Tag Archives: Mads Mikkelsen

Hannibal 3.11 “…And the Beast from the Sea” Review: Are We Having Fun Yet?

16 Aug

Hannibal is certainly enjoying himself even if no one else is as his “sophisticated intelligence” allows him to forecast many things such as the ‘chance’ encounter between Will Graham and Francis Dolarhyde at the end of last week’s episode. This meddling enters even more dangerous territory as he gives Will’s personal address to his new protege – which he also obtained through nefarious means – imploring him to “Save yourself. Kill them all.” Whispering it in his ear as if it is a sweet nothing.

This is what Hannibal does best; manipulate someone in crisis to kill and Dolarhyde has already crossed the murder threshold and really doesn’t need much convincing. Particularly now Reba is on the scene and he fears his impulses and the Great Red Dragon will turn their rage toward her.

Hannibal 3.11 Hannibal and DolarhydeSurrendering to Jack Crawford was Hannibal’s ultimate fuck you to Will; Will wanted Hannibal out of his life for good and this was his way of ensuring his location is known at all times. Jack is who brought Will back into Hannibal’s orbit and because of Will’s special investigative skills, Hannibal had to foresee that their paths would inevitably cross over a tableau of death. All he had to do was bide his time and there has been plenty to occupy Hannibal with papers to write, books to read, sketches to draw and places to hang out in his memory palace. But now is where the real fun is to be had. After all Will isn’t fortune’s fool, he’s Hannibal’s and Hannibal is more than up for wearing this crown.

Despite a change in living arrangements everyone is taking up their old mantles with Hannibal as chief antagonist and mischief maker. Jack is the “fisher of men” borrowing Will’s brain regardless of the consequences as he pushes to get results leaving a trail of misery to be cleaned up later. The Jack we saw in Italy was remorseful, but that was three years ago and he has a serial killer to catch so his priority has shifted. Alana has also resumed her former position of moral compass questioning Jack’s suggestion at pushing Dolarhyde to self-destruct (or rather kill himself). Not that suicide is something Dolarhyde will go for as Will posits that he will be too afraid of unleashing the beast even if he dies as the delusion is this strong.

Hannibal 3.11 Will and HannibalHannibal wants Dolarhyde to take an interest in Will and his brief interaction with him has done just this. Dolarhyde is somewhat scathing of his appearance – yes Will looks a little world weary but Hugh Dancy is still undeniably handsome no matter how hard they try – but he finds him interesting in how “purposeful” he looks. Will’s family is the perfect sacrificial lamb for both Hannibal and Dolarhyde as it saves Reba from the beast within while also destroying Will’s happiness. Something Hannibal views as disingenuous and as a temporary facade which Will hides his true self behind. It is why “…And the Beast from the Sea” ends with Hannibal asking Will “Don’t you crave change?” In the same way Dolarhyde is splitting his personality, Hannibal believes Will is doing the same, the difference being that Will is trying to suppress his beast.

This mischief making can only go on for so long before Alana delivers on her promise to remove pretty much everything from his cell. Yes even the toilet. Setting a serial killer on Will’s family doesn’t revoke his privileges, but they still need Hannibal’s help at this point. Alana plays a game with the phone getting his real lawyer on the other line and Hannibal is all ‘well you could have just asked me’ sassing off. Claiming he has always told her the truth in his own way is like saying “oops I thought you realized your beer had people in it” and there is something very Jaye Tyler about the way Caroline Dhavernas delivers some of her lines with Hannibal this week; she has no time for his bullshit. It is amazing and I wish there was more Wonderfalls in the world.

Hannibal 3.11 Alana Bloom Hannibal 3.11 AlanaExcept now she is wearing killer lady suits of which there are several amazing ones this week. All slightly toned down from previous bold stripe affairs and there is a subtle hint of Hannibal inspired plaid when she strips him of his dignity. Hannibal it would seem is probably even more inclined to keep his promise and even when he is completely incapacitated, face mask and all I still fear for her future. Right now she has all the power, but as we have seen he can get to someone even when he is locked up. And this look he gives her is terrifying.

Hannibal 3.11 maskReally, really terrifying.

But Hannibal was never going to give up his special shy boy and he gives them just enough time to find the location Dolarhyde has been ringing from while also letting Dolarhyde know they are onto him. That’s what will get your toilet taken away from you.

The sea and the moon are intrinsically linked and the Blake painting which gives this episode its title shows what could be both Dolarhyde as the Great Red Dragon with Hannibal as the Beast from the Sea. Hannibal is shown reaching for the sky after he has sent Dolarhyde on his new mission as Will enters his chamber suggesting his beastly motives even further.

Hannibal 3.11 Hannibal in cell Hannibal 3.11 the moonOnce again the use of space and place is incredible as the dome itself looks like a giant moon with the actual moon forming the center of the image, illuminating Hannibal in the process.

Here are a couple of other really great shots from Hannibal’s cell location from both sides of the glass:

Hannibal 3.11 Hannibal, Alana and Jack

Hannibal 3.11 empty cellThe second one really emphasizes how sparse it is without anything but a very uncomfortable looking bed.

Two romantic relationships are impacted this week because of the Great Red Dragon’s urges. Last week Dolarhyde  felt a living woman for the first time (let’s not dwell too long on the living part) and this has disrupted his relationship with the Dragon. Reba and D have a lovely date night with martinis and snuggling, but Dolarhyde has homework to do and by homework he means watch his stalker movie of Molly, Walter and the dogs.

Hannibal 3.11 Molly on filmWhen cute turns creepy in two frames.

Hannibal 3.11 Reba and D Hannibal 3.11 date nightAll is going swell between them until his botched murder night out and after beating himself up (like, actually beating himself up while envisioning the dragon is doing it a la Fight Club) he breaks things off with Reba because he is afraid what might happen if he doesn’t.

Dolarhyde’s night time venture doesn’t quite end the way Hannibal would have preferred, but it does lead to difficult conversations with Will’s wife and the boy who calls him dad. The sequence where Dolarhyde walks around the secluded cabin while Molly and Walter escape is full on slasher horror movie terrifying. His all black attire, special set of teeth and the way he pulls the stocking down over his face is super creepy; this is a version of Dolarhyde we have not previously seen as he switches to stalk and kill mode. And he’s gone all out on the leather badass look to top things off. I wonder if this is what he has worn for his previous excursions or if this is a new ensemble. It’s like a twisted version of Netflix’s Daredevil costume. Hannibal is right that Molly’s survival took “a pinch more than luck” and we see her being incredibly resourceful in their escape.

Hannibal 3.11 DolarhydeAt first I was annoyed at how Molly is put in a position where she walks past an FBI warning about pet mutilation and decides to keep the information regarding the dogs getting sick from Will, but she is later redeemed by her quick thinking regarding the intruder. Molly later tells Will that thanks to Freddie’s article she instinctively knew it was the Tooth Fairy (Hannibal will be so mad that I’m calling him by his tabloid name) and for once Freddie’s writing has helped Will out of a bind. When she chose to not follow her son out of the window I had a brief moment where I yelled “WHY?” at the screen and then realized she needed the car keys to provide a distraction (or perhaps to getaway was the original plan). Molly gets all the smart points, although I do feel bad for the random passerby who got shot in the process as we don’t get a report of what happened to them and on second watch he definitely got shot in the head.

Freddie’s article does open a whole can of worms between Will and Walter as Walter now knows he killed someone and ended up in a mental hospital. Walter also has strong feelings regarding Dolarhyde’s fate and he doesn’t agree with Will wanting to catch him rather than kill him. Hannibal might like Will’s son after all. Walter has just experienced a horrific ordeal so it is not surprising his mind has turned to vengeance rather than empathy.

Hannibal 3.11 Will and MollyThey do not survive their encounter completely unscathed and Molly is shot in the shoulder as they drive away. She is angry at how these circumstances and Will’s job almost resulted in the death of her son and she has a right to feel this fucked off. Molly lays some of the blame at her own feet as she told him to go, while putting the rest on Jack for coming to get Will in the first place. Really Hannibal is the one who is to blame but Jack, Hannibal and Will are all intrinsically linked in the cause and effect of this encounter.

Molly remarks how it is “tough to hold onto anything good. It’s all so slippery” and this pretty much applies to every relationship on Hannibal (and this is why I’m currently worry for the other happy family unit of Alana, Margot and their son). Hopefully Hannibal’s not done any permanent damage here because the Molly/Will dynamic includes a much lighter Will than we have previously seen. They even manage to have a laugh after this tragedy. Hannibal will of course do everything in his power and with his bag of tricks to disrupt and fracture what is good as he pokes and prods until something breaks. If he can’t have his teacup then Will sure as hell can’t play happy families with someone else.

Behind the Veil with Hannibal

9 Aug

Francis Dolarhyde and his quest to become the Great Red Dragon is a new chapter of Hannibal, but the events which took place for these characters three years previous still loom in a variety of ways and they need to be addressed. Loose ends are tied up relating to Dr Bedelia du Maurier, who when we last saw her was trying to convince the world that she thought she was Lydia Fell. Bedelia was in a unique position with Hannibal as his traveling companion and this week’s Bedelia catch-up reveals what happened leading up to the death of her patient. In returning to this world Will is attempting various forms of self preservation with one method involving a debrief session with Hannibal’s other Bride of Frankenstein.

The past plays a vital role this week for Will, but Dolarhyde is all about the present as he continues to experience inner turmoil and much to his surprise he has a very successful first date. He is at war with himself and while Bedelia’s split state was all smoke and mirrors, Dolarhyde is very much experiencing two very distinct versions. One is sweet and shy, the other devours paintings and has murder on his mind; with the next full moon just 11 days away the Great Red Dragon is awaiting its next kill.

