• Network: NBC
  • Series Premiere Date: Apr 4, 2013
Season #: 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 399 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 61 out of 399
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User Reviews

  1. Jun 5, 2015
    10
    Hannibal is a masterpiece series which you will find rarely on not only network but also cable channels & this season it is more purified in artistry , its like viewing an art film about murders & as like it is most ambitious season there is plenty to happen which i would cherish & enjoy at my fullest.
  2. Jun 7, 2015
    10
    Hannibal is one this tv series that get better and better each year. If you still hadn't seen the masterpiece that Bryan Fuller and amazing cast create together you better do it now ! Mads creates a cannibal complete.....and Gillian Anderson just completes him. Watch it....you won't miss a single minute.
  3. Jun 22, 2015
    10
    Hannibal i a great show and everyone should watch it who love horror crime drama genre , the cinematography , the acting , the direction everything in this show is brilliant and i have belief season 3 is going to be awesome.
  4. Jun 7, 2015
    10
    Once you accept that the premise and a few plot points are going to be absolutely ridiculous--it's more than acceptable to call this show a masterpiece. It's no more ridiculous than the best Batman movies--no more ridiculous than the most wild Tarantino film or Stephen King novel. It's the most violent thing I've ever seen, save for probably A Serbian Film. If you can handle the gore andOnce you accept that the premise and a few plot points are going to be absolutely ridiculous--it's more than acceptable to call this show a masterpiece. It's no more ridiculous than the best Batman movies--no more ridiculous than the most wild Tarantino film or Stephen King novel. It's the most violent thing I've ever seen, save for probably A Serbian Film. If you can handle the gore and its thinking man's pace--I think any fan of cerebral horror will be thrilled after a few episodes of watching it. It's really quite amazing. Check it out. Expand
  5. Jun 22, 2015
    10
    i absolutely love this show it has everything i wants , currently enjoying season 3 and i have belief this season is going to be best as it has two parts one of hannibal and hannibal rising and the other part describing the red dragon arc .
  6. Jun 29, 2015
    10
    Hannibal is a great series it contains all the elements of magnificence , i adore this show because this is something i have never seen in TV and as i am a vivid fan of crime genre i love each of the significance of the small details given to this series..
  7. Jun 29, 2015
    10
    Hannibal TV series is the best work of Thomas Harris book and it is even better than silence of the lambs movie i would say . season 3 is going greatly to be the best season of Hannibal and due to its cancellation this season has became more important to me.
  8. Jun 22, 2015
    10
    Bit of a slow burn this season. But strong acting and writing as usual and the cinematography of this show is basically top notch. Hopefully, we are headed to another strong season. Unfortunately, heard today this terrific show has been cancelled. If Amazon wants to gain loyal subscribers and established themselves as a strong brand of streaming programming like Netflix, then Amazon shouldBit of a slow burn this season. But strong acting and writing as usual and the cinematography of this show is basically top notch. Hopefully, we are headed to another strong season. Unfortunately, heard today this terrific show has been cancelled. If Amazon wants to gain loyal subscribers and established themselves as a strong brand of streaming programming like Netflix, then Amazon should pick up this show for a 4th season. It will give them a great deal of buzz, a terrific show in their hands and the general knowing that they made the right call. Fingers crossed. Expand
  9. Jun 22, 2015
    8
