When last we saw Special Agent Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), he was behind bars, accused of at least one murder, and suspected of being a serial killer.

The FBI instructor, cursed with "perfect empathy," had been pulled back into field work by Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne), who was desperate to solve a string of murders. Graham freely acknowledges that he's emotionally unstable, but Crawford aggressively pushes the haunted profiler to the absolute edge, hedging his bets by enlisting the assistance of psychiatrist Hannibal Lector (Mads Mikkelsen). What Crawford doesn't know, of course, is that Hannibal is himself a serial killer, all too happy to gently guide the hapless Graham toward the ultimate madness.

As season one of NBC's Hannibal concluded, however, Graham finally realized that the good doctor is a good deal more dangerous than he appears. The entire season could quite rightly be called the origin story of the relationship between the two characters, created by Thomas Harris and first explored in his 1981 novel Red Dragon. In that spellbinding tale, it's explained that Graham carries scars, both physical and mental, from a previous encounter with Hannibal, but nonetheless seeks out his unique insights in the hope of solving an ongoing case.

The television version neatly stands that idea on its head. In Graham's case, he's afflicted with a physical ailment that helps explain why his world appears to be coming apart at the seams. Meanwhile, Hannibal cooly observes and manipulates, not only Graham, but nearly every other character who comes within his orbit. Now, with Graham confined to a mental asylum, desperate to prove his sanity and his innocence, Hannibal gets closer to Jack Crawford, who turns to the psychiatrist as his new criminal consultant. 

The series has proved to be unsettling, surprisingly violently and troubling, and all signs point to season two providing more of the same. Mads Mikkelsen's portrayal of Hannibal is subtle, yet charming; he loves to prepare meals for his guests -- always featuring a delicious-looking "mystery meat" -- and oozes sincerity, though he's like a coiled snake who might strike at any moment. Hugh Dancy has been both intense and vulnerable as Will Graham, and Laurence Fishburne is equally driven and passionate about his work.

You can catch up with much more information at the official site. The new season premieres tonight at 10 p.m. Eastern, 9 p.m. Central.