Hannibal 3.10 Hannibal and FrancisDolarhyde as we saw is fond of scrapbooking his own murderous achievements giving them pride of place next to the clippings he has collected on Hannibal’s many crimes. An interaction with the man who he holds up in such high regard seems like an impossibility considering Hannibal’s current location and yet last week ended with Hannibal receiving a phone call from his new protege. The episode opens on how Dolarhyde makes this happen and the very familiar location provides an instant connection between the pair while also reinforcing the notion of Dolarhyde’s dueling personas. It is Dolarhyde’s perspective rather than Hannibal’s memory palace and the location is real; Hannibal’s physical presence is imagined, but as this is a guy who is seeing flaming images and tails this is the least out there vision he has had.

The fan adoration turns into a therapy session as the demeaning names the press has given both of them gives Hannibal an instant personal connection to Dolarhyde’s plight; all the better to manipulate him with. This is what Hannibal does as he takes someone’s fears no matter how small or big and bends them to his will. With others he has to put the hours in to make them killers, here the murders have already begun but there are still plenty of strings to be pulled. As one Dolarhyde watches on the other turns into the beast giving Hannibal a glowing sheen.

Hannibal 3.10 Hannibal on fire Hannibal 3.10 Red DragonHannibal plays the devil on one shoulder, but there is a new positive force in Dolarhyde’s life who threatens the existence of the dragon.

Stroking a tiger is going to be a hard first date to top and this was an inspired idea. Tigers also feature in the work of William Blake (“Tyger Tyger, burning bright“) so he is on point here, but this version of Dolarhyde doesn’t feel threatening. Instead he is the incredibly shy and nervous one as he watches Reba edge closer and closer to the sharp teeth of the animal. Reba stops before putting her hand fully in, much to his relief and instead places her head on the tiger; smiling followed by a single tear.

Hannibal 3.10 tigerPositioning Reba as the good in Dolarhyde’s life could lead to the age old Madonna/Whore complex at work especially as he is quite clearly not accustomed to intimacy of this kind – more drinking implements are broken this week – but there is nothing scandalous about Reba’s actions despite her “Hope I didn’t shock you” comment. After a moment of recovery he scoops her up in a sexually charged moment. The painting Dolarhyde worships has a demonic sexuality component (thanks Hannibal for that interpretation) and the vision he has of Reba is instead rather angelic. So rather than Madonna/Whore there is a whole lot of Madonna/Madonna if such a thing could exist.

Hannibal 3.10 RebaRutina Wesley spent years on True Blood in a variety of storylines that didn’t particularly serve her well and her portrayal of Reba is both vulnerable and confident; these delicate flourishes show just how good she can be. Like True Blood the sex scenes on this show don’t play with general conventions so here she is sleeping with a dude who wants to be a dragon as he imagines her bathed in golden light.

Body hangups are common, but for Dolarhyde his perception of his disability is mostly imagined from his hair lip to his speech. He is comfortable around Reba because she can’t see and yet he worries what their co-workers have been saying about him; they are curious about him and they know he is sensitive about his face even though he shouldn’t be. While she is sleeping he places her hand on his face and in this moment he seems content. Content until dreams of teeth, the moon and the dragon wake him from his slumber sending him dashing to his broken mirror and painting.

The copy he has is a mere reproduction; the real one is in Brooklyn where Dolarhyde ventures. Under an assumed name and using academia as a reason to view the real thing he literally eats the painting and has his first encounter with Will Graham. Hannibal has pointed Will in the direction of this work by Blake acting as puppet master from his cell and this is where Will has a brief, but violent interaction with Dolarhyde. All that working out comes in useful when it comes to picking people up and throwing them so you can escape.

Hannibal 3.10 symbolThe symbol Will discovered last week carved on a tree is replicated in this stunning shot of Will approaching Hannibal’s current abode and it is the Chinese character for “you hit it” used sometimes in gambling. It is also the symbol for “The Red Dragon” on a Mahjong tile and this is where Hannibal steers Will toward William Blake. Hannibal is clearly having fun here pointing out the 11 days countdown until the next full moon – “tick tock” – and talking about Dolarhyde with such fondness claiming that he doesn’t think he is insane.

Hannibal is proving both useful to the investigation and as a mischief maker. In another phone call he manages to get Will’s new address and that is not good for those Will has left behind at home. Thankfully there are plenty of dogs to watch guard.

The set design also continues to create fascinating and striking images such as Will’s reflection merging with Hannibal.

Hannibal 3.10 reflectionsGreat danger still exists despite the physical barrier as Hannibal represents Will’s darkest path. A path Will has shared some details of with Molly, but how can he truly explain what occurred between them? And no one tells their current significant other everything about their ex.

Hannibal 3.10 Will and HannibalI am mesmerized by how mesmerized Will is by Hannibal in this moment and the use of space and light is incredible as it amps up those feelings of intimacy.

Will made a clean break from Hannibal and has got dragged back by recent events; for Bedelia du Maurier she has been using her time with Hannibal to fuel her career, which is troubling because her encounter with Neal Frank (oh hey Zachary Quinto not playing just a corpse this time) shows she’s not a great psychiatrist. Everyone is lying when it comes to Hannibal; Alana and Chilton with the insanity plea, Jack with what really really went down and Bedelia with her fabricated drugged story. To the outside world Bedelia is just another victim and she’s giving grand lectures which directly reference Dante; a cheeky nod to Hannibal’s specialist subject in Florence.

Not wearing adequate armor is how Will puts the events of three years ago and you’re going to need more than just your glasses – once again he wears them out in public, but not private encounters – to stop the spiral.

Hannibal 3.10 Will and BedeliaA hint of smugness peppers Bedelia’s comment that she doesn’t need to see Hannibal because she was behind the veil; how very Wizard of Oz. She does still receive cards from him on Christian holidays and her birthday which he sends via the FBI. He always includes a recipe and this made me laugh so hard. Will’s response is less kind as he tells her it will be what she deserves if she ends up on Hannibal’s plate.

This session plays out in the classic sitting across from each other format with a twist as Will’s present day conversation is seamlessly intercut with Bedelia’s sessions with Neal.

Present day Bedelia. She is rather self-satisfied with her current position.

Hannibal 3.10 BedeliaFlashback Bedelia. The white shirt and hair loosely pulled back (which comes undone during the fisting) gives her a rather innocent and compassionate look, which are quickly betrayed by what occurs.

Hannibal 3.10 Bedelia flashbackNeal is understandably annoyed at his experience with Hannibal and the care he is receiving here as his mild symptoms have increased in a dramatic fashion. Bedelia exasperates the situation and is not too concerned when Neal mentions how Hannibal stood over him as he choked on his tongue doing nothing. When this happens again, Bedelia does go to help and instead fists him to death. The aftermath is what we saw in the season premiere.

In a scenario Bedelia asks what Will would do for an injured bird and he replies he would want to help it, Bedelia has the opposite urge and while she claims she wouldn’t actually crush it as we see with Neal when he was in danger she did just this. She’s really failing at the ‘do no harm’ thing. In Bedelia’s school of thought Will is not a killer even though he has killed and instead it is his compassion that led to these righteous acts of violence. I mean I’m pretty sure he is still a killer, but I get her point that he isn’t the monster he maybe believes he is. She also tells him he should use his empathy to crush rather than nurture as it will be easier for him in the long run. You can see why Hannibal let her see behind the veil with comments like this one.

As with Dolarhyde, Will has this internal battle between two versions of himself; the one he fears he is and the compassionate empathetic saver of the vulnerable. Hannibal encourages what he believes are natural urges and someone usually ends up dead and maybe mounted in a artistic tableau as a result of this push. He also doesn’t let the limitations of his surroundings get the best of him and he is incredibly resourceful when nurturing new projects. The pieces are forever moving and I don’t think even he could foresee the chance encounter between Will and Dolarhyde, but I bet he will have a plan formulated as soon as he finds out.

Playing Happy Families on Hannibal

2 Aug

Family and the different kinds that exist has been rippling under the surface of Hannibal since season 1 with plenty of opportunity for ‘my two dads’ references and this comes into focus once again this week in “…And the Woman Clothed with the Sun.” Or rather this is a chance to explore Hannibal’s relationship with Abigail in the period of time between when he framed Will for her murder and when Hannibal did actually end her life.

The first half of this season dipped into Hannibal’s past; not too much so we feel like we know Hannibal, but enough to understand his desire to find a new Mischa through the connections he makes with people like Chiyo, Will and Abigail. The idea of family doesn’t just relate to Hannibal and instead it is a jumping off point to explore what these characters have been doing over the last three years while also reflecting the murders that are being investigated.

Hannibal 3.09 Will and HannibalFrancis Dolarhyde an accidental matchmaker as he has brought Will back into Hannibal’s orbit and immediately the game is afoot (oops wrong crime series) with Hannibal poking and prodding in the back of Will’s brain. He immediately gets under his skin by correctly assessing he has a child in his life by the smell of his aftershave – Hannibal tells Abigail “We have a basic affinity for our family. We can detect each other from smell alone” – and Hannibal has always been one for sniffing Will Graham. There is a touch of bitterness in Hannibal’s tone when he mentions how he gave Will a child; Freddie’s ‘murder husbands’ tag is pretty accurate when related to this conversation as Hannibal comes across as the ex who thinks they tried their hardest and was rejected nonetheless.

In an attempt to protect himself from Hannibal’s mind games Will attempts to stick to the case and only refers to him using the formal Dr Lecter (which also hurts his former friend). In fact Alana is the only one of the surviving house of horrors bunch who calls him by his first name to his face and her interactions with him continue to be dangerously playful (more on that below).

