Yup, I loved that finale. Probably worked the best of any of the three season enders as a series finale as well, which was fitting. That Bedelia stinger works either way: if the show is truly done then she's finally embraced the madness herself and prepared her own leg, and if the show comes back in some form then Hannibal and/or Will survived the fall Reichenbach Falls-style.
But those final moments were a perfect coda for Hannibal and Will's journey that Bryan Fuller gave us these past three seasons. Hannibal finally "freeing" Will so he can be who truly is, and Will finally letting himself go to that place, but also recognizing how dangerous it is and trying to put an end to it once and for all. I actually got a bit choked up when I realized what was happening when Hannibal grabbed the axe and they started tag-teaming Dolarhyde as the song came in. Then I immediately reflected on how darkly funny that was, an example of just how twisted this show was that I could get emotional at the sight of two messed up men graphically slicing a guy to death in slow motion.
Really loved this Red Dragon arc, agree with Bobby that it's the best adaptation we've gotten of it. Rutina Wesley and Richard Armitage were both great in their roles. The added context of the previous two and a half seasons, with these versions of the characters, made so many moments we've seen multiple times so much more potent then they've ever been in any incarnation before, even the original book. Hell, I even caught the beginning of Silence of the Lambs on TV a few weeks ago, and that was even more potent then when last I'd watched it. Seeing Jack Crawford push Clarice to go meet Hannibal, I was like "You bastard! How could you push a rookie into that situation!? You know exactly what's going to happen!"
I really want to praise the production design of Hannibal's cell. Love what they did with that, and how it constantly communicated the character dynamics whenever that set was used. Instead of going with the layout everyone is familiar with (and that they essentially used for when Will was imprisoned in season 2), they went with something that was visually more interesting but also rich with storytelling. You have the interior of the cell all white, well lit, with clean stainless steel furniture (that is until it's taken away, and the room becomes even more pure and clean). It reflects Hannibal as a character. He is pure in what he is, unashamed and unhidden at this point in the story. When he's punished for helping Dolarhyde and everything is taken away, he loses any objects to obstruct or hide him from view, suggesting he's even more exposing himself to those who visit him.
Then you look at the visitor side and it's dark, the lighting not nearly as bright. Everyone who visits Hannibal has darkness in them, some demons they haven't yet overcome and may be hiding from the world, contrary to Hannibal's open evil. More than that though, the brightly lit interior and dark exterior, paired with the position of the entrance to the room and the glass cell wall, mean the reflections tell even more of the story. Any time someone enters or exits the room, there is a reflection of Hannibal hanging over them, a specter haunting them, Hannibal's presence leaving with them. When a character is talking to him, the camera positions itself so Hannibal's reflection lands right over them, as if he is imprinting his madness directly on them.
This holds for nearly every character who meets him, that is except for Will. We see a two shot of both men in profile, positioned outside the cell rather than inside, putting Wil's reflection imprinted on top of Hannibal. It evokes all those trippy transitions of Will's face dissolving into Hannibal's throughout the series, and really encapsulates their entire relationship, especially where the finale ends. This is the kind of stuff that makes a TV show special, and it's why this is certainly going to go down as one of my favorite shows of all time.
