25 of TV’s messiest meltdowns

Hannibal Loses His Cool — Hannibal

As far as cannibals and serial killers go, Hannibal Lecter is a pretty cool customer. He’s well dressed, with sophisticated and refined tastes. You can take one look at him and know he’s got his life together. Yes, he eats human flesh, murders folks in incredibly cruel and gruesome ways, and inflicts psychological torture, but he always remains completely composed and maintained.

Throughout the series, Hannibal was the quiet antagonist to FBI agent Will Graham. We never really knew who was the nuttier of the two, as both men swung back and forth between normal and insane behaviors. Good money was on Will as the crazy one as he hallucinated crime scenes, imagined wild game, and had dreams come true. He always seemed like he was hanging on by a thread, so his various and sundry breakdowns never felt as jarring as Hannibal’s.

In the season finale of season 2, Hannibal faces off against long-time foe, Jack, in a battle that escalated into a full-on brawl. The two suited men, usually calm and collected, went hand to hand with each other in an epic fight scene that will go down in TV history.

Hannibal shrugs off his cool demeanor and lets his most carnal and base instincts out. He turns into a wild animal, clawing and scratching, fighting and punching his way through a very bloody and violent fight. If I ever get into a fist fight with another human, and I’m in the fight for my life, I want to take my enemy on just like Hannibal took his on. He was badass, even if a little unhinged.