Hannibal taunts Will first with quips about whether he can see himself killing the families and then by making light of his ‘makeshift’ family and how this mirrors what their new killer is doing – “he needs a family to escape what’s inside him.’ Oh Hannibal, you are such a shitbag. Much of Hannibal’s tricks come from drawing out what a person is ashamed of and giving it legitimacy; generally this involves getting them to kill someone. We’ve seen the results of his time with Randall Tier, how he tried to push Margot into killing Mason (which she eventually did) and with Will Graham.Hannibal 3.09 abigail and hannibal The flashbacks to Abigail’s faked death and subsequent sessions focus on this notion of family love stripping away at the shame and hatred she feels toward her father and leaving her with an understanding of why he did those things. Using the ultimate prop to allow Abigail to exercise her demons by confronting her father, Hannibal digs up Garett Jacob Hobbs allowing Abigail to inflict the same wound on him.

This is one of two throat slashes this week; the faked Abigail one mirrors the manner in which both her father and Hannibal inflicted the real wounds and it is very intimate. Whereas Abigail’s turn with the knife is traumatic (and pretty gross) and she is left needing Hannibal’s calming hands on her head as he tells her “never be ashamed of who you are.” Hannibal’s just trying to make everyone feel good about their murderous impulses simmering beneath the surface.

Hannibal 3.09 GJHShame feeds into Francis Dolarhyde’s situation from the way he is looked upon at the dinner table in his brief flashback – maybe it is the eating with two forks thing that does it – to how he feels in the present about his hair lip and his voice. Don’t worry Francis, Hannibal is here to make you feel better about and the two get their first session at the end of the episode over the phone with Francis posing as Hannibal’s lawyer. After a week of no dialogue, Richard Armitage gets to flex his vocal muscles aside from guttural screaming and he continues to mesmerize in his performance of Dolarhyde nailing the ‘Great Red Dragon’ urges along with his crippling shyness.

Reba McClane the blind technician draws Francis out of his shell and this is the first real interaction we have seen between him and someone that isn’t a painting. She instantly likes him because he doesn’t pity her and he’s more comfortable with her because she can’t see what he wants to hide from the world. Don’t try and touch his face though Reba.

Hannibal 3.09 bus stopTheir meet cute goes from the dark room to a bus stop which features an ad for a dental product and the “Open Wide” is so on the nose, but also pretty damn funny. Good work art department. And so much snow! It wouldn’t be Hannibal without piles and piles of snow.

Plus it leads to spectacular shots like this one:

Hannibal 3.09 the moonHannibal’s mind palace is not the only way in which they are playing with location and whereas Will’s cell felt like the walls were closing in on him, Hannibal’s has endless possibilities. From the way they transport Will and Hannibal to the crime scene to discuss the files to the use of Hannibal’s office as a space for them to discuss the case it allows for plenty of settings and costume changes.

Hannibal 3.09 murder houseIt’s not just Hannibal who envisions himself elsewhere and when Will calls Molly he also pictures himself lying beside her chatting about the new dogs they have both taken in. Just look at how warm this setting is in comparison to the locations drained of color.

Hannibal 3.09 Will and MollyHugh Dancy appeared in a stage production of Venus in Fur with Nina Arianda and the relationship between Will and Molly already feels very lived in. Hannibal is trying to infect this happiness (it is lovely to hear Will laugh) with suggestions of impulses and so Molly’s joke about Will having a criminal mind doesn’t go down that well. The conversation ends pleasantly, however the kind of sweat drenched nightmares which plagued Will during season 1 are back and this time he can’t blame them on encephalitis. The lid has been cracked; can Will keep those other urges under control while also successfully cracking the case?

Photographs and mirrors reflect our image, but they don’t always reveal what is really there. Photographs are a snapshot of a moment in time and the emotions expressed from that single image don’t always tell the truth. Will is looking for a connection between the two murdered families who live four states apart and the only thing he can summarize is they were happy. Will watches home videos or rather digital footage on a tablet, which is more likely to capture real sentiment over a snapshot. But these too can lie and digital is far easier to manipulate than actual film. Francis is old school with his choice of filming equipment and we see flashes of the home movie he made.

Broken mirrors distort the image, but what Francis wants to see is how he looks in his victims eyes as if he is part of them. For Will there is one person hovering behind the face of Hannibal Lecter and just as Will didn’t die in the kitchen nor did the stag.

Hannibal 3.09 wendingoBlood also acts as a mirror when Hannibal is staging Abigail’s death. Oh and isn’t it adorable that Hannibal doesn’t want to cut off one of Abigail’s fingers because he wants to teach her the harpsichord. Such a considerate father figure. I kid of course because isn’t an ear also important when it comes to playing instruments? Plus he was also setting the scene to frame Will, which is not a good way to treat family.

Hannibal 3.09 reflectionReflections also appear on the glass of Hannibal’s cell and I can only imagine what a nightmare it is to light these scenes and avoid the crew appearing alongside the actors. But you do get stunning shots like this one and it looks like there is a specter of Hannibal leaving with Will.

Hannibal 3.09 WillWhile I’m on the subject of stunning let it be known that this is at least the sixth time I have yelped and clapped my hands with glee at the sight of Alana Bloom’s costuming and Christopher Haggard is killing it this season with the lady suits (Alana is so far queen of #ladysuitwatch2015).

Hanibal 3.09 Alana and WillYucking it up with Jay Gatsby could be on the cards for Alana in this getup; a martini and cigarette holder is all that is needed to complete that look. At the same time it is a nod to Hannibal’s Italian striped attired and Alana’s sartorial choices are influenced by her former boyfriend. The last time we saw Alana chatting with Will it was far from cordial and they clearly have not kept in touch. Concern lingers with Alana taking her standard ‘worried about Will’ position and the warmth that previously existed between the pair has returned. He asks if she is still with Margot (she is) and they have a baby son, the all important Verger heir and Alana carried the baby. While Hannibal notes that Will doesn’t want children of his own because certain aspects might get passed on, Alana does not seem concerned that they will end up with a mini Mason. Just don’t let Hannibal anywhere near him.

Will asks the magic question regarding Alana’s motives in working here with Hannibal as her patient and her response is “There are only five doors between Hannibal and the outside. And I have the keys to all of them.” Control is important here as are boundaries, which Alana notes is not Hannibal’s forte. She also knows that her name is top of his kill list if he ever gets out and there is an aspect of keeping close to protect herself. Alana levels of dread when she talks with Hannibal are low and while he claimed she could never understand him, she knows him well enough to pinpoint what he fears the most and that is indignity. This scene between the pair is an interesting look at their shifting power dynamic and he never turns around to look at her in an attempt to outwit her, but she doesn’t back down either. Hannibal, you’re really missing out on an excellent suit here.

Hannibal 3.09 Hannibal and Alana Hannibal 3.09 Alana and HannibalLike Mason he is crass when it comes to her relationship with Margot and once again I am amazed that they got something like “I love a good finger wagging” followed by a reference to Margot by Standards and Practices. The camera focus shifts between them as we see them both trying to psych the other out with Will as the object between them. Hannibal snarks about the “moral dignity pants” Alana has him wearing and how Will is always free from fault. He treats her like a teacher telling him off for being a bad influence on a good kid.

Alana gives no fucks to Hannibal’s petulance in this situation, it helps there is a protective wall between them even if that wall is not visible.

Hannibal 3.09 Dr B and Dr L Hannibal 3.09 Dr L and Dr BShe threatens to take away all of his comforts and it is wonderful; “I’ll take your books. I’ll take your drawings. I’ll take your toilet. You’ll have nothing but indignity and the company of the dead.” I’m glad they have stuck with a fearless Alana (and Hannibal’s drawing of Alana last week points to this) rather than a quivering wreck, even if I am concerned that he will get an opportunity to follow through with his promise. I am also happy she is still with Margot and I hope their family unit can escape the shadow looming over every relationship on the show.

One person who has questioned Hannibal’s set up and Alana’s relationship with Hannibal considering she escaped the massacre at Muskrat Farm is Freddie Lounds. Yes Freddie is back and Tattle Crime provides an important service in letting Francis Dolarhyde see Will Graham’s face in relation to his case.

Hannibal 3.09 Tattle CrimeWill’s glasses! They remain off for the majority of the episode when he is interacting with those who know him and they come back on as soon as he leaves the facility.

Hannibal 3.09 Will glassesFreddie is back with her devious methods, insinuations and as a reminder of a long ago plot to capture Hannibal. Thanks to inferences about Alana Bloom and the nickname ‘murder husbands’ Will has no time for her shit even if she is spot on when it comes to how much serial killers love to read about themselves in the press. Freddie would make a good partner in this case despite her lack of boundaries or sense of ethics. She does continue to have an excellent coat collection.

Hannibal 3.09 Freddie LoundsIn the same way Will saw turning to Hannibal as a necessary evil, can he come to the same conclusion with Freddie before it is too late? She gets under his skin, but not into the back of his skull as Hannibal does.

The lengths we go to form and protect our families vary; the unique qualities are similar to how Hannibal discusses love with Abigail. Hannibal discusses honesty as he manipulates the shit out of everyone around him by using strong emotionally charges notions of love and family to pivot into a position of power. Francis Dolarhyde is a different kind of beast and yet Hannibal is curious enough to reach out to him and recognize his desire for a happy family. Reaching out to Dr. Lecter can give some benefits as he has experience in evading capture and he is nothing if not honest, but he also has plenty of self interests. Everyone is coming to him, some reluctantly and even though they know he is self serving there is an inevitability to it all. Hannibal will play the game and things are about to get very messy all over again.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do on Hannibal

19 Jul

Restraints both physical and mental feature prominently on Hannibal this week as the ‘Hannibal on the run’ arc comes to an end with an incredibly satisfying, sometimes horrifying and at times very funny episode. Hannibal has remained pretty unflappable throughout being hunted; even when he was beaten and lying on his ass he still didn’t have the look of a totally broken man despite being a little broken. Throughout his ordeal at Muskrat Farm which includes being stabbed, branded, tied up and teased with how his body will be prepared for a feast he never break a sweat. This is a man who has killed people in more ways than you could ever imagine and even when he is strung up like a pig waiting for slaughter he is always a few steps ahead.

