Hannibal: 7 Burning Questions Left By The Season 2 Finale

7. Will They Ever Catch Hannibal?

For many of this series' fans who also have read Thomas Harris' novels, the driving question going into season 2 was "How will the FBI apprehend Doctor Lecter?" The cold open at the outset of season 2, which showcased Jack Crawford and Hannibal brawling in the kitchen, seemed to hint toward Hannibal becoming a caged animal toward the end of the season, trapped with nowhere to run. Bryan Fuller & Steve Lightfoot's script, however, deprives Crawford of the comfort of FBI backup - completely contradicting the viewers' assumptions about the fight's context. By the time Hannibal walks out of his house, not only is he the victor, he has essentially gotten away clean. This poses some problems for Fuller and Company, should they continue their somewhat strict adherence to Thomas Harris' canon of psychological thrillers. Hannibal cannot remain at large forever. At a certain point in any TV series, it becomes clear that they are just spinning their wheels in order to churn out more seasons without regard for narrative progress (see Dexter seasons 5 - 8 for a textbook example). And while Hannibal has not yet reached that level yet, if they put off his capture for too much longer, the show will start to run the risk of becoming repetitive.