How Hannibal restores my faith in the future . . .

For those of you who don't know, the TV show Hannibal is based on the novel Red Dragon, which is book before The Silence of the Lambs in Thomas Harris's Hannibal Lecter series.

As you can imagine, the subject matter is on occasion gruesome and hard to watch. However, when I was chatting with a friend the other day I mentioned how this show makes me hopeful for our survival as a species. My friend--being very perceptive--knew exactly what I was talking about, but I thought maybe I should expand on that idea here.

Each episode of the show is intense, well written, and exceedingly well directed and acted. Every frame is lit beautifully, even the scenes of unbelievable cruelty. Every aspect of the medium in which the story is told is used effectively and entertainingly--not just the images on the screen, but the sounds. I imagine writing an episode of this show must be exhausting because so much care is invested in every line, every single shot.

The ratings haven't been great and the show was on the bubble for a third season renewal, but apparently someone at the network that airs it believes that it should get at least one more season and it was renewed a few months ago. Season three begins airing this summer.

This was after it survived the same situation at the end of season one.

This is what gives me hope for the future--the show was renewed mostly because of its artistic merits. How often does that happen these days?

It's even more delicious if you have read the books--and if you haven't, I highly recommend that you do.

Anyway, it does show, on occasion, that quality does mean something in this world. Still. Not very often, but every now and then.

Look it up on Amazon Prime if you haven't seen it, or even, like me, if you have. I'm rewatching it now and enjoying it as much the second time around as I did the first.

You owe it to yourself.