Clarice: First Trailer

By RodneyHatfieldJr for Movies

I was pleasantly surprised with the first look at Clarice. I was skeptical about a series without Lecter, but from the trailer, I am looking forward to it. CBS released a trailer for their upcoming series Clarice, to air on Thursday nights starting on February 11. The show is based solely upon the characters from Thomas Harris’ “The Silence of the Lambs”, the new series can’t utilize any characters that didn’t originate in that novel.


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For many(including myself), it was a disappointment that Hannibal can play no part in this series. Admittedly, it would have been fascinating to see it crossover with the Hannibal series for some MCU style shared universe building. However, rights are a tricky subject. Anthony Hopkins famously won a Best Lead Actor Oscar for only appearing in 16 minutes of a 138-minute film.


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Jodie Foster drove the plot and commanded the story for the remaining runtime, and she won as Oscar as well. Except for that dreadful West Virginia accent, I know no one who sounds like that. So to inquire why we should bother exploring Clarice’s character without Hannibal disregards the entire movie in which most of her screen time doesn’t involve him. Hopkins commands all the attention as the villain, but Foster is the central driving force of the film. To be honest, Hannibal is a secondary character(scary thought huh).


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As for the books, Silence is considered a classic, while not nearly as warmly received as its predecessor, the novel Hannibal (along with its cinematic adaptation) portrays a Clarice hardened and embittered from a decade of apprehending criminals, witnessing disturbing sights, and seeing her superiors stop appreciating her. And it’s in those 7 years(I know the movie said 10, and it’s wrong) is where the series takes place. Based on the trailer, it seems as if that’s where this series will be set. One small scene makes reference to Buffalo Bill, so she has already killed him when the series begins.


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The series will have room to explore where her character goes and the challenges she will face, particularly after nabbing such a high profile suspect while just being a trainee. After riding such a high so soon into a career, there were probably a lot of heightened expectations that may or may not meet.


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Based on the trailer, one such challenge is being taken seriously as a female agent. Which was present in Silence. However, Silence was far from realistic in its portrayal of psychopaths and some procedures. Clearly, much of it had to be made more theatrical and dramatic just to make the movie more interesting. But as a weekly show, we do have a chance to see a more down to earth portrayal of the life of a serial killer hunter. A quiet, subtle, psychological story will undoubtedly make for some interesting TV!


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In the title role is Rebecca Breeds, best known for Aurora de Martel in CW’s The Originals. Will it be as good as the movies or books, we will see. Both are considered classic. Here’s to hoping this series lives up to its potential!


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