Thomas Harrison’s franchise has had many life-action adaptations from novel to screen over the years, one of its most ambitious was NBC’s Hannibal. Until then, most adaptations had focused on Hannibal the character, and/or Clarice Starling due to the cult classic Silence of the Lambs. NBC didn’t have rights to Silence of the Lambs and, therefore, no access to Clarice as a character. Showrunner Brian Fulmer adapted by giving many roles that Clarice fulfilled to Will Graham.
The main focus of NBC’s Hannibal is our two main characters’ relationship. Will Graham, an FBI agent who can empathize with killers to catch them, and Hannibal, a serial killer and cannibal with a manipulative streak. Throughout the show, other characters constantly refer to their increasing closeness and the effect Hannibal has on Will. This influence is framed as Hannibal teaching Will about a new side of himself and guiding him towards it, this new side being violent. This could be seen through a queer lens: Hannibal and violence are so intrinsically tied that as Will becomes more attracted to his darker, more violent side, he is also more attracted to Hannibal as a person and as a killer. Many events happen that further exemplify this, but I wanted to focus on the final episode, the culmination of the show and of Will’s “becoming”, “The Wrath of the Lamb.”
In this scene, near the start of the episode, Hannibal alludes to Will taking part in the murder of another character. His tone is prideful, but not towards Will, but towards himself. He sees Will’s violent and manipulative actions as a result of him- as evidence of how he has marked Will. Will refuses to comment as if he is aware of this. Hannibal then turns the conversation towards Will’s newfound family. Will married and even gained a stepson after Hannibal’s arrest and their separation mid-season. Throughout the series Will was characterized by his “otherness”, not just when it came to his relationship with Hannibal but also his general demeanor. He has described himself on a spectrum “closer to Asperger’s and autistics and narcissists and sociopaths.” The show doesn’t delve too much into this, but it serves the point that Will isn’t “normal” and he is vividly aware of it. This new life he has, away from Hannibal and away from his FBI work, is the best life a heteronormative audience would expect: a life with a wife and kid- away from the man who is implied to have feelings for him. It is almost framed as Will’s marriage fixing him and the effect Hannibal had on him.
Hannibal then says, “When life becomes maddingly polite, think of me, Will.” Here Hannibal refers to himself as another option for Will’s life. Rather than a supposedly peaceful life, he could come back to Hannibal and all the violence and acceptance that comes with him. Rather than being with his wife, he could be with him. Will responds by placing his hand on the glass that separates them, an act that shows that he reciprocates Hannibal’s intent to a certain extent, that he too yearns to be close again. Kind of.
This scene sets up the big decision Will has to make in this episode, and the whole series, to be with Hannibal or not. Removing all the murder, this can be seen as a portrayal of compulsive heterosexuality in the way Will tries to reach normativity by marrying a woman and fitting society’s expectations of what a man should be. While the show frames Will as trying to run away from the violent impulses Hannibal brings forth it can also be said that he is trying to flee the feelings he feels for Hannibal in the way he touches the glass- wanting to get close while still keeping distance.
At the very end, we have Will helping Hannibal escape from prison and them fleeing to a house where they are ambushed by a killer called the Red Dragon. After killing the Red Dragon, Will and Hannibal embrace while covered in blood. This scene is the most vulnerable we have seen either of these characters and it is violent. The way they hold each other and even the way they look at each other through the fight- it is all raw emotion. It is reminiscent of the season 2 finale, only that instead of Hannibal grabbing Will, Will is grabbing Hannibal and even resting his cheek on his chest. Both still involve them holding each other while making their feelings known, but these are differing feelings. The season two finale was all about Hannibal’s betrayal over Will double-crossing him in trying to turn him over to the FBI. The show’s finale is all about Will coming to terms with himself. With the bloodlust he feels, with Hannibal’s love, and his reciprocation.
It wouldn’t be right to say that one’s pension for violence is the same as one’s sexuality in any sort of way, but when it comes to defying society, thematically there may be some give, especially when it comes to Will. To Will, Hannibal is violence itself and he is attracted to both. This may seem problematic to some but sometimes that’s what you need. Sometimes you need to see someone struggle with themselves as much as you do. It is not a new argument to say that queer audiences are attracted to horror. In an article by Medium, Gil Hatcher writes about NBC’s Hannibal, “…It’s the unconditional understanding that you are not a monster despite what the world may say that can bond so many queer people and it’s why many of us see Hannibal and Will’s relationship as a queer love story.” When in the eyes of society you are seen as a monster, you feel an attachment to other “monsters” in media. Brian Fuller, Hannibal’s showrunner, is a gay man and has been open about the queer themes within Hannibal. Obviously, he doesn’t speak for all queer people. People can see Hannibal and Will’s relationship and be offended at the tie between violence and homoeroticism within it, and they’d be right. It isn’t “good” representation, but it is many people’s reality. Many like Will feel “othered” so they need an out, for Will that’s Hannibal, for others it’s seeing that conflict between them on screen. Both are right, neither are wrong, that’s the beauty of media and representation, all sides can and are seen.
(watch Hannibal it’s a real good show it’s like an 18-hour art film)