannibal series finale
- EW: Hannibal music supervisor on working with Siouxsie Sioux for the finale's song
- NY Mag: Bryan Fuller on That Hannibal Finale and the Show's Campy, Sensual Undertones
- THR: ‘Hannibal’s’ Bryan Fuller on the "Obscure" Finale, Movie Hopes: "There’s a Few Ways to Go"

 

[Bobby Roberts]

I'm thinking Hannibal Survived but Will Did not.

Well, he says anyone familiar with the Hannibal novel should be able to figure out the angle he wanted (still wants) to take Will & Hannibal.

I don't know that I particularly want to see that, though. This is a better Thelma & Louise than Thelma & Louise. "There’s a realization of his mind being able to process that experience as a thing of beauty. With that, he knows there is very little chance of him being able to return to humanity, so off they go."

I know that directly contradicts his earlier statement of " So it’s strange to look at [this week’s episode] as a finale, because part of me believes that the most interesting chapter of Will Graham’s story is yet to be told," but on the other hand, I'm pretty big believer in the genius of knowing when to leave the stage, and I think that ending is as good an exit as this show could have gotten.

 

[Deleted member 102362]

Are you reluctant to say more about your vision — on the chance that you can somehow create a Season 4 or a big-screen adaptation?

Yeah. You know, there is a plot point in the [Thomas Harris] novel Hannibal that has not been in any of the [filmed] adaptations. And so, it’s important for me to protect that and hopefully be able to tell it one day. Of course, the “Fannibals” are so smart and know the books so well that I’m sure it won’t be too big of a stretch to figure out exactly what it would be.

Pretty sure I know what he's talking about, Hannibal (not the show) spoilers:

Spoiler

Clarice and Hannibal becoming lovers and running off, lol. Even Ridley Scott was like, wat?

 

[CreeperBlocks]

Nah Fuller says the future of the series is all about them, so I say both did.

Dunno why Will would go dying?

Oh okay. I didn't read that part in the interview. I'm really interested in where the show could have gone.

 

[AoM]

I liked season and some of season 2. I'm not a fan of what they did to will Graham's character. The big appeal of Will to me was that he was nuts but had enough good in him to not go overboard. The shit he does after season 1 was just ridiculous and kinda broke the show beyond repair, especially season 3.

Which is why using the line from the book, "I'm just about worn out with you crazy sons of bitches", didn't work at all.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Further on Fuller's kinda-sorta plans for S4:

In an interview with our TV critic, Matt Zoller Seitz, you said that the theoretical season four would be a “reexamination and a reinterpretation” of their relationship, and that it was creatively terrifying to think about. Now that we’ve watched the finale, I’m curious about what it would look like.

Well, I still want to hold that in my back pocket because Martha Stewart’s trying to find financing for a feature film, and you never know two years from now if Mads [Mikkelsen] and Hugh [Dancy] have an opening in their schedules, we can shoot something again. I still want to be able to tell that story, and it’s perhaps the most fascinating chapter of Will Graham’s story yet. But I feel like if I tell you what it is, then it kind of closes a door on it in my mind.

How feasible do you think it would be in terms of actualization?

It’s so hard to say. Who knows if I have a relationship with a network that wants to do a six-episode miniseries of a return to this Hannibal Lecter story, or if it works out where rights align and we get The Silence of the Lambs story. There’s so many possibilities in my mind of what we could do, and I'm the worst person to ask for that because I see that next chapter of their story so vividly that it’s hard to say, “No, that ghost in the machine will never come to fruition.”

...Martha Stewart?

Like, that Martha Stewart?

The hopes of a Season 4, a closing of the book on Fuller's Hannibal, rests in the hands of Martha Stewart?

Oddly fitting, really.

 

[DarkJediKnight]

I'm thinking Hannibal Survived but Will Did not. That's the way I see it.

There's some interjection of Suicide in the final episode. It hints that people with the mindset of Hannibal, Dollar, are all about self-preservation. They fake their deaths and have a morbid fascination with it.

Keep in mind, this is Hannibal's getaway home. I know if I'm a serial killer and I had a cliff beside my hideout, you better believe I'd make sure that if I had to jump, that I would make it.

 

[chalkitdown1]

This is a truly wonderful article showing every outfit Hannibal (and some friends) wore. Also the text is hilarious and basically a fashion battle summary of the entire show.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/29/everything-hannibal-wore-hannibal

Fucking outstanding. The turtleneck comments slayed me good.

