SourceWelcome back, Fannibals.
Yakimono was slower in terms of pace and density. In a way, this episode was more of a transition between the first and the second arc of this season, which also focuses on destroying all possible boundaries between the protagonists. Will is back in the game. And he's invading Hannibal's space in order to lure him in like a fish. But how do we catch a fish who essentially challenges you to play with him?
Attack Mode
Hannibal's excitement was palpable after Will proposed to continue his therapy. It seems like he's not trusting anyone else but himself to do the job, and his casual dismissal of Chilton's pleas reveals how far he can go. I must applaud Hugh Dancy's performance of a darker Will who's constantly on edge. And he smiles at the most inappropriate times. Sometimes I feel like I should be more afraid of Will than Hannibal at this point. It's funny, because this episode also demonstrated how utterly in control Hannibal truly is and how methodical he is about his flowery design.
Miriam's situation obviously mirrors Will's. Her own description of hearing a voice is an exact parallel to Will's sense of drowning back in season 1. Hannibal manipulates you in a way that consumes you entirely. And her subsequent reactions to Chilton's voice gives me flashbacks of Will pointing his gun at Gideon. This time however there is a renewed purpose and a sense of clarity for Will that makes him toy with Hannibal in the kitchen. Miriam hasn't reached that clarity yet. But she fulfilled Hannibal's purpose and became another perfect part of his entire design. Hannibal's predictable statement to see this story come to an end is another lure for Will. And one that he willingly accepts. Will and Hannibal have become equals.
If I've seen such a perfect set-up of a crime scene in Chilton's house, I wouldn't have hesitated for a second to point my finger in Dr. Lecter's direction. Perfection can reveal more about a suspect than sloppiness. And someone who's as intelligent and meticulous as Hannibal simply wouldn't murder the FBI in his own house and leave traces all over the place. It's like inviting Will to his place and showing him Beverly's body parts and then laughing diabolically.
A basement is more preferable.
It's times like these when I grow frustrated that people can be so oblivious.
Observation: We should keep an eye on Will's hairstyle. Everything's very neat, which might be a symbolic hint at his transformation into a "new Hannibal Lecter". Looks good, though.
Favorite quote: "Yes, I have an agenda. Living." - Dr. Chilton (who will be missed). Considering his importance in the source material, I am curious to see how Fuller will go on without using his character.
What did you think of Yakimono?
"Sometimes I feel like I should be more afraid of Will than Hannibal at this point. It's funny, because this episode also demonstrated how utterly in control Hannibal truly is and how methodical he is about his flowery design."
ReplyDeleteVery true and well said. I do think Will can be exceptionally frightening, but I love the contrast in which Will's exterior, body language, speech, so aptly contrast the cool and smooth Lecter!
"If I've seen such a perfect set-up of a crime scene in Chilton's house, I wouldn't have hesitated for a second to point my finger in Dr. Lecter's direction. Perfection can reveal more about a suspect than sloppiness. And someone who's as intelligent and meticulous as Hannibal simply wouldn't murder the FBI in his own house and leave traces all over the place. It's like inviting Will to his place and showing him Beverly's body parts and then laughing diabolically.A basement is more preferable.
It's times like these when I grow frustrated that people can be so oblivious."
My only real gripe with this would be if Chilton is really dead and that Jack is really this stupid, but I'm thinking given "Ice fishing" scenes in next week's promo (and hoping Fuller didn't really kill of an important character of stability that should exist in half of the source material) that maybe Will lied to Hannibal about the outcome of Chilton to try and attempt to ween Lecter out! I felt like Jack was taking Will's advice seriously about evidence that would lead them away from Hannibal, -and also I think Jack saw it in Chilton's eyes when catching up to him that he is not capable of this....
