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A complicated web of feelings nestles between the titular character, Hannibal Lecter, and FBI agent Will Graham. Fans can attribute most of this to the premise of the horror crime drama itself: an FBI agent who seeks help for his obsession with murder ends up in the office of a forensic psychologist who is secretly a cannibalistic serial killer. Nothing spells doomed, toxic romance potential like two people with dark secrets to hide.
The show is based on the novels by Thomas Harris, and the source material does explore a deeply flawed push and pull between the two main characters. However, there are no explicitly romantic notions, statements, or yearning that Hannibal does so masterfully. It goes beyond the prescribed path of the books and explores a "what if" that landed successfully with fans.
In multiple interview appearances, showrunner Bryan Fuller credited the lead actors, Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen, for moving into what they cleverly call the "murder husbands" trope on the show. The chemistry between the leads jumped off the script and landed with an intensity that made him explore a path where their love became romantic—just not the way typical romance stories envision the concept.
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Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong solely to the writer. Spoilers ahead.
Bryan Fuller discusses the convoluted love between Lecter and Will in Hannibal
Lecter and Will meet for the first time and connect
From the moment the duo first met, the air was thick with tension. Most of that can be attributed to Will Graham's deteriorating mental health and Lecter's heightened sense of interest in a man who could potentially be just like him—and he is right. Throughout season 1, they engage in therapy sessions where Lecter subtly manipulates Will into succumbing to his darker impulses. They connect, confide, and push each other's boundaries.
In an interview with EW published on February 18, 2022, Fuller commented on their complicated dynamics.
"It started out as kind of a fascination with how straight guys interact with each other in a romantic way that is not s*xual," Bryan Fuller stated.
Their relationship elevates, but in the most unconventional sense possible, in seasons 1 and 2 of Hannibal: Lecter frames Will for Abigail's murder, Will is institutionalized, and Lecter then orchestrates the most elaborate plan to frame someone else and free Will from prison.
Even though Will works with FBI agent Jack Crawford to catch Lecter and has deep rage and betrayal for what he did, he constantly finds himself drawn back to his presence. Whether it's their intense eye contact after Will claimed to be uncomfortable with looking anyone in the eye, or that one time Lecter smelled Will, fans had moments of mirth and a whiff of romance within the grotesque premise.
"Initially, I didn’t want to misrepresent Thomas Harris’ characters because they clearly have heterosexual leanings in the source material, but as with the kids these days, that sexuality became more fluid over the course of the series," Fuller commented.
Will's psyche unravels as the show progresses
The push and pull of the characters can be attributed to two things: Lecter's endless fascination with Will's psyche, and Will's absolute discomfort being the way he is. Throughout the three seasons of Hannibal, fans see Will shifting from fighting his darkness to accepting that part of him, and in turn, accepting Lecter's presence in his life.
This sentiment peaks in season 3, especially in conversations between Will and psychiatrist Bedelia (Gillian Anderson). She notices Will's anguish over wanting to push Lecter away, but never being able to stay away from him.
“Can’t live with him, can’t live without him, is that what this is?” Bedelia asks Will in season 3, episode 13 (The Wrath of the Lamb).
Furthermore, consider this: Lecter frames Will for the Chesapeake Ripper murders. Will is institutionalized and finds himself scheming to betray Lecter. Lecter finds out and straight up stabs the one man whom he connects with in his entire life in an attempted murder before fleeing to Italy.
And what does said man do the moment he recovers? Flies to Italy to confront Lecter. Whether to kill him or make up with him, even Will isn't sure. In one of the most tender moments in season 3, the duo spends time at an art gallery where Lecter is sketching Will and Bedelia. Will admits that his life isn't split into a past and a future; rather, a time before Lecter and after him.
"You and I have begun to blur... we're conjoined. I'm curious whether either of us can survive separation," Will questions in season 3, episode 6 (Dolce)
Bryan Fuller echoes this sentiment. He talks about how no one understands Lecter and Will the way they understand each other. While Will struggles to get rid of him, even going as far as telling Lecter to never see him again, they find their way back to each other. The two men have never seen their deep, dark vulnerabilities reflected so tenderly in someone else.