Alana even goes as far as pointing out to a cocksure Mason why you shouldn’t play with Hannibal because Hannibal is always playing. Mason’s hubris is his ultimate downfall because while it looks like his well thought out torture plan for both Hannibal and his sister is foolproof the “finer details” are always evolving and he is not as good at reading people as the trained professionals.

Hannibal 3.07 welcomeBreaking up can be hard to do and “Digestivo” deals with what are effectively two big rejections. First there is Hannibal and Will; this took a drastic turn at the end of last week’s episode with a bone saw and thankfully Hannibal’s dinner prep was interrupted by the well timed and super corrupt cops paid off with Mason’s millions. Cutting the toxic Hannibal part out of Will’s life was imperative and Jack’s advice almost ended with Will as the one being sliced and diced. Not that this threat doesn’t continue over at Muskrat Farm as Mason’s plan for Will involves wearing his face while Mason eats Hannibal. Delightful.

Will and Hannibal’s fates are entwined and rather than pitting them against each other there is this sense they can only escape alive if they do it together. This can’t be achieved without help and Alana Bloom plays an important role in their escape as well as being somewhat responsible for their capture. Not that Alana is to blame for their predicament as she was simply trying to get to Hannibal before Will did, but Hannibal’s pull is strong and Will’s intimate knowledge of his memory palace meant the hunt would be quicker than tracking fancy foods from an upmarket deli. I do wonder how long it took to sail to Italy and it does seem like there are quicker forms of travel. Sailing does have the benefit of anonymity.

Hannibal 3.07 Will Graham dinnerOne ship that has long sailed (and a ship I am still kinda on, even if at this point it makes no sense) is Alana/Will. Mason has made plenty of sleazy comments about Alana’s relationship with Hannibal, but it seems he is unfamiliar with Will’s previous romantic overtures towards Dr. Bloom. Mason does question whether he can trust Alana and he is seemingly convinced by her assurance that she had nothing to do with the plan in Italy going array; however I wonder if he would be so chill in leaving Will hanging out alone in the dining room if he knew Alana and Will were friends? He at least has to be aware that they worked together. But once again this can be chalked up to Mason’s inability to see everything that is going on around him.

Hannibal 3.07 Alana convo with WillIn the past when Will and Alana have sat down together the wide shot has been used to show them on equal footing and with a level of intimacy even when one of them is in handcuffs. In this scene Alana doesn’t sit directly opposite instead she chooses a chair slightly away from him and the wide shot is replaced with solo coverage. The sense of distance, disappointment and even anger emanates from both characters with Will taking jabs at her moral compass with her role in their capture. Basically he is being a bit of a dick, but considering his predicament and the awkward looking suit he has been made to wear I guess I can give him a pass on his tone. But Alana is not just going to sit there and take it because after all he rejected her when she went to see him at Hannibal’s home, which led her to seek another less savory avenue for capturing Hannibal.

It would be nice if she gave him an update on his dogs (which I assume she is looking after when she is not at the Verger’s) although now is maybe not the time to throw in a PS ‘Winston misses you’ remark.

Going outside the law is one of the things he sneers at her about and he asks what she thought would happen; she believed Jack and the FBI would save the day. For the second time this plan has failed, which is where the all important notion of evolution plays a vital role in how the rest of the action progresses. Will tells Alana “you have to evolve. You have to spill blood. Either by your own hand or someone else’s.”

And who do they have lying around who wants to spill some blood?

Hannibal 3.07 floral coat Hannibal 3.07 Margot furThis task needs fabulous outerwear with furs and florals being an ideal way to brighten up any pig pen. Also in terms of the Alana Bloom sartorial switch-up this coat harks back to her pre-defenestration wrap dress prints nodding towards an Alana of old. Margot is coming face to face with her former therapist and champion of all things fratricide, for Alana it is even more intense as this is the first time she is seeing her ex since he got a teenage girl to throw her out of a window. They’ve briefly talked on the phone of course, but nothing quite prepares you for seeing the dude you used to date strung up nearly naked. Will’s pep talk has spurred on Alana and not only does she take out the guard with ease using a tranq gun, but she also holds her nerve with Hannibal; she does not cry or yell. Instead she politely implores him to save Will coming down to his level face to face.

This shot and the way they are starring at each other is everything.

Hannibal 3.07 Hannibal and AlanaThe key here is saving Will and really saving Will has always been number one on Alana’s agenda even if she made some misguided choices with her love life last season. But Will is not the only one who needs to break free from Mason’s sweaty clutches as Margot has too long been controlled by her sadistic brother. Their father’s will states only Mason or another heir is the beneficiary of the estate and it is an important reminder when Mason brags about this fact that Margot’s baby plan is entwined with her desire to be free from his influence.

Hannibal is offering his services here, but he wants Margot to commit the act (he sure does like getting other people to kill) and he will take the blame offering up his hair as evidence to place in Mason’s hand. Before Alana rips it from his scalp she asks “Could I have ever understood you?” Hannibal’s reply of “no” is somewhat dismissive of her psychiatrist talents giving her the perfect impetus (along with everything else he has doe) to cause him a little pain. The foley department gets an A+ for this hair tug sound and Hannibal definitely flinches a little.

By promising to save Will, he also delivers what sounds like a threat and a half when he tells her that he always keeps his promises. Should Alana be worried for her own life? Not this week and he even helps them with another not so pleasant task involving a cattle prod and ‘milking.’ I full on snort laughed when Alana coolly revealed Hannibal knows how to use a cattle prod (of course he does). I really want a deleted scene of his this conversation went down – “Just one more thing Hannibal before you carry Will off into the sunset…”

Hannibal 3.07 pig nurseryIf you were ever under the illusion that Mason Verger is not a twisted sick fuck then “Digestivo” is here to really cement this character trait. Mason has long been toying with Margot from her tear infused martinis to the diabolical act of removing her uterus and aborting her baby. He has a surprise for her this week as he took her eggs and didn’t Humpty Dumpty them (which is a horrifying phrase which also made me laugh) but instead put them in another basket. And there is a baby! But this is not a joyful occasion and the extreme nature of where this baby is being kept hits a new level of ‘what the fuckery?’ horror for this show.

Mason’s all things pigs extends to the torture of his sister and as Will is being prepared for his face removal we see Alana and Margot cutting the baby out of the pig in a heartbreaking and disturbing moment pushing Margot towards the plan Hannibal has been suggesting all along.

Hannibal 3.07 Alana and MargotOn Hannibal there are a lot of unhealthy relationships and this episode explores breaking free of these toxic binds, but one pairing which could change this trend is Margot and Alana. Plenty is stacked against them including the circumstances which brought them together and the baggage they both carry. But who doesn’t have a stuff in their past that they’d rather forget? And I think it is important to see how they both get through this shit and their experiences with manipulators without just coming across as victims. Just look at the way the light frames them in this shot among the darkness.

I’ve talked plenty of times in the past about Alana’s position as the heart of the show, a nurturing role which places her in a position with traits which are traditionally feminine. With Margot she offers up a warmth she is probably not used to and I really hope these two can make it, but maintaining a romantic relationship on Hannibal is probably harder than staying alive on Hannibal if you are in the regular cast. Self-preservation is what Alana preaches to Will when she discusses her recent choices and yet her actions have all been about saving both Margot and Will.

Hannibal 3.07 Margot goldPost baby discovery Margot has mascara streaked cheeks and no time for Mason’s threats; she has what she needs (ta Hannibal) and it’s over. Mason’s blood stained face (courtesy of his not Will Graham mask) and general demeanor adds a farcical element further, heightened by Katharine Isabelle’s amazing line reading (and nod to Mason’s earlier declaration) of “mostly yours” had me cackling. Mason’s end is pretty fitting as he ends up being held down in his fish tank by Margot and Alana – in it together – and his eel ends up swimming into his mouth essentially asphyxiating him (which also symbolically looks a whole lot like another kind of violation). Bye Mason!

Hannibal 3.07 bloody Will Hannibal 3.07 Hannibal Hannibal 3.07 MasonOkay not quite time to finish with him as we’ve still got his dude dinner party to discuss – how did they get a chat about penis cooking followed by a shot of sausages by the Standards and Practices people?

Mason also provided some new clothes for Will and Hannibal dressing them up all nice in a way which Hannibal normally does (although the striped shirt is not his usual speed this side of the Atlantic) and the already mentioned slightly out of place Will suit. Will also ruins what was a perfectly lovely dinner (not really) by biting Cordell’s cheek and spitting out the offending part. Which leads me to other shots of Hugh Dancy from this episode looking slightly deranged.

Hannibal 3.07 Will Hannibal 3.07 Will Graham Hannibal 3.07 Will surgeryIn all fairness to him he did start the episode with his head getting cut open and then he did almost end up faceless. Not a good week for Will Graham and so it is not a huge surprise when he rejects all things Hannibal after he has been rescued. It is his time to evolve; no more mind palaces or chasing the man who has occupied his thoughts for three seasons. All Will wants to do is hang out with his dogs, his dogs that he misses more than Hannibal (burn).

Ending relationships with ties as strong as this is difficult and for Margot she had to get rid of her brother in a definitive way and while Will seems over the whole killing Hannibal notion, it is the only way he will be truly free from his influence (he just can’t help himself).