 

[awp69]

Reading some of those interviews with Fuller, it definitely sounds like they are doing more exploring the film route vs a new home on TV. I would love to see this move forward on the big screen. Mads has completely replaced my image of Hopkins as Lector. It would only be fitting to give him the chance to solidify that notion with a feature film.

 

[Sectorseven]

Yeah. You know, there is a plot point in the [Thomas Harris] novel Hannibal that has not been in any of the [filmed] adaptations. And so, it’s important for me to protect that and hopefully be able to tell it one day. Of course, the “Fannibals” are so smart and know the books so well that I’m sure it won’t be too big of a stretch to figure out exactly what it would be.

What plot point is he referring to?

 

[Kevin]

I hope season 3 gets released onto Blu-Ray. NBC didn't bother with Constantine and that had much higher ratings so I'm worried that they won't bother with Hannibal either. :/

 

[Ashok]

Further on Fuller's kinda-sorta plans for S4:



...Martha Stewart?

Like, that Martha Stewart?

The hopes of a Season 4, a closing of the book on Fuller's Hannibal, rests in the hands of Martha Stewart?

Oddly fitting, really.

That's a misquote. In the IGN article with the same financing question, Bryan is clearly referring to Martha [De Laurentiis].

 

[Bobby Roberts]

What plot point is he referring to?

Hannibal and Clarice run away together.

I thought he was kinda playing with that at the end of Season 2 when Hannibal and Bedelia escaped to Italy.

That's a misquote. In the IGN article with the same financing question, Bryan is clearly referring to Martha [De Laurentiis].

Heh. On the one hand, that makes way more sense. On the other... I kinda liked the idea of Martha Stewart being a huge Hannibal superfan stepping in on her own.

 

[Sweeney Tom]

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-wa...re-we-had-an-ending-for-the-story/single-page

Glad to see I was right about both the ending and them intentionally fucking with Chilton, surprised at I Will Survive being about Bedelia (didn't notice the fork originally, just the missing leg). Awesome to hear about how the Frankenstag (*RuPaul music plays*) was born. Agree with him that Mads is the best Hannibal. Thought it surprising that S&P was mostly fine with lip biting (jfc at it originally being longer)

 

[CreeperBlocks]

That's a misquote. In the IGN article with the same financing question, Bryan is clearly referring to Martha [De Laurentiis].

I also like to add that they might be exploring the Idea of a Kickstarter. Which might be better. Hey if Veronica Mars can do it, why not Hannibal?

 

[Ashok]

In other news, Gillian's Nick Haddow photoshoot has just hit the Web and I'm officially dead.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

From that HitFix interview:

How was Dolarhyde picking his victims? In the book, his lab processes their home movies, but that's obviously not a thing that happens now.

Bryan Fuller: Social media. Hannibal answered the question to Will. Just check your Facebook privacy settings.

Huh. I don't know that Hannibal made that very clear at all, actually. I honestly thought that was a bit of a missed opportunity to make the Dragon a little scarier, to play on the paranoia that's inherent with anything regarding online privacy. Because it kinda seemed like he actually did pick his victims via that photo lab. I just figured it was an artsy anachronism. Hell, the fact Sepinwall even had to ask...

The Reba Pause Button also didn't make very much sense after the final episode. I'd thought, since they'd gotten rid of most of the means by which the FBI could figure out who Dolarhyde was (and even turned the procedural part of the book into a throwaway punchline), that the whole purpose of Reba interrupting Chilton & Francis was so that Chilton could tell them what Reba looked like, and that's what would lead them to the lab.

But instead, shit didn't matter at all. She just wandered into that scene and wandered out and it didn't seem to have any consequence at all.

He says in one of these interviews how rushed and by the seat of their pants the final episode was, and the whole season was kinda herky-jerk like that, and I think it kinda shows in how Red Dragon got adapted.

That said: It's by far the best adaptation of Red Dragon that there's been.

 

[Mariolee]

Speaking of Bedelia, the series' final image isn't them going off the cliff, but Bedelia waiting to serve a guest who is never going to come. How did you decide that was the image you wanted to end it on.

Bryan Fuller: Well, that's a really interesting interpretation of the scene. You think she cut off her own leg and is going to serve it to somebody?

She seems as if she is throwing a dinner party.

Bryan Fuller: (laughs) No, that's our little nod to the audience that perhaps Hanibal could have survived that cliff dive. She's sitting at the table with her leg on the table and she's looking absolutely terrified, and she grabs the fork and hides it under her napkin and waits for whoever's going to return. This woman still has some fight in her. We don't know if Hannibal is indeed serving her her leg, or is it Hannibal's uncle Robertus, or Lady Murasaki, or is it Will Graham?

