This is a spoiler free review due to respect those who haven't see the finale yet (but I've marked it as a spoiler warn because even some details can lead you to find out crucial revelations, plus everything you could have read about it being warned or not). Oh my god, what a stunning finale! Despite being officially canceled by NBC it looks like Bryan Fuller was self aware of the risks and paid this time a truly closing episode, even not taking it necessary on a bow.
After a promising season 1, season 2 really pulled it off by its groundbreaking twists and a deep treatment of Hannibal & Will's state of their minds. If Season 3 had a somewhat slow burning first four episodes they never fell to a bad level. They were extraordinary analyzing what happened to all those characters we fell in love in the first seasons after the bloodbath of the season 2 finale. Across this final season the pace urged to a fast rhythm without being complacent until this last stretch. These last 6 episodes were powerful. And this last episode specially is a powerhouse of a finale.
This episode presents our characters completely changed because of their experiences with Hannibal and the rest of their demons and now they have to face their destiny. A destiny that rules mostly over Hannibal and Will against the Great Red Dragon. The episode is full of twists that you will never see it coming. Also the last minutes pay respect to that remembers and places where nearly everything started on season 1. The final fight against The Great Red Dragon is stunning, not because the brutal choreography (it's not so brutal and ruthless as the two rounds of Hannibal VS Crawford) but due to the raw emotions of the moments (to watch that people being damage not just for the punches nor stabs, but because they are watching the other who "loves" being beaten)so it makes up for being the most epic scene of the whole series.
And then... The ending. Two things I will spoil without being complete spoilers at all: 1: A lot of complaint has been set about about not being able to show the Clarice Starling story under Fuller's touch. It would have been so damn fantastic, true. But this is Will's story since the beginning. That leads to number 2: The last scene before the credits roll shows a dramatic conclusion that goes beyond the words in its goal to be a perfect ending. With that moment (so beautiful, so true to the character, so fitting for him and Hannibal) everything else goes out of the window.
So, don't worry so much for this show to end right now. Because it will be missed so much thanks to leave it on its truly high. Most shows would like to end at the glorious moment this one manages to end. Congrats to Bryan Fuller and the whole team from the lead roles (Mikkelsen, the best Hannibal ever / Dancy, the best Graham / a resurrected Fishburne, the best Crawford) to the supporting ones. They have brought Hannibal to a new whole level even greater than the movies (yes, this show is even better than The Silence of the Lambs on every aspect for me) and they have delivered three perfect seasons (even better in retrospective) and one of the most memorable finales of all time. No kidding. See it with your own eyes and feel it with your own ears... And stay tuned when the credits appear: there's a special "meal" at the very end.
Quoting the base material from Thomas Harris, his very last quote to conclude his vision of the character: "We can only learn so much and live".
Perfect series, perfect journey, perfect season (yeah, even the first slower episodes) and perfect finale (forget the fact that it was because of the cancellation: this is a proper ending with all the words). 10/10.
After a promising season 1, season 2 really pulled it off by its groundbreaking twists and a deep treatment of Hannibal & Will's state of their minds. If Season 3 had a somewhat slow burning first four episodes they never fell to a bad level. They were extraordinary analyzing what happened to all those characters we fell in love in the first seasons after the bloodbath of the season 2 finale. Across this final season the pace urged to a fast rhythm without being complacent until this last stretch. These last 6 episodes were powerful. And this last episode specially is a powerhouse of a finale.
This episode presents our characters completely changed because of their experiences with Hannibal and the rest of their demons and now they have to face their destiny. A destiny that rules mostly over Hannibal and Will against the Great Red Dragon. The episode is full of twists that you will never see it coming. Also the last minutes pay respect to that remembers and places where nearly everything started on season 1. The final fight against The Great Red Dragon is stunning, not because the brutal choreography (it's not so brutal and ruthless as the two rounds of Hannibal VS Crawford) but due to the raw emotions of the moments (to watch that people being damage not just for the punches nor stabs, but because they are watching the other who "loves" being beaten)so it makes up for being the most epic scene of the whole series.
And then... The ending. Two things I will spoil without being complete spoilers at all: 1: A lot of complaint has been set about about not being able to show the Clarice Starling story under Fuller's touch. It would have been so damn fantastic, true. But this is Will's story since the beginning. That leads to number 2: The last scene before the credits roll shows a dramatic conclusion that goes beyond the words in its goal to be a perfect ending. With that moment (so beautiful, so true to the character, so fitting for him and Hannibal) everything else goes out of the window.
So, don't worry so much for this show to end right now. Because it will be missed so much thanks to leave it on its truly high. Most shows would like to end at the glorious moment this one manages to end. Congrats to Bryan Fuller and the whole team from the lead roles (Mikkelsen, the best Hannibal ever / Dancy, the best Graham / a resurrected Fishburne, the best Crawford) to the supporting ones. They have brought Hannibal to a new whole level even greater than the movies (yes, this show is even better than The Silence of the Lambs on every aspect for me) and they have delivered three perfect seasons (even better in retrospective) and one of the most memorable finales of all time. No kidding. See it with your own eyes and feel it with your own ears... And stay tuned when the credits appear: there's a special "meal" at the very end.
Quoting the base material from Thomas Harris, his very last quote to conclude his vision of the character: "We can only learn so much and live".
Perfect series, perfect journey, perfect season (yeah, even the first slower episodes) and perfect finale (forget the fact that it was because of the cancellation: this is a proper ending with all the words). 10/10.