The Hannibal Crime Scene That Went Way Too Far

Fans of Bryan Fuller's shows know them for their mind-bending visuals within uniquely crafted narratives that take viewers well outside their comfort zone in a delightfully addicting manner. The talented showrunner really outdoes himself in this department when it comes to the surgically crafted displays of utter horror throughout his critically-acclaimed series "Hannibal," including the nightmare-inducing crime scenes depicted in a series that was canceled too soon. 

In a February 2014 interview with Hollywood.com, "Hannibal" production designer Mathew Davies discussed what it was like to work with Fuller to create these horrendous murder scenes. He said, "We've had tapestries and totem poles of dismembered bodies, monsters and cannibals, killer pigs and dinosaurs. However, the creepiest place by far is inside Bryan's Fuller head. We're all his prisoners!" Fuller's masterful ability to capture audiences' attention with eerie showcases of sick and twisted tragedies was, arguably, the driving force behind the success of the series' most memorable moments. 

There is no shortage of unsettling imagery or heinous acts of monstrous violence in every episode of "Hannibal." The human cello display, the fileted praying angels, and poor Beverly Katz's (Hettienne Park) sliced-up art exhibit are just some of the ordeals that have stayed with viewers long after the credits. But, out of all the atrocious acts of violence that Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), and the FBI investigate on the show, one of those dreadful moments may have gone a bit too far.

In Season 2, Episode 2, "Sakizuke," viewers are introduced to the human mural (via YouTube). In this episode, the killer (Patrick Garrow) sews dead naked human bodies together with varying skin tones to resemble the human eye when looking at the nightmarish creation from above. The revelation of what the killer has wrought is truly unsettling, and it is made all the most disconcerting when, at the start of "Sakizuke," things escalate when one of the victims (Ryan Field) awakens and gruesomely tears himself out of the corpse-ridden display, only to meet his demise during the escape.

The reveal of the human mural, as well as Hannibal and Jack Crawford's (Laurence Fishburne) discussion about the killer's motivations, is a shocking display to witness and a ghastly experience for fans. Even Bryan Fuller was taken back by his unnerving creation, telling Digital Spy in August 2017 how surprised he was at how the scene turned out. He said, "I was sort of in shock watching it because I was so horrified at what I was seeing. It felt like it was part and parcel with the story, but I kind of expected them to pull us back, and they didn't, and then when it aired, I was like, 'Good God!' And yet we got away with it. It was one of those times where I shocked myself and then felt immobilized to pull it back, and then it aired!"

Fuller is known for his brilliance in serial killer crime scenes, and his mind has been described as the creepiest place on Earth. For him to be so taken back by his creation almost solidifies the human mural as one of the most disturbing "Hannibal" crime scenes ever to enter the frame.