So it was just your tease for the possibility of more?

Bryan Fuller: Yes. But I love your interpretation! (laughs) I love the thought that she's thinking, "Fuck! I cut off my leg for no reason!"

Well, you left a lot of ambiguity about how much control Hannibal did ultimately have over her, how much she had figured out how to survive being with him, whether she had been infected with his particular brand of madness.

Bryan Fuller: I love that you have that interpretation. Part of me doesn't want anybody to know my confirmation of that and just see what people would think in reaction to that interpretation.

For what it's worth, I spoke about this with another TV critic who had watched it with his wife. He agreed with me, she thought we were both insane. So she's on your side.

Bryan Fuller: That was the original intention. No, somebody has got her, and will she or will she not survive. And what's so fun is that on the song that Siouxsie Sioux wrote, we hear her say, "I will survive, I will survive," as we're pushing in on Bedelia, and that could mean she's singing from Hannibal's perspective and it means he has survived and will eat this woman now, or Bedelia's point of view that it's like, "You may have cut off this leg, but I've got this fork and I'm gonna do some damage before it's done."

OK, so I wasn't completely insane when I thought Bedelia cut off her own leg. I felt like it was really telegraphed that way throughout the whole episode.

Also they misspelled Hannibal lol

 

[Bobby Roberts]

He admits the only reason Molly doesn't die is because he liked her actress.

Seeing how the rest of the season went, she probably should have died in the hospital.

 

[AoM]

From that HitFix interview:



Huh. I don't know that Hannibal made that very clear at all, actually. I honestly thought that was a bit of a missed opportunity to make the Dragon a little scarier, to play on the paranoia that's inherent with anything regarding online privacy. Because it kinda seemed like he actually did pick his victims via that photo lab. I just figured it was an artsy anachronism. Hell, the fact Sepinwall even had to ask...

The Reba Pause Button also didn't make very much sense after the final episode. I'd thought, since they'd gotten rid of most of the means by which the FBI could figure out who Dolarhyde was (and even turned the procedural part of the book into a throwaway punchline), that the whole purpose of Reba interrupting Chilton & Francis was so that Chilton could tell them what Reba looked like, and that's what would lead them to the lab.

But instead, shit didn't matter at all. She just wandered into that scene and wandered out and it didn't seem to have any consequence at all.

He says in one of these interviews how rushed and by the seat of their pants the final episode was, and the whole season was kinda herky-jerk like that, and I think it kinda shows in how Red Dragon got adapted.

That said: It's by far the best adaptation of Red Dragon that there's been.

How? I know you've read it and seen the other two, so just wondering what did it for you. Because it can't be by being faithful. So what are the criteria? The only thing I could see is Armitage being the best Dolarhyde, mainly for time reasons.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

How? I know you've read it and seen the other two, so just wondering what did it for you. Because it can't be by being faithful. So what are the criteria? The only thing I could see is Armitage being the best Dolarhyde, mainly for time reasons.

I mean, it's got an unfair advantage because it's preceded by two full seasons of amazing television carrying a lot of weight, but even so, the performances, the production design, the pace - it just ended up packing way more of a punch than any of the other two, even with the sloppiness of the adaptation in play. Neither Manhunter or Ratner's airless adaptation managed the depth of feeling the back half of Season 3 managed. It wasn't exactly the book, but it felt like I felt when I first read it, that sort of confused, beautiful dread that kept me flipping pages.

 

[kirblar]

The changes to the end of S3 just don't square with what Red Dragon sets up- it was too faithful an adaptation and needed the mashup the rest of the material was getting.

 

[Monocle]

Wow, that was just fantastic! I'm so glad Fuller constructed each season finale to work as a standalone ending. This episode gave me everything I needed from the conclusion of the series. I can hardly think of a better way for this show to go out, if this really is the end.

The ending pulled off the very tricky balance of feeling conclusive, yet being open-ended enough for a number of very different interpretations. (Did Will finally give in to Hannibal and embrace his own dark side? Was Will pretending to give Hannibal what he wanted so he could kill him personally? Did the cliff dive even happen, or was it a metaphor for the end of their old lives? Did Bedelia cook herself? Are Will and Hannibal going to eat her, or just one of them, with one of the place settings meant to honor whichever murder husband didn't survive the fall?) The possibilities are—brace yourselves—DELICIOUS. Sorry, you can put down your knives.