Hannibal 3.07 Will and HannibalThe bedside dismissal is pretty emphatic and the point of light in the scene gives this serene edge to the end of this affair. Well, Will thinks it is the end, but Hannibal is always playing and like an ex you can’t get rid of he has a plan to keep himself in Will’s life. Even if this means sacrificing his own freedom which he earned in stunning fashion earlier in the episode.Hannibal 3.07 breaking free Hannibal 3.07 arrested Hannibal You don’t dump Hannibal, he definitely dumps you.

Hannibal 3.07 Chiyo and HannibalAnother significant hello/goodbye occurs outside Will Graham’s home as Chiyo and Hannibal come face to face for the first time in a long time. Chiyo has acted as Jack Crawford savior with her trusty rifle and I also have to guess that he helped get her into the US after she saved his life. She’s been a character who has been neither here nor there for me in that she has acted as a peek into Hannibal’s past, but with not much else (other than another edition into the fabulous coat collection of Hannibal) beyond being a bit of a plot device and this is a shame.

Hannibal 3.07 ChiyoShe does ask the questions regarding Mischa – he didn’t kill her, but he did eat her. In the end she believes some beasts should remain free and she leaves into the night when Hannibal is arrested. Will we see her again?

Hannibal 3.07 Will glassesOh and you know what’s back at the end? Oh yeah, Will Graham’s glasses

Time jumps and Red Dragon are coming! For a 5 minute preview and the Comic-Con panel head here.

Watch the ‘Red Dragon’ Hannibal Preview from Comic-Con and the Hannibal Panel (Update) 

13 Jul

The future of Hannibal still hangs in the balance (sadly both Amazon and Netflix have passed) and at the Hannibal Pannibal on Saturday at Comic-Con Bryan Fuller said they are still exploring options including the possibility of a feature.

There is still plenty of Hannibal left to enjoy and it looks like this week’s episode will be wrapping up the Hannibal on the run storyline. A time jump of three years will take us into the Red Dragon arc and a five minute preview reveals a whole lot more of Richard Armitage as Francis Dolarhyde (the blurring button is getting a workout this season). Armitage was introduced to the world of flower crowns and Fannibals at the panel this weekend.

Hannibal PannibalArmitage appears far less terrifying here than he does as Dolarhyde and it really looks like he has captured the terrifying physicality of this character that in the past has been played by Ralph Fiennes and Tom Noonan. There are two sides to Dolarhyde and if this preview is anything to go by Armitage nails both.

If you are unfamiliar with the Red Dragon arc and don’t want to know what fate awaits Hannibal then maybe wait to watch this clip until after this Thursday’s episode, but I definitely clapped my hands with glee at new haircuts, visual flourishes, red suits (because of course) and different living arrangements. This is the one Thomas Harris book I have read and I’m looking forward to seeing how Bryan Fuller is going to put his spin on the material (especially when he has used some of it for the Freddie fakeout last season).

https://youtu.be/loOgfXNs-VI

Updated! 

Watch the super fun panel below includinb Bryan Fuller revealing how Comic-Con played a big part in the “spitters are quitters” line from a couple of weeks ago, how short shorts are coming and Hugh Dancy reminding Fuller of which Red Dragon lines they have already used. Also Fannibals have such good costumes and questions. 

http://youtu.be/Dmi1ubZQtZo

Head here for a review of last week’s episode “Dolce.”

Where Does One Begin and the Other End on Hannibal?

10 Jul

So that is what it feels like to take Bedelia’s concoction of drugs as this is one super trippy episode of Hannibal – yes even by Hannibal standards – as beginnings and ends blurred as one with all the many players in the Hannibal hunt approaching their prize. Plus there is always time for a kaleidoscope infused sex scene (thankfully minus the stag man from the last super trippy sex montage).

Hannibal 3.06 HannibalLast week ended with a broken and bloody Hannibal limping away into the night with a bruised and bloody Will Graham heading in the same direction to offer up his forgiveness. Hannibal is cornered, but he is not going to go down without a fight and while there are many after him; the conflicting reasons behind their desire to get Hannibal offers him up a chance of escape. Some want to kill him so they can shed that part of them, others want to cage him as he had caged them, money provides motive as does good old fashioned revenge.

All are operating outside the law so even though Jack and Alana just want to see him behind bars (I think both wouldn’t be too upset if he was killed but they’re primary objective is justice without any more casualties) they are working with other forces who don’t necessarily share this same view.

Jack wants to save the broken imagination of Will Graham which he borrowed and set him on this path of destruction; he tells Will that he needs to cut out the part which dreams of leaving with Hannibal. And this is probably why his choice of weapon against Hannibal is a knife as by slicing Hannibal it might free him and maybe he wants to etch a matching smile on his belly to solidify their bond. Will is foiled by Chiyo who is waiting with her rifle and her desire to cage the beast. Hannibal really does have a way of drawing people in and manipulating them in such a way that it feels imperative to protect him against all danger.

Hannibal 3.06 elevatorThis gives Hannibal to opportunity to return to his position of apex predator as he now has control over an injured Will and plenty of drugs to subdue him. Tying him up is for later and despite not having read or seen the movie Hannibal I am very aware of the Ray Liotta brain eating scene and my dread levels at who might receive this fate grew with every moment Will sat at the table and the back of his head was in shadow. When Will asked who else was coming to dinner those fears shifted from Will to Jack who we see entering the building and sharing a lift with Chiyo, rifle case and all. No words are uttered in this journey up to the seventh floor and instead of engaging in violence Chiyo simply retreats saying she has got the wrong floor. Maybe she realized that there are too many players in this scenario and now she can fly free.

Unlike the epic fight sequence last week Jack enters the apartment without the upper hand and Hannibal is lying in wait under the table, ready to pounce and have the dinner party that was so rudely derailed at the end of last season.

Hannibal 3.06 dinnerWill is informed that you should never ask what is for dinner as it ruins the surprise, the surprise being that you are the one who is being served. Ah yes it is Will who is to suffer the brain eating and Jack can do nothing but react (cue plenty of screaming). The blood budget continues to grow this season as Will’s sprays all over the place rising up toward the ceiling as Jack’s did when he lay dying in Hannibal’s wine cellar. Cutting from the blood spray and blue skies to both Will and Hannibal strung upside down and back in America as they are welcomed to Muskrat Farm by none other than Mason Verger; Verger in this moment is Will’s savior and future torturer.

How did we get from dinner about to be served out of Will’s head to snowy scenes? Bedelia and Mason’s riches are the key to this one and instead of buying just one police officer Margot went ahead and made ‘friends’ with the whole department. Bedelia may not be fooling anyone with her “I’m Mrs Fell” routine, but she is not the prize everyone is vying for so in the end she gives the all important clue to Hannibal’s location and I’m guessing they arrived before too much damage could be done to Will’s already broken brain.

Mason has a whole lot planned for Hannibal and by extension Will (a two for one deal) as he is also high up on Mason’s shit list for various acts such as being present when the face eating occurred and impregnating his sister.

Hannibal 3.06 Peking HannibalIn one of Mason’s dreams he is walking (although his face is still disfigured) and surveying the Peking Duck version of Hannibal as the centerpiece of his revenge plan. While Mason seems to be winning in the ‘Who can get to Hannibal first? game (aside from the Pazzi money he lost) he doesn’t realize there is another scheme at play between his sister and Alana.

Flirtation has progressed to a super trippy merging body parts sex scene which feels like a sequel of sorts to the even trippier five-way that took place last year between two different bedrooms; Will saw Alana where Margot was and now Alana is there for Margot too. This pairing and subsequent hook-up is fine, but I also wish there had been more groundwork aside from that initial flirtatious scene in the stables because it all feels rather rushed. The way Alana ties up Margot’s black and white DVF wrap dress (which I am coveting hard) shows a level of care and intimacy telling us a lot about their union and yet I would have liked to see more buildup between the pair. It also nicely links back to Alana’s pre-window incident styling.

Hannibal 3.06 AlanaAlana is wearing the plaid suit that got me so amped when I first saw it back when the promo photos were released as it mimics Hannibal’s style while also showcasing her new sartorial direction; the red plunging blouse and matching lipstick add to this aesthetic and there is still plenty of femininity in her look. It is also less severe than the all red looks which has dominated her costuming this season.

Hannibal 3.06 Alana and MargotMargot’s let her hair down since Alana arrived and her curls mirror her new lovers while offering up a softer more nurturing side to her brother as part of the ruse. Mason’s cruelty took on a disturbing level when he not only terminated Margot’s pregnancy, but also removed her uterus taking away her choice and chance at any inheritance. Her plan is still focused on getting that back and Mason holds the key; he thinks she is agreeing to raise a child together, but instead she is in collusion with Alana and Alana is going to turn Mason into the FBI when he has Hannibal. In the end Alana Bloom is still very much the same Alana Bloom as she was before the defenestration encounter.

Now both Hannibal and Will are on the farm it seems that Alana’s position within the Verger inner circle will be of paramount importance; how will she react when confronted with a Hannibal in need of savior?

Hannibal 3.06 Will and BedeliaHistory has a way of repeating as Bedelia notes (and something I focused on last week) and the “hot darkness of Hannibal Lecter’s mind” has a way of dragging people down into the inky abyss in many different ways. Bedelia is one such person and she has embraced this at times including an actual embrace as Bedelia and Hannibal go beyond bathtime chats in levels of intimacy in “Dolce” with an actual goodbye kiss.

In a reverse of Bedelia’s whispered assurance that she believed Will last season when he was locked up, Will leans in and whispers “I don’t believe you.” But at this point Bedelia is giving none of the fucks and the performance Gilliam Anderson gives as she’s half propped up is incredible.

Hannibal 3.06 BedeliaJust look at this exceptional face.

