Worship These AMERICAN GODS

Article first published as TV Review: AMERICAN GODS on Seat42F.

Anticipation is high for Starz’s newest drama, AMERICAN GODS, premiering tonight. Based on the popular book by British geek-god Neil Gaiman, and developed by the great Bryan Fuller (along with Logan’s Michael Green), it tells the story of a mortal man caught in the middle of a war between gods, old and new, as things come to a head between the factions. It’s unknown if our hero is working for the right team or not, but the danger is real, and the urgency is immediate.

AMERICAN GODS has a lot going for it, both behind and in front of the camera. While it is not as highly stylized as other Fuller projects (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies), he is able to make the fantasy sequences amazing, vivid, and imaginative. Lead Ricky Whittle (The 100) and lesser known performers like Bruce Langley (Deadly Waters) and Yetide Badaki (Sequestered) quickly establish themselves as people to watch, terrific in their roles. The bench is deep with familiar faces, too, including the likes of Cloris Leachman (Young Frankenstein, Raising Hope), Peter Stormare (Fargo), Emily Browning (Sucker Punch), Crispin Glover (Back to the Future), Pablo Schreiber (Orange Is the New Black), Gillian Anderson (The X-Files), Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked), Orlando Jones (Sleep Hollow), Betty Gilpin (Nurse Jackie), Jeremy Davies (Lost), Jonathan Tucker (Kingdom), Joel Murray (Mad Men), Beth Grant (The Mindy Project), and, of course, Ian McShane (Deadwood).

If a long list of talented names doesn’t impress you, though it should in this case, I’d like to stress how well cast each of them are. Stormare brings a certain likability to his chillingly creepy Czernobog. Anderson IS Lucy Ricardo, talking out of the screen of the television. Schreiber will seriously make you think twice about teasing a leprechaun. Browning is haunting as the deceased wife who doesn’t seem deserving of our protagonist’s love, and yet has it deeply. McShane watches over it all with a bemused charm that doesn’t allow audiences to question for a moment why Shadow Moon (Whittle) does what Mr. Wednesday (McShane) tells him to.

It’s been a few years since I read the book, but the two hours of AMERICAN GODS I’ve seen feel very faithful to it. This show finds a way to be episodic while maintaining the important through-line of the novel. The format of a road trip is helpful, as there are built in stops and sequences along the way. But there are also the threats of Technical Boy (Langley) and the erotic side trips with Bilquis (Badaki) that prove there’s something more to look forward to than just the next god to encounter.

AMERICAN GODS is sure to work both because of its quality, and because it shares similarities with another network hit, Outlander. Outlander is also based on a novel, and strings along a narrative that stays tight on a couple of characters, with most of the cast only appearing in a small number of episodes. That can be frustrating for those who want more Mr. Nancy (Jones) immediately, and you will. But at the same time, it keeps the plot purer in that Shadow and Mr. Wednesday are the people that count most, and the rest of the cast is truly there to support them.

I knew I would be blown away going into AMERICAN GODS, and it did not disappoint my high expectations. It’s gripping, has terrific pacing, feels very authentic, even in the elements that completely lack realism, and has a strong point of view. Fantasy won’t be for everyone, and this is definitely fantasy, but it also contains social commentary that’s worth paying attention to, along with some stellar performances. I’ll be shocked if this doesn’t help Starz get on the Emmy stage.

AMERICAN GODS premieres tonight at 9/8c on Starz.

HANNIBAL "Savoureux" Fine Dining

Article first published as HANNIBAL "Savoureux" Fine Dining on TheTVKing.

It's immediately apparent from the start that NBC's Hannibal isn't the typical network series. With artistic, sweeping visuals, courtesy of creator Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, Wonderfalls), it is also very edgy with layered, compelling characters and neat twists. While the gruesome subject matter takes a little while to grow on some, the storytelling is top notch from episode one, and it's clear there is an amazing epic tale to be told, should the series get the seven seasons Fuller has in mind.

Season one ends this week with "Savoureux." All the evidence says that Will (Hugh Dancy) has killed Abigail Hobbs (Kacey Rohl, The Killing), and even he believes it himself, though he can't remember it, assuming it is a natural extension of his psychosis. However, when additional clues point to Will having killed four others, two of which died before he started experiencing black outs, Will begins to suspect he's being set up.

A hallmark of a hero is one who continues to fight when all of the odds are against him, even when those closest to him have turned their backs on him. Will's friends all have different ideas about what exactly he has done and why or how he did it, but no one believes his paranoia, save himself and the man who framed him. With Will ending the year sitting in a jail cell, there is still much of his journey ahead of him.

We all know that Will will beat this rap and clear his name, but we don't know when or how this might happen. Stacking the odds so completely against him at this point is wonderful, and it leaves the show at a very good place for the second run. With Fuller not planning on reaching the events of the book Red Dragon until season four, Will still has two more years before he can expose who Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen) really is.

