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Hannibal S3 |OT| Man Destroys God. Hannibal Eats Man. Hannibal Inherits The Earth.

P

Plasticine

Member
The cattle prod.

The eel.

Hannibal carrying Will away.

I got everything I wanted from this episode, including some cannibalized penis discussion. I'm going to miss this show so much.
 
D

DarkJediKnight

Member
As I said, easily the best episode of this season and quite possibly the best episode of the series.

This is why the Pazzi stuff was so glossed over. Does anyone really cared about him? The movie did a much better job than the show depicting Hannibal's time in Italy.
 
T

Tubie

Member
DarkJediKnight said:
As I said, easily the best episode of this season and quite possibly the best episode of the series.

This is why the Pazzi stuff was so glossed over. Does anyone really cared about him? The movie did a much better job than the show depicting Hannibal's time in Italy.
Click to expand...

I agree 100%, hell I feel this was without a doubt the best episode of the series, maybe only rivaled by the season 2 finale.
 
L

Leona Lewis

Banned
I think the S2 finale is untouchable, really. Every scene in that episode was masterfully written and rendered:

- The "spliced" Will with Hannibal/Jack
- Hannibal and Bella in the hospital room discussing forgiveness
- Alana's poisonous dream (still my favorite scene of the whole series)
- Hannibal's memory palace visualizing Freddie as a shapeless void draped in wild red
- Will and Hannibal and the "imago" conversation ("To the truth, then, and all its consequences")
- Will's futile plea: "They know."
- The final 10 minutes (fight scene with Jack, the Abigail reveal, Hannibal's figurative gutting and Will's literal one, a triumphant Hannibal sashaying in the rain, blue skies with Bedelia)

And the delicate combination of visuals, sound, and performance that gripped me like no other hour of television. I just can't see Mizumono ever being topped.
 
A

Akahige

Member
Whoa that episode was pretty fantastic, I didn't think last week could be topped.
Plasticine said:
The cattle prod.

The eel.

Hannibal carrying Will away.

I got everything I wanted from this episode, including some cannibalized penis discussion. I'm going to miss this show so much.
Click to expand...
And I thought Verger talking to Alana about spitting and swallow was going to be the dirtiest thing to come out of his mouth, at least something dirty went into his mouth in return.
 
Monocle

Monocle

Member
WOW!

So. Great Hannibal episode, or greatest? I honestly think this one might have surpassed the Season 2 finale for me. What an utterly twisted, tense, horrifying, wonderful hour. If the first episodes of this season took a toll on some viewers' patience, there's no denying they've been repaid with interest. 

My thoughts are far from collected right now, because what the actual hell did I just watch? All I can really manage is a list of bullet points. 

- Mason is one sick dude, god damn. I know Hannibal is the bigger monster, but at least he has tact. Mason wallows in his sadism, and I love it. Superb writing, perfect recasting. This episode took Mason's demented plot from the book to a whole new level. I was truly fascinated and disturbed.

- One of the things that makes this show so good is you know it can deliver on its threats of violence, but you're never quite sure when it will or won't hold back. So when Jack was about to get his cranium sawed open, and Hannibal was going to have all his limbs chopped off at the joints, and Will was going to have his entire face sliced away with no anaesthetic (say WHAT), I was squirming. And you'd better believe I believed that the face peeling scene was exactly what it looked like. Poor Will! What a nightmare. (You've got to love those interior shots that have the blade plunging in from the outside.) And what a great example of the clever way this and the previous episode adapted the source material by subverting any expectations we might have had from the books and films. This show is unquestionably one of the greatest adaptations of all time. It's actually better when you think you know what's coming. That's a serious achievement. All due credit to Bryan Fuller and his team. 

- Cordell was another inspired piece of casting. Can we safely say he outdid his role on True Detective in terms of sinister intent and sheer menace? Why yes. We really can. A frightening and grotesque and memorable reimagination of a character who nearly disappeared into the background in the film. 

