Will Graham is a special consultant with the FBI. He has a special gift whereby he can empathise with any individual and put himself in their shoes. This means he gets to help solve vicious murders, especially those involving serial killers, as he can profile the murderer - their method, motives and personality profile. For a particular case, the FBI also seek the help of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a highly-respected psychiatrist. Will and Hannibal hit it off, and Will becomes a patient of Hannibal. Little does he know or suspect that Hannibal might be the most wanted serial killer in the US.

Brilliant..in spells. Started pretty conventionally and not entirely engagingly. The first half of Season 1 is all about Will Graham, and he's not a particularly likeable character. Nor are the stories that compelling, as they feel not much different from your average crime-investigation drama. However, as Season 1 goes on, Hannibal moves to centre stage, and the story becomes much darker and more original.

Season 2 continues in this vein. Plot- and character- development in Season 2 is excellent and makes for very compelling viewing.

Season 3 is a bit hit and miss, with some interesting twists and a powerful ending. However, it is also chock full of padding, and also feels like it should have finished after seven or so episodes. The Red Dragon development at the end felt unnecessary, like it was tacked on as an afterthought.

The padding that is overtly apparent in Season 3 also occurs in Seasons 1 and 2, though to a lesser degree. This is the factor that prevents the series from fulfilling its full potential. After a great series of scenes and plot development we often have these drawn out navel-gazing scenes that ruin the momentum. Some of the more introspective scenes are necessary, as they reveal the evolving relationship between Hannibal and Will, but many are just there to kill time. Worst of all is the recurring stag imagery - it was relevant when it first appeared, in Season 1, and is occasionally relevant to demonstrate the mental connections Will is making, but is often just there as filler. It's as if the editor said to the producer "Hey, we still need two minutes of footage" and the producer said "No problem, fill it with stag imagery".

8/10 for Season 1 (was heading for a 7, but it then ramped up towards the end), 9/10 for Season 2 (the padding prevented a 10/10) and 7/10 for Season 3.