But seriously, I'd like to think that Will and Hannibal both survived and are both there at Bedelia's dinner. Possibly with her consent and invitation! She did turn out to be pretty twisted. Will and Hannibal's survival seems likely to me because Fuller intentionally left the door open for two to three more seasons, which he'd already mapped out in broad strokes. I strongly doubt he would off either of his main characters before the final season. Then again, Season 3 is the final season unless the show is picked up at some point, so the S3 finale could very well work as a shortcut to where the show might have ended up anyway. Pending further developments, you might as well think whatever you want.

Did this episode top the Season 2 finale? I don't even know right now, but it felt right, and I was so worried that it wouldn't. If Hannibal does have to end here, I think I can be OK with that. Bravo.

 

[Nappuccino]

I hope season 3 gets released onto Blu-Ray. NBC didn't bother with Constantine and that had much higher ratings so I'm worried that they won't bother with Hannibal either. :/

I don't think NBC has anything to do with the BluRays so far. I think we'll see a set, but I'm not holding my breath either.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Loved the finale and thought it worked amazingly well as a series ender. Also, I really like Mariolee's interpretation of the final Bedelia scene.

 

[AoM]

I mean, it's got an unfair advantage because it's preceded by two full seasons of amazing television carrying a lot of weight, but even so, the performances, the production design, the pace - it just ended up packing way more of a punch than any of the other two, even with the sloppiness of the adaptation in play. Neither Manhunter or Ratner's airless adaptation managed the depth of feeling the back half of Season 3 managed. It wasn't exactly the book, but it felt like I felt when I first read it, that sort of confused, beautiful dread that kept me flipping pages.

That's why I can't see it as the best adaption. I see these characters as Fuller's. That's Fuller's Will and Hannibal, his Dolarhyde and Reba. And I was really hoping we'd finally get the actual ending adapted for once, but nope. I understand why it's ended this way, but it's always fun going back to their simple relationship. I felt Manhunter really captured the feeling of the book, its pace and depth. This arc was sort of doing its own thing, made very clear by that ending.

Why I think Red Dragon is considered Harris's best is because we only see most of these characters once: Will, Dolarhyde, Molly etc. It's an exciting story, and it ends. No dull moments or anything outlandish. I think this season of the show started to have too much of the latter (e.g., that dinner scene with Will, Jack, and Hannibal). So, we go from all that to the RD arc, but I feel like by that point I had already checked out. I really did enjoy the first two seasons, but this has kind of soured it for me. I would love for others who have never read the book or seen the two adaptions to go enjoy those, and to then see how they stand, whether that's changed or not.

 

[Monocle]

I drew this really quickly last night aaaahh

http://41.media.tumblr.com/84a27c5831a4580180339ca17bf7f414/tumblr_nts85pSuAV1qj7my2o1_1280.png

Perfect.

I mean, it's got an unfair advantage because it's preceded by two full seasons of amazing television carrying a lot of weight, but even so, the performances, the production design, the pace - it just ended up packing way more of a punch than any of the other two, even with the sloppiness of the adaptation in play. Neither Manhunter or Ratner's airless adaptation managed the depth of feeling the back half of Season 3 managed. It wasn't exactly the book, but it felt like I felt when I first read it, that sort of confused, beautiful dread that kept me flipping pages.

Yeah, exactly. I'd actually say the main reason it worked so well was the perfect casting for Dolarhyde and Reba, and their great performances. I think that apart from the ending, the Red Dragon arc would be almost as good if it were separated from the rest of the show. And this isn't at all to criticize the way it was integrated, which I found to be effective.

Really?? Gillian Anderson has been a highlight of the show for me. I absolutely adore Bedelia this year, she's one of my favorite characters in S3 and I love how Gillian plays her.

Spoiler

I loved the end tag with Gillian, I thought it gave the finale a great deal of mystique with regard to her motives and Will and Hannibal's true fate.

She's been flawless throughout the series IMO.

 

[Plasticine]

I hope season 3 gets released onto Blu-Ray. NBC didn't bother with Constantine and that had much higher ratings so I'm worried that they won't bother with Hannibal either. :/

NBC has no control over the Blu-Ray release. They only control the US broadcast rights. I'm sure there will be a Blu-Ray set. That's money just waiting for the De Laurentiis Company to collect.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Also, I love how Fuller keeps referring to the show as "fanfiction". It's so down to earth, so unpretentious.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Did this episode top the Season 2 finale? I don't even know right now, but it felt right, and I was so worried that it wouldn't. If Hannibal does have to end here, I think can be OK with that. Bravo.