    This is a great show, season 1 was good, season 2 was amazing, and this season so far is great. But I saw on multiple websites that hannibal has been cancelled unfortunately
  10. Jun 29, 2015
    10
    yeah this series is truly awesome i am enjoying this current season its great visuals and brilliant story line which is quite rare in current television.
  11. Jul 19, 2015
    10
    This show is fantastic. There is a dreamy, memory like quality that has gruesome scenes sneak up on you. last of the great television shows, too bad it ends this year.
  12. Jun 29, 2015
    10
    Hannibal is currently the best show on TV , just after its cancellation it trended in twitter for 7 hours , won 3 awards and two online polls which shows how great this series is and its fandom.
  13. Aug 31, 2015
    4
    Season 3: "The novelty of Hannibal Lecter has waned." Trying to be artsy and clever has made the first half of season 3 pretentious and extremely slow. I have been able to fast forward through chunks of filming where the camera lingers on snails...seriously, or people eating in slow motion, or overly creative ways of doing flashbacks. The dialog is getting so ostentatious and overblownSeason 3: "The novelty of Hannibal Lecter has waned." Trying to be artsy and clever has made the first half of season 3 pretentious and extremely slow. I have been able to fast forward through chunks of filming where the camera lingers on snails...seriously, or people eating in slow motion, or overly creative ways of doing flashbacks. The dialog is getting so ostentatious and overblown that it is confusing and irritating. The cat and mouse game was getting a bit boring and I was eager for a climax to begin to percolate. The season finally started to slowly pick up around episodes 4 or 5, and by episode 7 we get some payoff, and then episode 8 gets us back to the basics with Will consulting Jack on another horrible serial murder, The Great Red Dragon... I have a few more episodes to go to finish the season... but I'm basically done with this presumptuous & tedious show. Expand
  14. Jun 5, 2015
    9
    Hannibal is back! The first episode may be underwhelming after such a amazing finale but it's still such a phenomenon treat, the imagery and cinematography is still at its best, the foreshadowing makes the wait to find out what happens next so unbearable. Truly one of the best shows at the moment.
  15. Jun 24, 2015
    10
    Cancelled? This is one of the best things going on TV. Yes, its a little out there this season with all the highbrow melodramatics, but the foundation set by the first two seasons alone should be enough to keep it going for two more seasons. I get that it can't go on forever, but to push something this good off a cliff makes no sense. Maybe the violent images were just too much for networkCancelled? This is one of the best things going on TV. Yes, its a little out there this season with all the highbrow melodramatics, but the foundation set by the first two seasons alone should be enough to keep it going for two more seasons. I get that it can't go on forever, but to push something this good off a cliff makes no sense. Maybe the violent images were just too much for network television. Shame, it was a true gem. Expand
  16. Jun 6, 2015
    10
    This show is superb. Everything is simply delightful. Cast, direction, ambientation, rhythm, etc.Transforms the grotesque in refinement ( I know, it sounds contradictory, but that´s exactly the point)
    At the beginning, I was just little bit confused on Mads' interpretation (maybe because of Hopkins). BUT through a couple of episodes, I realized what he was doing. Everytime he appears on
    This show is superb. Everything is simply delightful. Cast, direction, ambientation, rhythm, etc.Transforms the grotesque in refinement ( I know, it sounds contradictory, but that´s exactly the point)
    At the beginning, I was just little bit confused on Mads' interpretation (maybe because of Hopkins). BUT through a couple of episodes, I realized what he was doing. Everytime he appears on the screen one should expect something extraordinary (even just a micro-gesture).