- Let's talk about Hannibal's amazing face for a second. Mads conveyed so much in this episode solely through facial expressions. He spent at least half his screen time restrained, and in those scenes he remained the most dynamic presence in the room. Sometimes he looked like a happy little boy at Christmas dinner. Sometimes he looked like Lucifer incarnate, his face an alien landscape and infinite voids in his eyes. I don't think we've seen more of Hannibal's true self before this episode, not even at the Red Dinner or during his games with Bedelia. Alana warned Mason that Hannibal is always playing, and we were shown the truth of that. He was positively delighted by Mason's twisted plans. His expression when Alana and Margot freed him will stay with me: an apex predator savoring the start of a hunt that can only go his way. 

- Will's breakup with Hannibal was perfect. After everything they've been through together, everything they put each other through, Will shatters the teacup for good with the simple confession that he's just not interested in Hannibal anymore. What a blow for him. Hannibal, the Hannibal who shaped Will in his own image, who gutted Will and slit their surrogate daughter's throat in his own kitchen, who tried to saw Will's skull open so he could literally have a piece of his mind—that Hannibal could do nothing but slink away like a scolded puppy. I was so delighted by that scene. And I loved the twist that Hannibal wasn't captured by anyone. He just gave himself up because Will didn't want to play anymore. Hannibal, the eternal troll. The unrelenting ex. It's clear that he lives to toy with people. I can't wait to see all the mischief he gets up to in his cell across the rest of the season. 

- A lot of other amazing things happened, which I'm sure I'll talk about later. The surrogate pig! The cattle prod! Chiyoh!

This episode is a practically flawless culmination of every earlier development. It's great enough to be the series finale. I'm so glad it wasn't.
 
J

jett

D-Member
tumblr_n9bmdkCdOq1r8lutfo1_500.gif


Fuller knew he was never going to adapt this.
 
B

Blader

Member
Leona Lewis said:
I think the S2 finale is untouchable, really. Every scene in that episode was masterfully written and rendered:

- The "spliced" Will with Hannibal/Jack
- Hannibal and Bella in the hospital room discussing forgiveness
- Alana's poisonous dream (still my favorite scene of the whole series)
- Hannibal's memory palace visualizing Freddie as a shapeless void draped in wild red
- Will and Hannibal and the "imago" conversation ("To the truth, then, and all its consequences")
- Will's futile plea: "They know."
- The final 10 minutes (fight scene with Jack, the Abigail reveal, Hannibal's figurative gutting and Will's literal one, a triumphant Hannibal sashaying in the rain, blue skies with Bedelia)

And the delicate combination of visuals, sound, and performance that gripped me like no other hour of television. I just can't see Mizumono ever being topped.
Click to expand...

It also has the absolute best moment of the entire series:

"Where's Jack?"
"In the pantry."
 
A

awp69

Member
Damn that was incredible. Still a second to the S2 finale, but a very close second. Saw IGN gave it a well deserved 10.

While I still hope Hannibal gets miraculously saved or a movie / miniseries comes together, now my main concern is that The Red Dragon arc plays out as amazing as this half season has.

If the series has to end, I would have been satisfied with this episode being the last.

I have little doubt that Fuller's vision for Red Dragon will be just as awesome - even just going by the previews.

Whether the end of that are will go out with as much perfection as this though, I just don't know.
 
B

Bobby Roberts

Banned
Two really big laughs, and yet I don't remember not feeling tense at any point during the proceedings.

At one point my wife turned to me and said "Jesus Christ, we still have to get through Red Dragon."

And I was like "goddammit, you're right."
 
E

EmiPrime

Member
Do the films still hold up compared to the TV series? It's been ages since I watched them but I think once this season is over I need to watch them again.
 
J

jett

D-Member
Silence of the Lambs is one of the all-time greats.

The rest...eh. Red Dragon is not too shabby to be honest.
 