Jack even admits that he can’t be that mad at her because her plan is quite incredible and they also note her unprecedented survival skills. Lucky for her the net closed in before she had marinated for the appropriate time and this suggests her weekly trips to the same high end deli was no mistake; she was simply sending out the signals as to Hannibal’s location to anyone who might be looking. Even though she has essentially been free the entire time, as with everyone else she can’t leave his sphere of influence and she is another one of his birds. But at least she had the foresight to hatch her own escape plan for when he did get caught.

Hannibal 3.06 galleryDrawn together and in a scene which resembles a meet cute of sorts in the gallery location which means so much to Hannibal (which gave me instant About Time feelings), but instead of it being a first hello it is reunion wrapped up in a goodbye. They share smiles, jokes, hurt feelings, catching up on what they have been up to. The usual.

Hannibal 3.06 Will smilesThere is a strong romantic undercurrent from the music that floats between the words to the discussion about how they are blurring into one. Except the romance here is tinged with death as Will reveals he feels guilty of all of Hannibal’s many, many crimes. We have been inside Will’s head so many times where he experiences other people’s diabolical acts and it isn’t surprising that some of them have remained inside his empathetic mind.

We’ve spent so long circling Will and Hannibal and when they would sharing the same space beyond mind palace chats, stabbing hug flashbacks and playing “I forgive you” hide and seek so when they came together in this location it hit me harder emotionally in a way I wasn’t expecting. Sure really horrible things went down after this conversation, but in this moment in the gallery I totally understood all the Hannigram devotion. Plus Hannibal turned Bedelia and Will into Botticelli figures which is some kind of next level fan art from Hannibal.

Hannibal 3.06 drawingAnd for surreal inky ‘we become one’ images look no further than Will’s drug induced dinner time visions.

Hannibal 3.06 blurringNow Will and Hannibal’s fates are entwined in another fashion and it isn’t a case of whether Will kills Hannibal or if Hannibal eats Will. Instead they are both in the same pig farm predicament and it is going to be fun seeing how they get out of this pickle and where it leaves them after.

In the Belly of the Beast on Hannibal

3 Jul

To catch Hannibal you need to be several steps ahead of him, which is hard to do as he has been playing this game far longer and with more success than anyone else. Season 3 of Hannibal has turned away from the case of the week format where Hannibal played a role in helping catch killers while adding to the ever growing body count. The confrontation between all the participants in Hannibal’s world at the end of last year – friend, colleague, lover – revealed who Hannibal really is (some were more aware than others) and set in motion a whole chain of events which has led to this very different narrative setup.

Hannibal 3.05 HannibalThe pacing has been a little meandering in places sharing in Hannibal’s indulgences while the survivors piece themselves back together and decide what to do next. There has been much talk and many shots of snails doing their thing whether they are being eaten or helping the transformation of another creature such as the firefly. Snails are hardy creatures when not being devoured by Hannibal and his dinner guests as they can survive being eaten by a bird and making it out of the “belly of the beast.” The firefly played a big part in the tableau Will created at Hannibal’s childhood home and signified a transformation with Will taking on the Hannibal role as he talks to Chiyo about the man he manipulated her into killing. Chiyo might have spent years practically alone ‘standing still’ but she can read Will’s intentions. Hannibal taught her well.

In a rather intimate scene shifting away from their usual bathtime philosophical discussion – do they ever take part in talk which is not layered with meaning? – and with Hannibal as the one wearing less clothes the conversation is dominated by doing things that are in our nature. Hannibal’s belief in not shocking news is that it is “Better to live true to yourself for an instant” Bedelia thinks that almost anything can be trained to resist its instincts including Will Graham, but as Hannibal points out that instinct is always there, regardless of the training. There is also the reciprocity of Will travelling to kill Hannibal while Hannibal waits to kill Will. Plus all those other interested parties waiting to upset the balance. While all of this is going on Hannibal caresses Bedelia’s neck which both reads as menacing and comforting. I’m still wondering if they have slept together and leaning at probably not despite the lack of clothes.

Hannibal 3.05 Hannibal and BedeliaSnails and fireflies. Night and day. One comes after the other and this issue of duality is an underlying theme of Hannibal. The person we are versus the person we allow the world to see can vary and for the first two seasons as the audience we know exactly who Hannibal is and for the rest of the characters this has come to light at different points. Will is sympathetic towards Hannibal because he understands him and this bond is rare, but this is probably not a good enough reason for the crimes that have been committed and would not stand up in court as a reasonable defense.

The battle for Will Graham pits Jack against Hannibal even when Will is not present, plus it is an internal war he wages with himself as he fears he might become Hannibal if he doesn’t kill him. And really he has already done some pretty fucked up bad things as part of this long game.

Chiyo reasons there are other ways to influence outside of violence and she blindsides Will with a kiss before pushing him off the back of the train. Sex and money are two big ones with money playing a big part in the downfall of Pazzi. Pazzi is down on his luck and even though his home life is one full of light and happiness it is his forever quest to catch Hannibal that haunts him.

Pazzi’s folly is that he repeats the mistakes of Jack and Alana as he goes after Hannibal outside the bounds of the law he works in. For Pazzi this is motivated in part by Mason Verger’s reward along with the desire to catch his monster. Once again Hannibal is one step ahead and he even has an elaborate and public way to kill Pazzi echoing what happened to one of his ancestors who also fell foul to the promise of riches.

Hannibal 3.05 Alana, Mason and PazziThis is one dance with the beast that won’t result in surviving to tell the tale and Will warned Pazzi that Hannibal would kill him. Like Will, Alana knows Hannibal intimately and after they have spoken to Pazzi she tells Mason they are sending him to certain torture and death. Alana is different after the attack and this is evident as I mentioned last week by her shift in styling which has moved away from ultra-feminine silhouettes and prints to tailoring with a severe edge. Long gone are the wrap dresses and pencil skirts; enter pants, a whole lot of red and silver blazers with amazing lapels (this echoes the Margot Verger gold jacket which sadly never made it to screen).

Hannibal 3.05 AlanaThe old Alana hasn’t been completely erased due to the extra marrow in her blood or the pain she is trying to mask with lipstick, a new wardrobe and a steely gaze; she’s still there below the surface and her instinct tells her to ring Pazzi to warn him of how dangerous his task is. But she is too late and instead she gets a rather chipper Hannibal who seems very pleased to hear her voice. Alas he has pressing issues (bowels in or out?) and can’t chat for long.

For Alana it looks like she has been punched in the gut and seen a ghost at the same time when she realizes who is on the other end and this temporarily cracks her cool give no shits demeanor. She might be able to handle Mason and all his crass talk about her relationship with Hannibal without even flinching, but Hannibal Lecter is a whole other story. This is the worst kind of running into your ex when you least expect it story, even when it is just his voice. Months of therapy down the drain after that interaction. I’ve been rewatching Wonderfalls and Caroline Dhavernas is the queen of the reaction shot and this is the case in this moment too as she gives a look of shock and a brief chin quiver before resetting to almost neutral.

Hannibal 3.05 Alana phoneThe Will/Hannibal reunion is going to have to wait a little longer especially as Will has found himself alone (well apart from the stag) and on foot. That really was bold and cold move by Chiyo but I also have to applaud the way she dispatched him so easily. If only Will could jump onto his imaginary stag and ride it like a horse.Hannibal 3.05 trainPrior to this as they chatted on the back of the train the idea of night and day came up and how at night we are a little less seen. Once again the notion of who a person is versus how they appear is an important discussion point and Hannibal has been embracing who he is far more this year than previously.

Hannibal 3.05 WillFor Will he is still caught between these factors and he mentions how he hears voices from everywhere. As he lies on his train bunk bed enveloped in darkness it gives off a coffin vibe. Water has played an important in showing which characters are drowning or sinking into this bleak world, here it is just darkness.

The dance up to this point has been slow with the narrative unfolding in a manner which has allowed Bryan Fuller to indulge in his love of art house cinema. This has mostly been brilliant and an interesting approach with incredible visual flourishes, but I did have to stifle an eye roll at the coins going into the payphone in slo-mo as that really did feel unnecessary. Tension was increased as confrontations took place first with Pazzi and Hannibal followed by one supremely kick ass fight sequence.

Hannibal 3.05 Jack Hannibal 3.05 twisted Romeo and JulietRepetition of shots is something Hannibal does so well and early in “Contorno” we see Jack look to the skies prior to scattering Bella’s ashes in the country they met. He also throws his wedding ring into the water in a move that is maybe a tad impulsive as this feels like something to keep hold of. Maybe he is really letting it all go and the ring is a necessary casualty. Later he has this super twisted Romeo and Juliet looking moment with Hannibal, but they are not star-crossed lovers and there is man missing his guts swinging between them. This episode includes many trips down memory lane and how past mistakes get repeated in the present. Hannibal plays the piano because it is the instrument which has the “quality of a memory” and he knows exactly who Pazzi is. Pazzi makes the mistake of his ancestor in valuing money above honor and pays the exact same price. Alana makes a phone call as a warning as she did in the season 2 finale which doesn’t have the outcome she wanted. Time is a flat circle, right?

Well one bit of history not repeating comes in the epic beat down Jack delivers on Hannibal and as with the kitchen fight he uses all the tools at his disposal including a rather unpleasant grappling device. It takes the tension from the Pazzi scene and explodes it over the screen as Jack does by throwing Hannibal through a glass case. Hannibal tries to bait him with sympathy and suggestions of how he eased Bella’s pain and when this doesn’t work he asks the simple question “How will you feel when I’m gone?” Jack answers with the equally simple “Alive” and is everyone going to feel trapped for as long as Hannibal is free?

Jack doesn’t kill Hannibal and instead Hannibal makes his escape bloody and broken down the dangling body of Pazzi looking very much like he probably did at the end of the new Rihanna video.

