Hannibal: 10 Greatest 'Holy Sh*t!' Moments So Far

The best television dramas are unforgiving toward their audience. Why else would we be so inclined toward Breaking Bad instead of CSI? No show has ever been memorable by keeping its audience comfortable €“ even allegedly "feel-good shows", like Doctor Who, have to throw in dark and unforgiving drama in order to maintain a compelling narrative. Hannibal is no exception to this rule €“ in fact, it's a textbook example! This modern serial killer laden drama is dark and full of terrors - 'Holy Sh*t!' moments that range from subtly chilling to outright nightmare-inducing are peppered throughout its season and one episode run (as of this writing). To celebrate Hannibal's triumphant return last week, I have compiled 10 Great 'Holy Sh*t!' moments from the first season of Hannibal. Enjoy! If you can think of a moment that knocked you off your couch from either drama or pure shock value, let me know in the comments €“ I do know there are many more than 10 in this spectacular horror show.

10. The Opening Scene

Episode: Aperitif Hannibal had a lot to prove with its first cold open: a crime show set in the nigh-iconic world of Thomas Harris' novels, it had to prove that despite airing on NBC, it was a force to be reckoned with. This opening scene succeeds on so many symbolic levels, it is sometimes easy to overlook the pure visceral shock of this introduction. The first scene with Will Graham features him committing cold blooded murder to re-enact a crime scene. Sure, it is all "in his head", but this is the first shocking hint that Hannibal is not your average crime procedural: lurid, dreamlike and almost voyeuristic, it set the dark tone that was only to get darker - and more compelling.