With just three episodes left in the current season, NBC has revealed that they have greenlit Hannibal season 3.
Apparently, the ratings have been strong enough this year for NBC to put a little more faith in the series, which has kicked up the conflict between FBI profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy, who is just killing it this year) and cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen).
The series has received a tonal shift – or maybe evolution – between seasons with Will becoming aware of Hannibal’s manipulations, leading to back and forth attempts to harm one another. Whereas the first season was chilly, almost clinical at times, season two has ramped up the emotional violence and sex as the two men find new and interesting ways to control or destroy one another.
Season two has also teased future Hannibal nemesis and billionaire psychopath Mason Verger (Michael Pitt, Boardwalk Empire) while giving us face time with his younger sister Margo (Katherine Isabelle, Ginger Snaps), and for fans of Thomas Harris’ Silence of the Lambs follow-up, Hannibal, you know things are about to get messy for Mason.
If this is the season Hannibal ends up behind bars (and based on the flash-forward in the first episode of this season), next year would put us in Red Dragon territory, with Will forced to rely on Hannibal in order to catch the Tooth Fairy killer. Fuller has been clear in how each season would map to the books and has revealed that he’s been dropping hints about the Tooth Fairy since the very first episode.
The announcement came today as the network revealed the shows the usual suspects that are coming back for the 2015 season like Grimm and Parks & Recreation, while passing on more seasons of either Community or Revolution.
[Source: Deadline]