10 Things Hannibal Does Better Than The Movies

2. A Protagonist With Greater Depth

Forget Clarice Starling, Will Graham is the greatest hero in the Hannibal saga. He was the man who worked with Hannibal and caught him, even if it nearly destroyed him as a result. In the movie Hannibal we saw Clarice pushed to her very limits as she found herself on the blurred line between catching and supporting Hannibal. But she has nothing on the Will presented in the show. He went truly into darkness to the point where you believed - but hoped it wasn't true - that Will had joined Hannibal. He killed, he ate human flesh, he let Hannibal control his actions all in an effort to lure him into a trap. What is so interesting about Will is not just the ambiguity around his actions but his method of deducing the actions of a killer by living the experience in his mind. It was one of the most intriguing aspects of the show and the driving force behind Jack Crawford's desire to keep Will on his cases despite the mental pressures it puts on him. Between Jack and Hannibal, Will Graham desire to do good may actually destroy him and that is a fascinating journey to watch. Will Graham is one of the most thought provoking, flawed heroes currently on television. As good as Jodie Foster's (and Julianne Moore's) interpretations of Clarice were, they have nothing on Hugh Dancy's Will.