I do worry that Hannibal won't get to play out the whole course. While critically respected, it's not hugely watched, much like Fuller's previous efforts, which didn't survive long. Hopefully, with word of mouth and binge viewing of repeats, it will gain a larger following by next year. Feeling very much like a dark, award-worthy, boundary-pushing cable show, even without the nudity and vulgarity, which for some reason aren't much missed, it deserves the chance.

The problem with already knowing the events of seasons four through six (which are set to adapt the three books these characters come from) is that most of the major players are not in any real peril. Will can't die in season two, nor can Jack; the central cast is safe. Yet, that doesn't take away at all from the enjoyment of the show because the characters are so well crafted, and we don't know how they are going to get to those points. If the show is smart, it will make some departures from the source material and rewrite the rules. But for now, it's completely great without having to make many changes, aside from switching genders on a couple of players.

As much as it might seem so right now, Will is not the center of Hannibal. That belongs to the titular character. However, it will take multiple seasons to get Hannibal into a position where he can carry the show himself. Currently, his inaccessibility to viewers, the way he hides most of himself from others, and because we don't see much of what he does, prevents him from being front and center. Yet, there are already signs that the show is well-structured enough to move that way eventually, which should be gratifying if it comes to pass.

In "Savoureux," we get to see the emotional side of Hannibal for pretty much the first time. He actually openly weeps in front of his psychiatrist, Dr. Bedelia De Maurier (Gillian Anderson, The X-Files). It could be a front, as we know Hannibal hides things from Bedelia and puts on a face for her, but it doesn't seem so. Hannibal cares about both Will and Abigail, so it's understandable he would grieve for losing the dynamic with the two of them that he has, especially if he plays a hand in destroying those relationships, which "Savoureux" strongly hints at, leaving just enough doubt to know for sure.

Is Hannibal more upset about Will or Abigail? He professes the latter, and that makes sense, since he sees her as someone to nurture and protect. Yet, he also admits in an earlier episode that Will is the first person in awhile he sees as a friend. This seems to indicate that his feelings extend to both, not just one or the other.

Of course, Abigail may not even be dead. Until the body is seen, a little blood and a severed ear don't prove anything conclusively. In fact, the absence of her cadaver seems to indicate the opposite.

I am extremely interested in Bedelia, whom we don't know much about. Dialogue in this finale seem to indicate that she knows that Hannibal is both a killer and a cannibal (the veal he serves her is likely young Abigail, if she's dead) and worries about his activities staying a secret, not wanting him to get caught. Yet, she refuses to have a personal relationship or dine at his house. Also, there's the still-untold story of a patient Hannibal refers to her attacking Bedelia. What exactly is the interplay between them? What is in their past? What are her secrets?

While Hannibal cries, showing humanity, Jack (Laurence Fishburne) turns cold, eschewing it. The signs are there previously in the way that Jack pushes Will to keep working, despite the negative affects that work is having on him, and acts very coldly towards Abigail when he believes her to be a killer. We know Hannibal is the villain and Jack is a hero, but Hannibal is painting the opposite pictures of both. It will be delicious to see how that reverses down the road.

I feel most sorry for Alana Bloom (Caroline Dhavernas). She blames herself for not fighting Jack harder on protecting Will and keeping him safe. She worries more about healing Will than what he has done. While she may be right, there likely isn't much more she could have done for Will, anyway, so hopefully those are emotions she can come to terms with and move past.

Also, if I may plead for one change from the books, please make Alana Will's eventual wife! Their chemistry is fantastic, and I want so badly to see them together. We know Will is married in Red Dragon, so how about get them together in the next year or two? If nothing else, it saves the budget of hiring another main character.

The ending of this episode is perfect, with Hannibal striding through the halls to majestic music and seeing Will in his cell, evoking images from other adaptations of the story, where Hannibal is usually the one behind bars. What a great way to tie this to its fore bearers, and yet, also serve the characters as they have been created here!

"Savoureux" is a masterful pause point, with praise-worthy performances from Dhavernas, Anderson, Fishburne, Mikkelsen, and, as always, Dancy. Some things are concluded, and other plot threads are just getting started. The batch of guest stars in season one is stellar, and it's hard to imagine next year's group will be as good, but one can hope, as excellent talent is definitely drawn to this project. I can't wait to see where Fuller takes us next!

Hannibal will return to NBC sometime in 2014.

Hannibal Bites Into NBC

Article first posted as HANNIBAL Series Premiere Review on Seat42F.

Grade: 85%

NBC jumps on the serial killer bandwagon with its new drama series, HANNIBAL. The first episode, premiering tonight at 10 p.m., is called “Apetrif,” which, for those not familiar with the term, is an alcoholic drink served before a meal, sort of the liquid version of an appetizer. It’s appropriate in a series about cannibalism that we’ll get to see a little bit of the characters and story before the gory stuff starts. And there is gory stuff, even though this is a basic broadcast network, in the first hour.

