Marked by a great performance by Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lecter. He pulls off the slightness of Lecter's subtle bravado and terrifying grace with great skill. One has to consider that the role has been synonymous with Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of the character since "Silence of the Lambs" to the re-polished "Red dragon". I've not read Thomas Harris' anthology of the erudite killer cannibal, but I've been coaxed even further into doing so by this series.

The series itself is an entirely fictionalized prelude to the Lecter series' first book, "Red dragon", where the troubled Special Agent Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), with a knack for immersing himself with the killers' psyche at the cost of his well-being, is influenced by Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) to take on the case of solving a series of grisly murders and eventually involved with the brilliant psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter, whose role is to monitor Graham's progress as well as psychological health during the arduous trials he faces. The series moves slow, but this isn't to be seen as a crutch. I find that the character development and the relationship between Lecter and Graham to be at the core of what makes this show great. The complexity and dynamics of their characters and relationship is pulled off with seeming ease and fluidity which is the mark of convincing and skilled production. Although the series consciously drives the parallel storyline on and slightly askew to what is deemed friendly to the continuity of the books and coupling with "Red Dragon" (the character Miriam Lass is introduced as a substitute for the Will Graham of the book) I find that I do not mind it being elaborated upon. As long as the series will not suffer from the problem of prolix and pleonasm, as so many American TV series do these days, and exercise restraint in furthering a series just because it is a cash-cow I will find this show intriguing for some time to come. I am looking forward to season 2.