'Hannibal' finale: Mixed reviews on 'The Wrath of the Lamb'
"Hannibal" finally ended its third season on Saturday with an episode titled "The Wrath of the Lamb," which gained ambivalent reviews from its viewers.
The finale episode of Hannibal season 3 turned out to be a somewhat beautifully portrayed romance between Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) and Will Graham (Hugh Dancy). Although there are some who say that the episode gave justice to Thomas' Harris' "Red Dragon," there are also those who lamented the remarkably low viewing ratings of the NBC series, according to Variety.
The Wrath of the Lamb showed a three-way battle among Will, Hannibal, and Francis Dolarhyde (Richard Armitage). At the end of the episode, a bloodied Will embraces Hannibal and pulls him toward a very likely death for both of them. The beauty of it reportedly starts with Red Dragon conniving with Reba to fake his death. In a hospital scene, Will tells Reba that there is no problem with her falling for a "damaged and violent" man. He then goes to Hannibal to tell him that he is returning to his family, The Guardian reports.
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Later, Will goes back to his motel room only to be attacked by Francis. He then bargains for his life by offering to help Francis kill Hannibal, thinking this is the only viable solution to all his problems.
Back at Hannibal's home by the Cliffside, he and Will wait for Red Dragon to attack. He then shoots Hannibal, triggering a beautifully bloody fight. The two men, who see Red Dragon as their enemy, finally subdue Francis. Then, Will embraces Hannibal by the cliff, the report details.
"This is all I ever wanted for you, Will. For both of us," says Hannibal, to which Will answered, "It's beautiful."
Will pulls both of them over the edge, giving importance to Hannibal's desire to never commit suicide. The sort of "suicide by proxy" gives Will the ability to defeat Hannibal. In some twisted way, the last scene was all about the realization of their love for each other, but not in a gay kind of way. Rather, they finally found their equals in each other --- the connection between a cop and a killer --- which could only be expressed in a bloody death, the report states.
Hannibal used to be a "fascinating" series, and every detail of the show was meticulously crafted, but its conclusion was not very satisfying, said Variety. Still, The Guardian supports a fourth installation for Hannibal, which it described as "wonderfully open-ended."