B

BBboy20

Member
Will did almost nothing through out the episode yet he was the victor by simply denying Hannibal...which was short lived.
 
S

SURGEdude

Member
Amazing episode. The troll by Hannibal at the end was so fucking great. With any luck I think the show might just have finally outclassed Silence after it had already passed up Manhunter and quite a ways back Red Dragon. The other 2 films don't exist as far as I'm concerned and were shamed after the first episode of season 1.
 
C

CloudWolf

Member
Monocle said:
- Cordell was another inspired piece of casting. Can we safely say he outdid his role on True Detective in terms of sinister intent and sheer menace? Why yes. We really can. A frightening and grotesque and memorable reimagination of a character who nearly disappeared into the background in the film. 
Click to expand...

I still can't see that actor without thinking that he's going to start talking about himself in the third person.

EmiPrime said:
Do the films still hold up compared to the TV series? It's been ages since I watched them but I think once this season is over I need to watch them again.
Click to expand...
Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon are great, Hannibal is fine, too, but misses that special something (Gary Oldman as Mason Verger is great though), Hannibal Rises is trite and Manhunter is good, but 80's as fuck.
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Oh. It looks like I feel a need to catch up on this show.

Unlike True Detective.
 
C

Candeldandel

Member
Fuck. Hannibal.

Of course he had to fuck with Will like that at the end. Why would he do anything else? Fuck. Fuck that guy. Like another goddamn knife to the gut after that dream-like scene in Will's living room, him trying to tell himself as much as he was telling Hannibal that this was the end... except no. No, it's not, is it? Because FUCK. HANNIBAL.

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
 
T

Tarydax

Banned
What an episode. It wasn't quite as good as S2's finale (though I imagine that will be almost impossible to top), but it was still fantastic.
 
Monocle

Monocle

Member
CloudWolf said:
If you like gangster shows (or just great character-focused shows), you should watch it. It's easily in my Top 3 favorite shows of the last few years.
Click to expand...
Oh, I'll have to check it out.

Candeldandel said:
Fuck. Hannibal.

Of course he had to fuck with Will like that at the end. Why would he do anything else? Fuck. Fuck that guy. Like another goddamn knife to the gut after that dream-like scene in Will's living room, him trying to tell himself as much as he was telling Hannibal that this was the end... except no. No, it's not, is it? Because FUCK. HANNIBAL.

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
Click to expand...
You've got to respect his commitment to those high stakes improvised moves. Turning himself in was the single most mischievous thing he could have done. He found a way to wedge himself into his friends' lives just as he was about to be forced into hiding again. What a delightful pain in the ass he is. Forever a rock in their shoes.
 
N

NotTheGuyYouKill

Member
New!Mason and Cordell were just such great casting picks. Perfect for their sadistic/creepy roles.

The conclusion of Chiyoh's arc was fantastic.

Will/Hannibal breakup for good. OR DO THEY.

Margot's Revenge.

So fucking good. Mads was on fire this episode. Loved the scene between him and Alana. Him with the hammer. Carrying Will. Will biting a piece out of Cordell. FACE OFF!

And I think that the gun that Mason had was empty. Didn't he try to pull the trigger and nothing happened, and then Margot and Alana killed him.

THE GREAT RED DRAGON IS NOW UPON US.

I really, really hope a Season 4 can happen :/
 
T

Turin

Banned
To say I'm excited to see Will Graham get back to doing his thing is an understatement. I can't wait to see what twists Fuller will throw into Will's hunt for Dolarhyde.