    Hannibal is a lushness on the TV screen.
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  17. Jun 5, 2015
    9
    Nothing on television is like "Hannibal." A common criticism of television is that it's not a visual medium -- you don't have to keep your eyes on the screen the way you do with films. "Hannibal" is a notable exception to that rule. The visual aesthetic keeps you glued to the screen and moves you as much, or sometimes moreso, than the story. It's also blessed with great performances. INothing on television is like "Hannibal." A common criticism of television is that it's not a visual medium -- you don't have to keep your eyes on the screen the way you do with films. "Hannibal" is a notable exception to that rule. The visual aesthetic keeps you glued to the screen and moves you as much, or sometimes moreso, than the story. It's also blessed with great performances. I can't wait to see how this devilish game of cat-and-mouse continues in season three. Expand
  18. Jun 5, 2015
    10
    After the first two brilliant seasons I was not disappointed by the start of the third. As usual the cinematography was elegant, Gillian Anderson and Mads Mikkelsen gave first-rate performances, and the storyline promises to be an interesting one. Hannibal is the best show on television and I'm looking forward to the rest of Season 3.
  19. Jun 5, 2015
    10
    This latest season of Hannibal is by far the most daring and ambitious one yet, and we love it. By pushing its traditions to the extreme, we get more from one of the best TV series of the decade.
  20. Aug 31, 2015
    4
    They lose it in Season 3 but trying to wrap up the whole Hannibal plot before starting the Red Dragon. The Hannibal plot was very disappointing and didn't really fit the formula of the show. It started and finished terribly. As for the Red Dragon plot, It had a lot of potential but was poorly executed. Mainly because it was too loyal to the book/film and lacked originality. Also, Hated howThey lose it in Season 3 but trying to wrap up the whole Hannibal plot before starting the Red Dragon. The Hannibal plot was very disappointing and didn't really fit the formula of the show. It started and finished terribly. As for the Red Dragon plot, It had a lot of potential but was poorly executed. Mainly because it was too loyal to the book/film and lacked originality. Also, Hated how they turned Hannibal into a total chump this season after being a bad ass all of season 2. As for that ending, Very gay but it suites the show's gay sub-text. Expand
  21. Jun 5, 2015
    10
    This show is so different than every other show on TV. It still amazes me how this show pushes the limits even more.Most daring and addictive show I've ever seen.Why the ratings are so low? I mean this show deserves 10x more viewers than true detective has. I hope they will continue with another season, because Hannibal is the only show running today that is in the same league withThis show is so different than every other show on TV. It still amazes me how this show pushes the limits even more.Most daring and addictive show I've ever seen.Why the ratings are so low? I mean this show deserves 10x more viewers than true detective has. I hope they will continue with another season, because Hannibal is the only show running today that is in the same league with Breaking Bad and The Wire and It deserves a proper ending. Expand
  22. Dec 28, 2015
    0
    While season 1 and 2 of Hannibal deserve the high scores (I would rate them both at 9/10) the third season is undoubtedly one of the most disappointing seasons of any tv show.