I agree the kitchen scenes were exceptionally grandiose, but I think given Chilton's own narcissistic personality at times, Hannibal thought this would "align" with pegging it on Chilton better...However, I also think that some of these more exuberant scenes are in response to having Hannibal's emotional strings being pulled, but like we discussed before, I think Fuller could be crossing a line, unless of course Jack and Will together are ahead of Hannibal. It's also not like Hannibal to openly dismantle law enforcement (Paul Krendler - "Hannibal") in their own house...
and also I think Jack saw it in Chilton's eyes when catching up to him that he is not capable of this....and I think it is why Will called Jack So true. That's actually something I wanted to mention as well, but there are rumors that Chilton survived this. I think Fuller tweeted something about it, but I don't remember. I really hope that we see Will's and Jack's POV about Chilton's outcome. thanks :)
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping this episode was an anomaly, because it didn't live up to the usual high standards of the show. It just felt rushed, stupid and contrived. Granted, it's a tv show and it's from Bryan Fuller, but still… Much like Miriam, I don't what to make of it. Anna Chlumsky was superb in her role and I did like her scenes with Jack. There was something about her that was just great and I could definitely see her as the next Clarice. That's about the only good thing I could say about the episode. There was one really big issue that concerns me and that the show had managed to avoid until now: that in order for Hannibal to keep getting away with it, the heroes have to be stupid. Knowing that Hannibal might be a total psycho, yet you bring him to analyze Miriam?! Are Alana Bloom, Freddy Chilton and Hannibal Lecter the ONLY psychiatrists in Baltimore??? Don't even get me started on the whole Chilton development. He can't eat meat and he needs a cane!! In what way is it possible for him to be the Ripper?! Seriously, what a frustrating episode. Overall, it just felt like I was watching an episode of The Following. We all know that's not a good thing… End of rant.
ReplyDeleteGreat show as always! Hoping for renewal!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on some aspects. As I said, the setup for Chilton was a bit on the obvious side and I'm really not a fan of making the characters less perceptive in order to make the plot work. The plot should always serve the characters.
ReplyDeleteCareful, people here love The Following, even though I agree with you: it's absolutely terrible.
ReplyDeleteI share some of your concerns, even though it really doesn't seem like Jack is buying it: when Chilton surrenders, I think Jack realises he couldn't be the Ripper. Also, it seems clear that Chilton actually didn't need the cane, and I wouldn't be shocked if Hannibal put a bit of Gideon in his stomach!
Alana and Miriam I think are both alluding/ are in contrast to Starling. Bloom in the romantic aspect (end of "Hannibal") and with Lass with the strong duty-almost caught Hannibal (which is also a Will trait), but also juxtaposes Starling, because Starling can not be broken down. (and so seeing Hannibal actually do this others, really signifies Starling's strength and both characters eventual transformations)
ReplyDeleteHannibal also has to get away with it for a while (at least till the end of the next season) following Fullers 7 yr plan in line with source material. -And in the end (although Fuller did say he would like to go beyond "Hannibal") it is evident from Hannibal and Hannibal Rising that Thomas Harris is an anti-hero. We know that scene with Jack is coming. There are only 6 episodes left.
Like I said in my response to the review above, I it remains to be seen if this episode really is a hit or miss with the FBI/Will, or if the audience and Hannibal will temporarily be left in the dark like Jack was...writing a beautiful juxtaposition.
I think one problem lies that NBC can't really advertise it, since NBC tries to be a family-friendly network and so Hannibal is definitely the darkest show they have. I don't think NBC has any other sister stations outside of SYFY channel that they could move it to??
ReplyDeleteGreat acting by Anna Chlumsky! All the awards in her direction.
ReplyDeleteWell, if Chilton would really be a Psychopath it could be possible that he would just pretend to be not able to eat meat. Because all Psychopaths just pretend to have feelings.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right about Jack realising he's not the Ripper. The way he was trembling and crying when Jack was pointing a gun at him - not very Ripper-like. If that's the case, then it should be great. Both Will and Hannibal working together to bring Hannibal down while pretending to be his friend. It would also leave Alana as the only one who genuinely believes Hannibal is innocent, but we can't be too hard on her, she's thinking with something other than her brains.
ReplyDeleteYes, she was outstanding!
ReplyDeleteNBC could have advertised it more, and they have a few darker shows now like Grimm and Dracula.
ReplyDeleteAt this point, the only sister stations that aren't news/shopping networks are SyFy (which is moving back toward science fiction exclusively), Bravo (which is basically only reality TV now), USA and Chiller (which is only in 36% of US households). USA seems to stick with lighter dramas than Hannibal though. NBC is still their largest platform, so I don't think the ratings would be any better if they moved it to a sister station.
Great Review Veronoka! Nice observation about Will's hairstyle.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same thing that maybe we should be more afraid of Will at this point than Hannibal, lol.
Yes, but what side of Chilton's face was shot? And where did the blood come from? All is not as it seems.
ReplyDelete