Monocle said:
- Will's breakup with Hannibal was perfect. After everything they've been through together, everything they put each other through, Will shatters the teacup for good with the simple confession that he's just not interested in Hannibal anymore. What a blow for him. Hannibal, the Hannibal who shaped Will in his own image, who gutted Will and slit their surrogate daughter's throat in his own kitchen, who tried to saw Will's skull open so he could literally have a piece of his mind—that Hannibal could do nothing but slink away like a scolded puppy. I was so delighted by that scene. And I loved the twist that Hannibal wasn't captured by anyone. He just gave himself up because Will didn't want to play anymore. Hannibal, the eternal troll. The unrelenting ex. It's clear that he lives to toy with people. I can't wait to see all the mischief he gets up to in his cell across the rest of the season.
Click to expand...

Indeed.

I found it fitting that Hannibal's capture was a result not of an obvious vengeance plot but of Will simply washing himself of Lecter and even in a similar setting to their therapy sessions. Hannibal still hopelessly longs for a kindred spirit. As of now, Will is all he has.
 
Begaria

Begaria

Member
Glad to see it wasn't just us Canadians who thought this episode delivered. Waking up to seeing such great impressions while sipping my coffee has me cheerful this morning. It really was a damn good episode, wasn't it? Now we're in to Red Dragon territory.
 
T

Turin

Banned
Bryan Fuller interview on the episode:

Hannibal Postmortem: How Will and Hannibal's Latest Breakup Resets Season 3

This episode felt like a finale, and particularly brought back many of the emotions I had watching the Season 2 finale.

Bryan Fuller: This was the breakup that we had been driving toward. One of the benefits of having two distinct chapters in the season is you get two distinct climaxes. This one had to serve as a stopping place for the story before it can be launched again next week three years later. So, this is the breakup, and when we pick up in the second half of the season, it's that awkward moment when you have to see your ex again.

Will's motivation has always been hard to read. Should we believe him when he says he wants Hannibal out of his life?

Fuller: We come back to that moment in the final episode of the season and break it down between those two characters, and they address it themselves. Will is telling Hannibal, "I don't need you anymore, I don't want you anymore, I release you." And Hannibal is saying, "No you don't. You're telling yourself that. You don't want to know or think about where I am? I am going to give you the knowledge of exactly where I am and let that eat away at you for as long as it takes you to come back into my orbit, and I am patient enough to wait."

Does Hannibal surrender to Jack out of spite towards Will or is he once again heartbroken? Does he no longer feel like playing this game without Will as a willing participant?

Fuller: Will realizes that he can't win and Hannibal can't win. So, the only option for him at that moment is to stop playing. That, for Hannibal, is a huge rejection. It's an even stranger rejection than the betrayal of Season 2 because Will has gone into Hannibal's past and understands him better than ever. Will has realized that this is not an evil man, this is just a monster doing what he has always been designed to do essentially. So, he can't give him any more energy. For Will, a magic door presented itself that he could step through and leave Hannibal and all of this behind him. But what Hannibal knows is going to come around again on the cannibal carousel is that that Will can't live without him.

Going back to Mason's grand scheme at Muskrat Farm, where did you get the idea that Mason would want to wear Will's face while eating Hannibal?

Fuller: For Mason, Will was always complacent in what happened to him. In some ways, the moment that Mason cut into his own face, he was contemplating how he would get a new one. It seemed like, of course he would take Will's face so he could be looking at Hannibal when he delivers the last moments of his life. Since we used pigs eating man so much in Season 2, Mason's goal had to evolve from that standpoint. If he was duped by the cannibal, being the apex predator that he is, he would want to eat the man who eats.

Somehow, that's not the craziest thing Mason does in this episode! How did you come up with the idea of Mason using a pig to carry Margot's baby?

Fuller:That was something we were planning on doing in Season 2, but it became so overloaded with plot that we thought, "That'd be a nice surprise to pull out in Season 3." We talked about several different versions of it, including a much more ghoulish surrogate, which would have been a limbless, headless woman who is essentially an incubator for the baby. But that felt too misogynistic and icky in its own way, and Steve Lightfoot said, "Let's just put it in a pig!" For Mason, who has been experimenting with pig breeding for so much of his adult life, It seemed like a much more organic way to attack his sister using the tools that they grew up. It was a perversion of science and a perversion of humanity, and it felt like that's what he would do. One of my favorite images of the episode is the little piggy mobile above the baby crib. [Laughs]

As Will predicted/suggested, Alana played an active role in Mason's demise. What kind of impact will that have on her moving forward?