    Season 3 does away with any coherency in story telling instead relying on slow-motion for everything. People talk in slow motion, lots of times camera goes in slow motion while focusing on snails, visual effects
    While season 1 and 2 of Hannibal deserve the high scores (I would rate them both at 9/10) the third season is undoubtedly one of the most disappointing seasons of any tv show.

    Season 3 does away with any coherency in story telling instead relying on slow-motion for everything. People talk in slow motion, lots of times camera goes in slow motion while focusing on snails, visual effects while great are utterly wasted on a very weak story.

    Let me be even more clear, season 1 and 2 showed 'class' while season 3 is full blown 'pretentious'. The level of pretentiousness is over 9000. Every dialogue is written to sound impressive but does not mean anything, characters do illogical things throughout season justified by dialogues that are so silly that after a while we started to laugh. Every scene is same with same X is holding a wine glass in hand while slowly saying something that may sound good but amounts to nothing. Characters from season 1 and 2 are brought back in season 3 but they all do completely uncharacteristic things that will make you wonder if you are watching the same show? All in all, I strongly advice that stick to season 2 ending as that was the way this show was supposed to end. Season 3 is created to be a money grab and it butchers story in an attempt to continue the story for another season.
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  23. Jun 6, 2015
    10
    O Hannibal! O Hannibal! I've been waiting for you you twisted cannibal!
    The only thing I can say is "what a beautiful feast!". Lovely season debut, always bloody entertaining.
  24. Aug 8, 2015
    6
    well, the last season finally ...started with the 7th episode. The first 6 episodes were horrible. If I want real great movies I can watch Tarkovsky, Bergman, Kurosawa etc and not what the "creators" did in the first part of the season.
  25. Aug 1, 2015
    7
    [For entire series] As sick and absolutely sadistic as "The Following", and way more gory. The difference? It's smart and ultra stylistically artistic. They will maybe talk about this show's balletic graphic artsy gore someday as a benchmark the way they did "The Wild Bunch" with its at the time stunningly original choreography of violence. The show is cerebral and esoteric. The[For entire series] As sick and absolutely sadistic as "The Following", and way more gory. The difference? It's smart and ultra stylistically artistic. They will maybe talk about this show's balletic graphic artsy gore someday as a benchmark the way they did "The Wild Bunch" with its at the time stunningly original choreography of violence. The show is cerebral and esoteric. The major problem with it is Mads Mikkelsen's accent which is unintelligible half the time! Hey, leave this kind of casting for indie films not prime-time American network shows!
    *Downgraded rating for crummy image quality in all its many dark scenes due to NBC's over compression, recycled seen before story going on in season 3, and overall graphically demented and depraved content beyond acceptability much less good TASTE!
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  26. Jan 15, 2016
    4
    Everything wrong with this season can be summed up by what Bryan Fuller says to any new director for the show: "You are making a pretentious art film".
    While Season 1 and 2 of Hannibal were incredible, Season 3 went full blown pretentious with about 5-10 minutes per episode being slow-mo closeups of wine being poured or blood slowly dripping. The other 40 minutes is mostly comprised of
    Everything wrong with this season can be summed up by what Bryan Fuller says to any new director for the show: "You are making a pretentious art film".
    While Season 1 and 2 of Hannibal were incredible, Season 3 went full blown pretentious with about 5-10 minutes per episode being slow-mo closeups of wine being poured or blood slowly dripping. The other 40 minutes is mostly comprised of two characters alternating whispers of short sentences that you would be more likely to find in a Shakespeare play than ever hear a real human say.
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  27. Jun 21, 2015
    2
    No idea what the critics were smoking when the watched the first 3 episodes of Season 3 of Hannibal. I loved the first 2 seasons, but this season is tedious crap! Looks like the 4th episodes might pick up some steam, but I'm completely uninterested in whatever the writers are producing here. It's as if they're playing out the string at the viewers' expense.
  28. Jun 27, 2015
    1
    The amount that happened in the first 4 episodes could have been accomplished in the first episode. Did the writers run out of material? Are we flashing back so often just to fill time? The imagery is great, but I can only take so many slow motion close ups of snails, slow motion close ups of peoples lips while eating, slow motion flash-backs, slow motion walking, slow motion thinking,The amount that happened in the first 4 episodes could have been accomplished in the first episode. Did the writers run out of material? Are we flashing back so often just to fill time? The imagery is great, but I can only take so many slow motion close ups of snails, slow motion close ups of peoples lips while eating, slow motion flash-backs, slow motion walking, slow motion thinking, slow motion staring at each other. I LOVED the first two seasons and would give those a 10. This season is killing me - slowly. Expand
  29. Jun 7, 2015
    10