I don't think it does, but I don't necessarily think it needed to, either. My immediate point of comparison was the finale of Breaking Bad. It wasn't as good as Ozymandias. It probably couldn't be. And I think trying to top that might have been a mistake. But it was better at being an ending for that show than Ozymandias could have been. This might only be a little bit better than the midseason finale of this year, and it's not as good as the S2 finale, but as the ending to the story of Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham, murder husbands of the 21st Century? It's a great ending. Like you said: It felt right.

So right that I'm pretty sure it's making my top five tv series of all time.

The Wire
Battlestar Galactica
Cheers
Breaking Bad
Hannibal

(Muppet Show just got bumped to #6)

 

[Kuroyume]

Raul losing his mind lol

 

[Zoe]

Damn, guess I misinterpreted the ending :lol

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Shouldn't Chilton's partial have melted?

 

[Deleted member 102362]

Raul losing his mind lol

Where'd these come from??

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Yeah, if we got gag reels already, come up off 'em.

(That Chilton gif needs the words "SICK BURN" laid over the top of it)

 

[Monocle]

I don't think it does, but I don't necessarily think it needed to, either. My immediate point of comparison was the finale of Breaking Bad. It wasn't as good as Ozymandias. It probably couldn't be. And I think trying to top that might have been a mistake. But it was better at being an ending for that show than Ozymandias could have been. This might only be a little bit better than the midseason finale of this year, and it's not as good as the S2 finale, but as the ending to the story of Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham, murder husbands of the 21st Century? It's a great ending. Like you said: It felt right.

So right that I'm pretty sure it's making my top five tv series of all time.

The Wire
Battlestar Galactica
Cheers
Breaking Bad
Hannibal

(Muppet Show just got bumped to #6)

Good comparison, and great way to put it. Hannibal is easily in my top 5 series too, maybe even above Breaking Bad.

I'm hoping I'll be able to stick The Wire in there once I've seen it all. (Currently on 2x02.)

 

[Turin]

Also, I love how Fuller keeps referring to the show as "fanfiction". It's so down to earth, so unpretentious.

Agreed. He does call the show itself "pretentious" all the time but I think that's part of why he's such a good showrunner. He wants to have fun and make a fun show more than anything.

 

[Kuroyume]

Where'd these come from??

Found them on tumblr. I think they're from the gag reel coming later today:

http://marthadelaurentiis.tumblr.com/

Btw, also wanted to mention that one of my favorite shots from the show is slow motion Dolarhyde creeping out of the shadows after shooting Hannibal. Loved that.

 

[Monocle]

Hannibal Finale Post Mortem: Bryan Fuller on Will/Lecter Love, Bedelia's Last Supper, That Siouxsie Sioux Jam

Fuller basically confirmed that everything went down the way I thought or at least hoped it did, haha.

I'm glad to hear he hasn't given up on continuing the show. I really want to see his plan for Season 4 fully realized.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

I really want Season 4 to be "The Silence" starring Miriam Lass and Buffalo Chill.

 

[Nappuccino]

Fuller basically confirmed that everything went down the way I though it did, haha.

I'm glad to hear he hasn't given up on continuing the show. I really want to see his plan for Season 4 fully realized.

My only hope is that he doesn't finish up via comics. I just can't get into that kind of multi-medium story telling--mostly because the comics never feel the same to me. A season, mini-series, or movie are the only things I'll be really happy with, I think. Season and mini-series preferred.

 

[Deleted member 102362]

Found them on tumblr. I think they're from the gag reel coming later today:

http://marthadelaurentiis.tumblr.com/

Btw, also wanted to mention that one of my favorite shots from the show is slow motion Dolarhyde creeping out of the shadows after shooting Hannibal. Loved that.

lol, nice to see she's a fan of her own show. She can make everyone jealous because she can make gifs from raw footage!

 

[Monocle]

My only hope is that he doesn't finish up via comics. I just can't get into that kind of multi-medium story telling--mostly because the comics never feel the same to me. A season, mini-series, or movie are the only things I'll be really happy with, I think. Season and mini-series preferred.

100% agreed.

 

[Stinkles]

Ok that was rad.

Such gothic.


So hysteria.

Fever dream.

Boobs.

 

[jetjevons]

The ultimate TV bromance ended the only way it could/should.

Just perfection.

 

[SCHUEY F1]

Glad pretty everyone has been able to see it finally.

The finale was very satisfying. Is it weird that I enjoyed the first half of S3 a bit more? Still loves it all though.

 

[ivysaur12]

Perfect finale.

Wish season 3 was the back half of season 3 entirely, but it is what it is. I'm going to miss this show.

 

[SCHUEY F1]

It is still hard to believe it was on NBC and they were able to do show a lot of crazy shit. A special show for sure.