HANNIBAL, surprisingly, is not about the infamous killer from Silence of the Lambs. He’s there, and we’ll get to him in a minute, but the main character is Special Agent Will Graham (Hugh Dancy, The Big C), a brilliant but unstable investigator and professor. Will is tasked by the FBI with figuring out who commits murders, and he’s brilliant at it, being able to envision himself at the scene at the time of the crime.

Bryan Fuller, creator of Pushing Daisies and Wonderfalls, has a lot of fun with Will’s character. Fuller doesn’t take things into the cartoonish or fantasy world settings here, like he done in his previous shows. Instead, he focuses on the artistry, with Will’s visions beautifully illustrated in creative and intriguing ways. Bodies will float and blood will spatter, but this definitely has a darker tone, more grounded in reality, than his other work.

Will gets to have such vibrant musings because he’s mentally unstable, sort of like the main character in TNT’s Perception. The reason the FBI can’t use him full-time is because he can’t handle the full-time work. His boss, Agent Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne, CSI, The Matrix), knows this, but decides to risk Will’s sanity in order to make use of his brilliance.

Does this make Jack a monster? In a series about bad people, one has to wonder if the good guys also deserve some of the blame. After all, if Jack never puts Will in the field, Will won’t suffer as he does. Jack is playing a dangerous game.

Jack first approaches Dr. Alana Bloom (Caroline Dhavernas, Off the Map, Wonderfalls) to be Will’s partner and handler, but after she refuses, likely of the same opinion I just expressed in the previous paragraph, he approaches Alana’s mentor, the genius profiler Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen, Unit 1, Casino Royale). Lecter is an odd duck, but seems to have it much more together than Will, and so is an appropriate balance. Seems being the operative word.

We all know who Hannibal really is, and while no one in authority yet suspects the good doctor of any wrong doing, Hannibal tempts fate right out of the gate by secretly impeding the investigation, giving their query warning that they are coming. It may be professional courtesy between serial killers, but it certainly doesn’t make Hannibal good at his new job.

Dancy is amazing. He plays the part with such nuance and detail! Granted, this is a role any actor would kill (pun intended) to play, with such a rich, vibrant patchwork of elements. It’s the type of part the Emmys were created for, and Dancy masterfully unfurls the layers of the damaged psyche. He will surely be on the short list come award season.

Mikkelsen, on the other hand, plays his cards very close to his vest, so we’re slow to get the full picture of who he is. If one can put what one already knows about the character from other sources out of their mind, it’s easy to agree with Will when he says Hannibal is not interesting. But Hannibal immediately promises that he will be, and by the end of the first episode, we get the early hints that he is right. Plus, one does have to wonder what kind of sausage Hannibal serves Will for breakfast…

Obviously, HANNIBAL will have elements of a standard crime drama, but the focus is much more character-driven than other shows. Like Dexter or Bates Motel, HANNIBAL promises to get inside the mind of what makes a psychopath, and explore paths both taken and avoided. Will and Hannibal are two sides of the same coin, and watching them interact and face off will be quite entertaining.

I do wonder how long HANNIBAL can realistically stretch out the two of them working together, though. Right off the bat, Hannibal is mucking things up for Will. Will is not stupid, and the two have plenty of FBI agents keeping tabs on them. Hannibal may be highly intelligent, but sooner or later he’s bound to get caught. If he doesn’t, it’s going to start making the other characters look like dolts, incapable of doing the jobs they’re supposedly great at, especially where Will is concerned.

Making Hannibal fully go to the other side would be the right move for the series to make eventually, not necessarily at the end of the run, even as it would completely change the show. Because of this, I doubt NBC will rush into anything. In the short-term, that means we are going to have to deal with plot holes and leaps of logic to make it work.

I really like the execution of HANNIBAL. It’s production looks fantastic, and the cast is terrific. I just worry that the scenario is not quite as well thought out as it needs to be. The show walks a very fine line of believability, and if it’s not careful, it will slip off too often.

At least it can’t be accused of being a copycat. Despite being one of only several serial killer dramas out right now, HANNIBAL does its own thing, and doesn’t feel like any of the others. That is a credit to its creator.

The rest of the cast includes Lara Jean Chorostecki (Camelot) as a blogger who will be on Hannibal’s scent, and Aaron Abrams (The LA. Complex, Rookie Blue), Hettienne Park (Young Adult), and Scott Thompson (The Kids in the Hall) as FBI agents. None of them gets any development to speak of in ” Apetrif,” though hopefully they will as the series goes on.

Overall, HANNIBAL is not a bad effort, and definitely worth checking out. There are just some things that need fixing if its going to be a long-running drama with the big fan base it seeks.