    I had many reservations about the first two seasons of "Hannibal". I was beginning to find Hugh Dancey's character to be boring and repetitive. The writing and style of first episode of season 3 has, in my opinion, surpassed anything in the first two seasons. Mikkelsen and Anderson were superb. I can only hope that Will stays home. This episode makes me wish the show were on NetflixI had many reservations about the first two seasons of "Hannibal". I was beginning to find Hugh Dancey's character to be boring and repetitive. The writing and style of first episode of season 3 has, in my opinion, surpassed anything in the first two seasons. Mikkelsen and Anderson were superb. I can only hope that Will stays home. This episode makes me wish the show were on Netflix with the ability to binge-view the entire season at once. I never do this with Netflix (or Amazon) shows, but season 3's "Hannibal" would surely tempt me. Expand
  30. Jun 20, 2015
    10
    I absolutely hate when someone rates a show, based off of only a few episodes, a 0. Almost nothing deserves a 0, and arguably, almost nothing deserves a 10. They're two ends of an extreme. So while I'd rate this season about an 8 so far, I gave it a 10, to offset the petty reviewer who gave it a 0 because he didn't like the cinematography, that it strayed from the books, or some crap. MostI absolutely hate when someone rates a show, based off of only a few episodes, a 0. Almost nothing deserves a 0, and arguably, almost nothing deserves a 10. They're two ends of an extreme. So while I'd rate this season about an 8 so far, I gave it a 10, to offset the petty reviewer who gave it a 0 because he didn't like the cinematography, that it strayed from the books, or some crap. Most things do stray from the source material. LotR trilogy, Hobbit trilogy, Game of Thrones, none of those are much like the source material. GoT strays further from the books each season. The JRR Tolkien books strayed in massive ways that improved upon the visual experience and storytelling.
    If you're going to give a show a 0, watch more than 2-3 episodes first. And really, don't give a 0 at all, unless it's absolute trash like the Jersey Shore. Hannibal is not the Jersey Shore.
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  31. Jun 24, 2015
    2
    Hannibal fails when we want it to succeed. The problem is simple, Hannibal as we knew him was snarling at mediocrity, in this iteration everyone speaks perfectly , there is no color or contrast just lots of clever smart people saying and doing smart and elegant things. Hannibal doesn't seem magnificent anymore , he seems neutered. Where are the rubes?
  32. Jun 5, 2015
    10
    Brilliant Season Premiere. Hannibal is the best drama on television and I can't wait for the rest of the season. It's going to be phenomenal and so amazing.
  33. Jun 21, 2015
    3
    I never would have thought I'd be writing this, but the first few episodes of Hannibal's 3rd season have me bored to tears! It's molasses slow, and there's nothing really happening! I'd never recommend this season to anyone.
  34. Oct 2, 2015
    5
    Definitely a series of two halves. The first half is frankly dull. Poor pacing and little action compared to the previous two seasons, with the exception of the parts with Mason Verger, which are gripping (compared to the rest). Despite this, the set up was interesting and the constant psycho-analitical dialogue is almost shakespearian. You can see why it passed people by and was canned,Definitely a series of two halves. The first half is frankly dull. Poor pacing and little action compared to the previous two seasons, with the exception of the parts with Mason Verger, which are gripping (compared to the rest). Despite this, the set up was interesting and the constant psycho-analitical dialogue is almost shakespearian. You can see why it passed people by and was canned, based on the first 5 episodes. As it progresses, the setting changes and things get mildly interesting with the tooth fairy, but overall the series lacked the cohesion of the first two. It feels disjointed, a bunch of scenes cobbled together, rather than a tight narrative. I wanted to love it like the other two, but it falls flat. The performances are mostly good, the scenes with Hannibal are, as you'd expect superb. But when the other characters lack any sense of chemistry. It feels like a bit of a missed opportunity and a bit of a sad end to what was a brilliant TV show. Maybe a VOD service will pick it up and give it a new lease of life. Expand
  35. Nov 4, 2015
    9
    Amazing Season! The first 3 episodes are a bit slow but the rest is absolutely thrilling. Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy are amazing in their respective characters, the pictures are beautiful and I loved the ending. Of course, one should not take this show as a realistic one, but should rather see it as a piece of art.
  36. Jun 13, 2015
    3
    Amazing visuals, but incredibly boring story. I hope Will Graham comes back into it soon. The problem is that it was all the other nutbags like Will and the various killers in previous seasons that made it interesting and constantly innovative. Now it's just the same thing over and over. Hannibal being terse and ummmm... sharpening his knife. Hopefully it will leap into life soon.
  37. May 30, 2016
    10
    Possibly the best tv show i have ever had the pleasure of watching. Season 1 being the weakest, still blew me away. Season 2 was a whirlwind of twists and games and it is phenomenal. Season 3 is outright the best end, this too short, extraordinary show, and almost any other show ive seen. Cancelled, for no good reason other than numbers. If i had the money id fund this show for 1 more season.
  38. Oct 25, 2015
    9
    Much better than the previous season that I did not like much. Probably even better than the first season. The cinematography is beautiful, the story is not slow paced like in the second season, the actors are all amazing. A great last season, worthy of this great TV show.
  39. Jun 5, 2015
    6
    Yawn the premier episode was utterly boring. The cinematic's, music, backgrounds amazing but the plot is tediously falling asleep.