Fuller: Once Alana made the devil's bargain with Mason, it felt fated that she would play a role in bringing Mason down. In her mind, she always knew that she was going to stab him in the back one way or another. She put up with his ugliness inside and out for the purposes of capturing Hannibal, but she always intended to bring in the cavalry at the last moment. ... We continue Alana's shift into a less naïve, more hardened spirit in the Red Dragon arc. We see who she's become three years later as a result of this pact and her relationship with Margot and this cabal against Mason. There's a lot of bargains that were struck between various characters that, even though we're picking up three years later, we still feel them resonating in the next arc of episodes.

And, of course, Hannibal reminded Alana that he always keeps his promises....

Fuller: Yes, and that's something we carry through into the Red Dragon arc. Alana is fully aware that if Hannibal gets away in any way, shape or form, he is absolutely intending to kill her.

Is this the last we'll see of Chiyoh this season?

Fuller: Yes. She told Hannibal that she was going to be his keeper. She was always going to be that angel in the bushes with the rifle making sure that no one further was killed by him. That's the penance she's willing to pay for 20 years of keeping a prisoner out of the interest of not taking a life. In essence, she's saying to Hannibal, "I'm not going to cage you, but I'm going to serve as your jailer." But as she's watching the takedown of Hannibal, she realizes her job is done and she's free, for the first time in her life, to go off and pursue her own life.

You mentioned that the next episode jumps ahead in time three years. How big of a reset should we expect?

Fuller: It feels huge. We've leapt forward in all these people's lives. Everyone is stained in their own way from the experiences of the first two and a half seasons, and yet everyone has a sobriety and they go into this new chapter with eyes open. But even so, they're in for some horrible, horrible surprises.

Will it feel different tonally than the first half of the season?

Fuller: It's a slightly more grounded narrative than what we experienced in the first part of the season. So much of the first arc was all about the grieving process and also the trauma of what these people had experienced. I didn't want to skip over what these characters were feeling, and that's why so much of the first part of the season was contemplative and brooding and surreal. Everyone was in shock.

Red Dragon has already been adapted into two different movies. How do you think your version will be different?

Fuller: The version of Red Dragon that we are telling is very faithful to the literature with the exception of the relationship we've been building over the last two and a half seasons. Will and Hannibal's relationship in the previous adaptations was nowhere near as wet and dark and sticky as what we've come to learn of the dynamic between the men in this version of the telling. So, to have Will and Hannibal truly possess a history together that informs their approach to the Red Dragon didn't necessarily feel like an opportunity to change the story, but to provide many more layers of the tiramisu for the audience to enjoy.

Finally, it seems like options for a fourth season keep becoming fewer and fewer. Is there still hope left for the show to live on beyond Season 3?

Fuller: It doesn't seem like there is any imminent rescue. But I'm kind of waiting for the show to air its final episodes so that the audience can understand what a fourth season would be like and how this story between these two men would continue. None of the networks the studio has talked to about picking up a fourth season knew how this season was going to end; they were just going off the assumption that it was just going to be another season. And so much changes in the finale of the third season that pays off all of these dynamics between Will and Hannibal that we're talking about - the regret and the betrayal and the wanting to move on and the fear that you might not be capable of moving on. All of those things play out through the Red Dragon arc. After the finale, I'd love to perhaps re-open the conversation with potential networks or streaming options once they clearly understand what the story is that we've told.
Click to expand...
 
D

Dysun

Member
Nice to see them nail the good points of the Hannibal book, and bring that arc to a close. Hopefully Red Dragon sends the show out on as good a note as this
 
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