Can anyone ever truly get over having been in the belly of the beast?

Putting the Pieces Back Together for those Hannibal has “Framed and Maimed”

26 Jun

Last season of Hannibal ended with a lot of broken bodies lying on the floor; Will, Abigail and Jack bleeding profusely from a variety of stab wounds while Alana lay outside in the rain after being pushed from a first floor window. Out of the four victims, three are still alive (Abigail exists in Will’s mind palace shifting this week to a bloodier version than how she appeared in episode 2) and in various states both physically and mentally regarding their ordeal.

Other victims of Hannibal’s manipulation are still around to tell their tales and Fredrick Chilton acts as a sad kind of Hannibal hunting recruiter offering his services only to be rejected by all. One such person is Mason Verger and it was never Hannibal’s intention to kill him as Mason so astutely points out; his horrifically disfigured face and current state of living was all part of the plan.

Hannibal 3.04 Mason and AlanaWhat “Aperitivo” does is shift the focus away from Italy and back to Baltimore tracking the last 8 months through the physical rehabilitation of those Hannibal left behind. The most obvious in terms of time passing is Alana who goes from being pushed out of the window – now she has a reason to use the word defenestration – to a device which holds her broken bones in place in a room worthy of a sci-fi movie. A room without a TV is punishment enough without adding Chilton blathering on about how she put herself in the position to be pushed out of a window. He might bring a nice bunch of flowers, but he really needs to work on his bedside manner. Later she goes from a wheelchair to using a walking stick and as with the others who have been hurt by Hannibal she has a strong defense strategy in place.

Not that she isn’t haunted by what took place; you can bury those memories deep but they will continue to bubble under the surface in certain circumstances particularly when revisiting the scene of the crime.

Hannibal 3.04 Alana hospitalVengeance is what Alana is after and it is actually Chilton who gives her the idea to use Will to get there as psychiatry is her tool in the same way predators use understanding (which she points out to Mason Verger in a later conversation). Alana has been romantically involved with both Will and Hannibal and she was put in the position of Hannibal defender last year creating numerous issues (I wrote about the disservice to Alana here). Hannibal told her that he tried very hard to blind her and here she accepts some of the blame as you “cannot see what you will not see.” Instead of being fearful or a quivering wreck in need of a good psychiatrist Alana is heading into revenge territory by whatever means necessary even if that means teaming up with Mason Verger in the guise of his psychiatrist.

Opportunity is how Chilton presents himself and he doesn’t have much of anything that anyone else needs; he doesn’t have the same insight or resources as the other players in this game. Instead he comes with flowers for the wounded and reveals his true face to Mason comparing how Hannibal fucked up their look with an ‘I’ll show you mine if you show me yours’ kind of situation. Chilton has a lot of covering up to do, but at least he didn’t eat his own nose.

Hannibal 3.04 ChiltonMason rejects Chilton just like everyone else does despite their shared scars and interests. Chilton’s self-serving plan which he attempts to masquerade as team work is so transparent; all he wants is Hannibal in his hospital and the ability to use the “Hannibal the Cannibal” name he copyrighted straight after he had been shot in the face. Chilton wants what is owed to him through his lost body parts with fame and fortune and this has always been his primary concern. It is so great having Raul Esparza back as while Dr Chilton is a vulture picking over the scraps of everyone else’s work and falling foul to his compulsive imitation he adds much needed humor in the darkness.

Seeing his pitches failing over and over again doesn’t get boring and while he fails in finding a partner in his Hannibal hunting venture he motivates everyone else to do something without him. Mason wants to understand Hannibal and while he knows Chilton cannot provide his entry into the mind of his enemy he finds a psychiatrist who knows Hannibal intimately. Pointing this out in crude and slut shaming terms is what Mason does if you had forgotten how repulsive he is. The choking and drooling while Alana watches on calmly and looking like she gives none of the fucks is what you get for being so awful; this is not the way to find out who Hannibal is.

Later on Mason turns down the indecent remarks asking why Hannibal favored Alana. Amusement is the answer and “things either amuse him or they don’t and if they don’t… well you didn’t.” Nice burn. A quick costume note as Mason is wearing a plaid suit in this scene and he is pulling the imitation through clothes card in the same way Chilton did – is this so he can better understand Hannibal?

Hannibal 3.04 MasonTaste is how you get to Hannibal and Alana accurately suggests Europe is where they should focus their hunt. Wine and truffles is how you track him as “His name will change, but his taste will not.” One other taste is Will Graham and Alana uses what Chilton said to her while she was in recovery as he discussed Will being back in Hannibal’s orbit. Manipulation is what is required to get to this point and even though Will dismissed Alana when she went to see him at Hannibal’s in a heartbreaking scene (as I mentioned on Twitter I still ship Alana and Will even though it makes zero sense at this point) motions have still been set in place and Will does indeed head out into the great beyond. By being at Will’s house at the end of the episode and telling Jack that Will knows what he needs to do it suggests Alana has had some influence over events set in motion. That or Will just needs someone to dog sit again.

Hannibal 3.04 Alana and Will

Hannibal 3.04 Will and AbigailAnother interesting thing about Alana working with Mason comes with this idea of control and power. Mason in the past has been a fearful figure particularly for his sister Margot who he has violated in the most horrific way by not only terminating her pregnancy, but also removing her womb. His favorite drink is a martini with her tears and he still has plenty of goons around to prepare “the theater of Hannibal’s death” and yet Alana shows no fear in front of him.

Hannibal 3.04 Alana and MasonPower comes in many different forms and Alana holds all the cards here through her psychiatric skills and her knowledge of Hannibal’s preferences. In this wide shot we see the petite Alana at the same height as Mason; she might have a cane but Mason’s injuries are far more severe and she is not afraid to get close and stare this man down.

She mentions to Chilton in the hospital that a lot of marrow went into her blood which might change the way she thinks and this Alana is all defense. While it is fun to see her embracing this darker side I hope she doesn’t lose too much of the empathy and compassion that gave us a warmer and more empathetic point of view in this bleak world.

Hannibal 3.04 Alana and MargotCostuming wise Alana’s attire in this episode is just as exciting for me as everything Bedelia wore in the premiere and she is the only one wearing bold color, as Bedelia was. First of all Alana has ditched the wrap dresses and pencil skirts for pants (the cast promo photos pointed to this change) and by changing her style it further adds to this hardening of her character. The red lipstick and going from a lose wave to tighter curls gives an Old Hollywood impression as if Alana is starring in her own film noir. All she needs is a cigarette holder and birdcage veil (and Caroline Dharvernas has the perfect look for this).

Hannibal 3.04 Alana red lipstickAlana and Will are working the angles in very different ways but they woke up from their ordeals in very similar initially bathed in white light surroundings. One of them looks far more at peace than the other.

Hannibal 3.04 Alana close up Hannibal 3.04 Will close upOne hospital awakening which is in stark contrast is Jack’s as he has a companion laying next to him and his first conversation that we see is not with Dr Chilton (Abigail morphs into Chilton for Will). Last week Jack mentioned that he died, an assertion he repeats to Bella. Jack survived by not pulling out the glass sticking out of his throat and the version of his bleeding shows the blood flowing up towards the sky. There are plenty of repeats of what went down in the season finale such as the Hannibal/Will stabbing embrace and different takes on these moments add to the operatic horror.

Hannibal 3.04 JackBella is still dying of cancer and this is where my heart felt like it had been stomped on as while Jack survived he then watches his wife die. As with the cutting between Will being saved and Abigail’s dead body being prepared, with Jack and Bella it switches between getting ready for their wedding and for her funeral. It is all about ritual by picking out dresses and putting on makeup but with very different end results. The flowers are switched out for candles and Alana appears in front of Jack where his wife once stood.

Hannibal 3.04 Bella Hannibal 3.04 Alana Bella dressEven though Hannibal’s only appearance comes via a letter we see him writing to Jack offering condolences (not for stabbing him in the neck, but for the woman he had affection for even if he played with her desire to die with a toss of a coin) his presence is felt throughout. The discovery of this note comes with the well timed appearance from a bespectacled Will Graham and while he previously rejected Jack reaching out to him by revealing the why of his phone call warning Hannibal – he wanted to run away with him – he is there for Jack when he needs it most. Will earlier neglects to tell him that a version of their take down Hannibal plan ends with him getting stabbed by both Hannibal and Will.

Jack and Will are frank with each other and after Will has revealed his truth to Jack, Jack does the same telling Will that he knows what is coming for him while handing him Hannibal’s note as if it is a clue. It is like everyone knows how this game is going to play out and they are still going to proceed; not everyone has the same self preservation as the scar tissue which grows to protect.

Oh and Will is wearing his glasses in this scene as it is pre-Italy trip and suggests he is still hiding something from Jack.

Hannibal 3.04 Will and JackWhen Chilton goes to see Jack as he is packing up his FBI desk he of course gets rejected as he has done by everyone else, but he does something very important and reminds Jack of his role in getting Will Graham into the position he is in using a lovely fishing ‘dangling’ metaphor. This is where Jack’s guilt of borrowing Will’s imagination from last week and once again Chilton is the catalyst, but not in the way he would want to be.

“There is no opportunity for you here” Will informs Chilton after he offers friendship by suggesting he literally knows how he feels. This is not the case and Will told Chiyo when they met that Hannibal is the only person who has ever understood him which is why he will fix a boat and sail to him. When they cut to the welding scene a small part (okay big part) hoped “Pony” would start playing.

Hannibal 3.04 sailingHappy hunting!