    Giving a clear idea of how this show will proceed, pathetically to the prior seasons which will be unsurpassed in their effect. Kills to gain place, kills to keep place, missing people yadda yadda the doctor surprisingly becoming much less than a victim.
    Yawn the premier episode was utterly boring. The cinematic's, music, backgrounds amazing but the plot is tediously falling asleep.

    Giving a clear idea of how this show will proceed, pathetically to the prior seasons which will be unsurpassed in their effect.

    Kills to gain place, kills to keep place, missing people yadda yadda the doctor surprisingly becoming much less than a victim. Somewhere else there will be a patzy
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  40. May 15, 2018
    10
    Watching this show again proves that unlike others it stands the test of time and can rightfully claim to be Art. It managed to escape the cartoonesque premise of the show that is sadly followed by too many TV writers, e.g. the near supernatural power of its main protagonist. It eclipsed its original blueprint, the Silence of the Lambs, that was too timid in its questioning of the role ofWatching this show again proves that unlike others it stands the test of time and can rightfully claim to be Art. It managed to escape the cartoonesque premise of the show that is sadly followed by too many TV writers, e.g. the near supernatural power of its main protagonist. It eclipsed its original blueprint, the Silence of the Lambs, that was too timid in its questioning of the role of violence and the definition of madness in our current decadent societies.
    It is art because it is uniquely beautiful at overturning the clichés and elevating us above the base petty bourgeois thinking of the current American society . It flies above the demoralized masses engulfed in the moralistic wars waged on twitter and other social media. It laughs at Hilary and Trump, Metoo and FoxNews, LGBTQ and Christians, Pxxyhats and MAGA, Blacklivesmatter and the Police.
    An expanse of rarefied fresh air...
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  41. Sep 4, 2015
    10
    Season 3 was a masterpiece, and I sincerely hope there will be a season 4 created on a streaming service. I hear talk of a film-version of a season 4, which could be great too, but the series format has been so perfect for Fuller's vision that I would be sad to see it left here.
  42. Oct 21, 2018
    8
    Unfortunately because of the narrative's structure this season didn't feel as solid as the previous ones, even in spite of the good quality of the episodes.

    It retakes a stronger rhythm when the structure of theprevious seasons returns and the story of the Red Dragon appears. The ending felt a little hurried but it's satisfactory although it ends incredibly ambiguous and it's a pity
    Unfortunately because of the narrative's structure this season didn't feel as solid as the previous ones, even in spite of the good quality of the episodes.

    It retakes a stronger rhythm when the structure of theprevious seasons returns and the story of the Red Dragon appears.

    The ending felt a little hurried but it's satisfactory although it ends incredibly ambiguous and it's a pity considering that after this season the show was canceled.
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Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 15
  2. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Reviewed by: Deborah Day
    Jun 4, 2015
    80
    Despite the audience-building challenges Fuller sometimes throws in the path of his monster--“Il Monstro,” the Italians call him--it’s hard to hate him; Hannibal Lecter is one of the most interesting characters you hope to never meet.
  2. Reviewed by: Emily VanDerWerff
    Jun 4, 2015
    100
    Where other TV shows avoid the weight of all that death, Hannibal turns the horror into opera--bold and beautiful and over-the-top and opulent.
  3. Reviewed by: Kyle Turner
    Jun 4, 2015
    95
    The series has also been acquainted with theologically bent ideas, but the trajectory points to the series' characters becoming manifestations of Biblical themes, concepts, and binaries. That they're able to get away with such hard to sell content and pull it off with such aplomb is proof yet that Hannibal, so often a cut above the rest, gets away with delicious murder.