Hannibal

Hannibal (2013) 

An immersive, bleak atmosphere, impressive disturbing images, delightfully uncompromising and obscure main storyline, elaborate ambiguous characters who get under your skin (Hannibal, Abigail, Will, Du Maurier, Crawford) and... And also the completely incomprehensible concept of “making each episode a standalone case". Which is an approach that fits here about as well as the current Slavia soccer team in the Champions League - not even in your wildest dreams. This strikes the eyes (ears, nose, head, and feet) all the more so because each one of these episodic cases is like an advertisement for a boring, routine, thriller-like, mediocrity illustrated. Some of them have potential, but because the creators devote at least half their time to the main story in each episode, they do not have the necessary space to develop. The only thing this approach succeeds in doing is to cut the main storyline into pieces, robbing it of any drive it ever had. If one of the big cable companies had taken over from the outset, it could have done without the annoying episodic "CSI elements" (as shown by the pilot and the finale), and Hannibal could have been a purebred dog that barks and bites properly. Unfortunately, under NBC's administration, a half-baked cat-dog has crawled out, that doesn't bark, bite, meow, or even purr. (30/09/2013)