Own a Piece of Hannibal and that Cancellation News

23 Jun

Last night I came out of a screening of Inside Out feeling like I’d had an emotional workout of the best kind (instant new Pixar favorite) and as I glanced at my phone I noticed an all exclamation tweet that had been sent my way. Upon opening it a big wall of sadness hit as it was a friend alerting me to the Hannibal cancellation news and the whole of my TL was discussing this surprise announcement. Of course the ratings are terrible so that part was not a shock, but it was the timing that came out of the blue.

Cue all the crying Will Graham gifs (do an image search – there are many). Alana Bloom gives good rage for this situation too. And then came the reasoning as this isn’t necessarily Hannibal’s final meal (I will see myself out) and the show is still being shopped around to non-NBC parties. Like many of its characters, this is not an easy show to kill it off.

Hannibal 2.13 food prepNow might be a good time to take advantage of the Hannibal auction taking place on the Prop Store featuring 125 items from the first two seasons including costumes, ID badges, sketches, limbs and recipe cards. Want to own Will’s prison jumpsuit? Well you can and there are two days left to bid on these items. Here are some of the pieces we would love to own.

Hannibal kill suitHalloween costume sorted with the all important vinyl ‘Kill Suit‘ which Hannibal has worn on multiple occasions including when he framed Dr Chilton and admired another serial killers work last season.

Beverly Katz leather jacketLeather jackets are a staple of many characters who work in law enforcement and I was remiss in not including Beverly Katz in my end of year round-up. But maybe it was due to feeling emotional as this is from the episode last season when Beverly ventured too far into Hannibal’s home.

Alana dressAn Alana Bloom DVF wrap dress!  Worn in the season 2 finale “Mizumono” (which I wrote about here) and it is the one item I would really want to bid on even if it is far too teeny tiny for me to wear. A huge non shocker to anyone who has read my Hannibal costuming posts and knows my love of all things Alana and DVF.

Hannibal broken tea cupAfter the cancellation news we are all Hannibal’s broken teacup and now you can also own the teacup from the season 1 episode “Ceuf.”

Will GrahamThe quintessential Will Graham season 1 ensemble (you will have to provide your own pants) from “Rôti” consisting of a blue Wind River long sleeve shirt and forest green American Eagle jacket. Perfect for solving all totem pole building murders.

Hannibal three piece suitWhile the Alana Bloom wrap dress would be my number one pick this three piece custom-made suit as worn by Mads Mikkelsen in “Tome-wan” really is the top item. The ultimate Hannibal attire and it comes with the paisley tie and blood stained shirt. This is what Hannibal is wearing when he is suspended above Mason Verger’s hungry pigs, which is why the shirt comes with quite a bit of wear and tear. It is no surprise this is currently the piece with the highest bid.

To browse through all 125 lots head here and hopefully there will be some happier Hannibal news in the days to come. For now here is a promo for the next episode, which I am very excited about for reasons that will become clear when you click play.

https://youtu.be/P0zYdIQZfTw

 

Make Believe and Fairy Tales on Hannibal: “Belief Comes with Imagination”

19 Jun

Once upon a time there was a little boy who lived in a castle in and then he transformed into the monster we see today. What made him become this way doesn’t involve spells or curses or a wolf in the woods and on Hannibal this week we found out a little more about how Hannibal came to be. Imagination is a tool used to protect from past experiences, to conjure up an idea for a better future or to understand what it taking place in the present and on Hannibal this tends to involve a dead person or some kind of horror. This is a land lacking in handsome princes or fairy godmothers waiting to save the day.

Hannibal 3.03 WillWill Graham’s mind has been twisted and manipulated by Hannibal, but he is not the only one who has take liberty with Will’s rare empathy skills. In season 1 Jack asked Will if he could borrow his imagination and this haunts Jack in “Secondo” as he joins the list of people who survived the bloodbath, but he still bears the physical and mental scars of this encounter. Jack tells Inspector Pazzi that he is not here to catch Pazzi’s monster instead he has come for Will Graham as ultimately he set him down this path by borrowing his imagination in the first place. Guilt plays a big part in this journey and as they are chatting in a church it is not too much of a leap when the discussion turns to a belief in a higher power. It also delivers yet another magnificent shot and this location continues to stun. The color palette in Italy is mostly golds with red being uses sparingly for the candles, Bedelia’s dresses and well, blood. 

Hannibal 3.03 JackJack thinks belief comes with imagination and “we also imagine the possibility that we all live on after death.” He goes another step further citing that they both died on that night and unlike Abigail they are still part of this world. Jack also believes that while borrowing Will’s imagination he broke it, but somehow Will has managed to piece it back together again unlike the tea cup in Hannibal’s own story. 

So what of Hannibal’s past and how he came to be the way he is? Well first of all I want to preface this with saying that my Hannibal knowledge outside of this show consists of Red Dragon (the book) and the movies Silence of the Lambs and Manhunter. So it is somewhat limited and I found some of the sister chat to be a little bit vague in places because I know nothing of Mischa aside from the brief mention last season and what this episode reveals. And these revelations involve a lot of inference to what actually happened to her; however it is clear that Hannibal ate her and now he feels like this is the only way he can resolve things with Will. That is an interesting solution from the various discussions between Bedelia and Hannibal this week which take place in front of the fire, while taking a bath and during piano playing. Unconventional in both form and conclusion. Not sure how happy Will is going to feel when he finds out he might be the next dinner party main course and the center piece of Hannibal showing his cooking prowess.

Hannibal 3.03 Will mistBack to Mischa and the creepy looking misty castle which could exist on the pages of Grimms’ Fairy Tales as the catalyst and Will won’t allow this trauma to provide an excuse for what Hannibal does, but what did happen to her? Well she definitely died and they play with who did the deed; it appears the imprisoned man did it, but when it comes to Hannibal’s manipulations it really is hard to figure out the reality from the fiction (I seem to recall someone mentioning that in the book Nazis are involved somehow).

Will makes an interesting point as he tells Chiyo “we construct fairy tales and we accept them. Our minds concoct all sorts of fantasies when we don’t want to believe something.” This relates to what he is telling her about Hannibal and the ‘smile’ he left him plus the various other crimes Hannibal has committed which all points to inaccuracies in the story she has been living with. Chiyo has been living in limbo out in the woods in a more twisted version of a princess locked away in a tower.

Hannibal 3.03 Will and ChiyohWill then pulls a very Hannibal move manipulating the situation so Chiyo will kill the man she has been in charge of for however many years. He claims he did this for her and this is eerily similar to how Hannibal would justify this action of setting this man free just so he will attack her.

We have seen Hannibal do this in season 1 when he sent Gideon after Alana and then Will after Gideon. The result was the same except Chiyo killed her mark whereas Will simply wounded his. And up pops the word which circles around the show constantly as Chiyo tells Will “you are curious too.” Everyone is and it’s how these characters manage their curiosities which defines them. Hannibal is the only one who knows the truth as he “created a story out of events that only he experienced. All sorrows can be warm if you put them in a story.” Even monsters need to construct a version to make them feel better or to justify their actions.

Hannibal 3.03 firefly manWhat of Will’s transformation and the tableau he creates at the end; is it a calling card for Hannibal even though he knows he will never return to see it? Maybe he took a photo and sent it to him on Snapchat. Like many things on this show there are plenty of ways to interpret this setup as Will might be doing this to emulate Hannibal or merely understand him.

Is Will slipping again thanks to how far he has been pushed by both Jack and Hannibal? It is also unclear what Will wants to achieve when he does catch up with Hannibal or which side he is on; he has a bond with Hannibal due to Hannibal’s deep understanding of him which makes his actions very hard to predict and this firefly creation only makes him seem more unstable. One thing that is clear is that Hannibal would be proud of this creation and manipulation.

Hannibal 3.03 dinnerThe game of cat and mouse keeps expanding with new players joining the party each week; Hannibal doesn’t seem too bothered and is acting in a cavalier manner drawing everyone to him. This includes the dinner party which featured Hannibal making a funny and it made me full on snort laugh (super dark I know) as after he plunges an ice pick into Sogliato’s brain he mentions how this “may have been impulsive.” Except it wasn’t all that unplanned as he served Punch Romaine noting it was given to the first class passengers on the Titanic which ended up being the last meal for some. Bedelia also technically kills Sogliato by removing the ice pick from his brain which Hannibal notes with some glee. Bedelia tells Hannibal that he is enticing his would be captures and this goes back to something she said last season when she mentioned that whimsy would be his downfall.

Hannibal 3.03 Bedelia hair washingLast time we saw Bedelia she displayed a nervous disposition regarding her current situation whereas this week she seems more in control and she goes as far as mentioning that she has an exit strategy, which is surely a dangerous thing to mention in front of her companion. There is a trust between them and it seems like the more awful things she witnesses Hannibal doing the more she lets herself get drawn in. The hair washing scene is the height of this kind of intimacy and Bedelia acts as a surrogate to his sister and this relationship does not come across as sexual in any way.

Hannibal 3.03 Bedelia bathShe once again submerges herself in the bath water but it is no longer inky black and instead is a murky brown, which is more to do with what Hannibal has used on her hair suggesting she is now far more comfortable with these circumstances she finds herself in.

There are some other repeated images that Hannibal loves to throw up and twist including these stunning shots of Will in his memory palace chatting to Hannibal about the creation of this space. Oh hey Hannibal in your old plaid suit.

Hannibal 3.03 graveyard Hannibal 3.03 Hannibal's houseThe kaleidoscope effect of Hannibal’s Baltimore home/office reflects how this room “holds sound and motion” although it also suggests the fragmented nature of those long ago places which represent “pain and shards of glass.”

Imagination twists with reality and the fairy tales that take place in this world don’t end with a happily ever; the beast will not turn into a prince and the surviving characters will have to construct a safe space of their own to deal with the aftermath. And next week it looks like some more players will be joining this party.

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