“One of the things that I think was the key in terms of turning it into a romance was this idea of Will and Hannibal being the only person in each other’s life that truly understood them and could truly see who they are and accept them on those terms,” Bryan Fuller said.
Hannibal and the representation of twisted love
Hannibal also leans into the jokes about the "gay agenda," as Fuller calls it. Whether it's Lecter's stone-faced comment about him and Will being "Abigail's fathers," or Will rolling his eyes over him and Lecter being called "murder husbands," the duo knows about the undercurrent of tension.
The line between sharing the same passions (for murder and eventually cannibalism) and feeling "seen," as Fuller puts it, blurs for the duo. They are tangled in a complicated mess and share a trauma bond like no other. So it's no surprise that Will, after retiring from the force in season 3, comes back for more, this time with the emergence of the serial killer cannibal Francis Dolarhyde.
The circumstances push him to team up with Lecter once more, but he is convinced that this time, he will break free from the titular character's grip. If that means murdering him, then so be it. But, to no one's surprise, the two of them discuss life and philosophize as they lure Dolarhyde, AKA the Dragon, to his imminent death over a bottle of wine.
A bloody fight ensues, and Will's demeanor shifts as his darker side emerges. Remember, he had goaded Dolarhyde into creating his "becoming" by ending Lecter's life, so when the trio engage in a bloody altercation, fans don't fully grasp what Will is thinking. Is he signaling to Dolarhyde, or is he confirming his true self by looking Lecter right in the eye in that tense moment?
In the end, Lecter attacks the Dragon from behind and rips his throat off, while Will stabs him in the stomach. As Dolarhyde lay dying, the duo had a moment so tender that fans could feel the unspoken words in the air.
"This is what I wanted for you, Will... for both of us," Hannibal remarks.
Will's final line of defence melts away as he embraces a blood-soaked Hannibal. He admits that the feeling is beautiful, suggesting that he finally accepts Lecter, and more importantly, himself, for who they are. Then, the duo falls off the cliff and plummets into the ocean below. Are they alive after falling off the cliff, and do they explore the potential of their relationship?
Bryan Fuller comments on the romantic tension in the series finale of Hannibal
In an interview with TV Line published August 29, 2015, Bryan Fuller talks about what that poetic climax meant for the duo's relationship and whether there was any romantic underpinning there.
"There is a quality to connections that go above and beyond s*xuality. You can have this intimate connection with somebody that then causes you to wonder where the lines of your own s*xuality are. And we didn’t quite broach the s*xuality. It was certainly suggested, but the love is absolutely on the table. There is love between these two men, and confusion between these two men," he said.
He also discusses how the notion of romance was always present between the two characters, courtesy of Dancy and Mikkelsen's incredible chemistry, and the series finale had to be the best time to rip the band-aid. Essentially, an "if not now, then when?" mentality.
"It felt like we had to sh*t or get off the pot, ultimately, because there had been so much going on between these two men that when Will asks, 'Is Hannibal Lecter in love with me?' it is very much about death and the romance between these two men," he added.
However, the showrunner was optimistic about picking up Will's story and the myriad ways his relationship with Lecter could progress in Hannibal season 4, stating that it felt odd to call season 3, episode 13, The Wrath of the Lamb a "finale."
"It’s strange to look at [this week’s episode] as a finale, because part of me believes that the most interesting chapter of Will Graham’s story is yet to be told," he commented.
While Will and Hannibal Lecter do not fit inside any regular romance tropes in Hannibal, their love subverted all expectations from a horror where the lead cooks human meat into gourmet delicacies.
"You are obsessed with Will Graham," Bedelia remarks in season 2, episode 1, Kaisuke.
Fans tend to agree in unison.
Stream all episodes of Hannibal on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.
