As one of the few Fannibals that was not impressed with last week’s public display of self love, I enter Contorno with great optimism.
Will has freed Chiyo from her cage and now they are building a mini Hannibal/Will antagonistic friendship. When Will asked her if, in her mind, she sees herself killing Hannibal again and again, she replied with, “I see you.” I immediately took it to mean that she sees herself killing Will because he is the one who caused her to break her rule on taking a life. What did you hear?
The one bright spot in last week’s episode was really getting to see Jack’s love for Bella. In what could have easily turned grossly sentimental, they kept it very classy and respectful. Getting to see Jack bring Bella back to Florence as her final resting place was unbearably sad and beautiful. By giving Bella the one last thing that she truly craved, Jack is visibly lighter. All the better for helping to take down Hannibal. Think he’ll be able to follow those breadcrumbs Bedelia has been leaving? It certainly didn’t take Alana very long to pick up the scent of someone grocery shopping for Hannibal. Now, all she needs to do is request that CCTV footage. Well played Bedelia, well played.
All of our players are now officially placed and they all want their pound of flesh. Hannibal knows this as well and seems to not only invite them to find him, but is giddily anticipating it. Whoopsies, I guess Will is going to take longer to catch up because Chiyo threw him off of the train. Bitch, please. You don’t throw Will Graham off of the train! As much as it pained me to see Will reenact a generic version of Crouching Tiger, I’m happy to see the stag return. Welcome back Will, we need you in all of your crazy, revenge fueled glory and not as a companion for Chiyo.
Let’s talk about that scene that was directly from both Hannibal the novel and the film starring Anthony Hopkins as our dear cannibal. Once again, Fuller has managed to adapt the books to his own storyline in a seamless and wonderful way while Mads owns his very own version of Hannibal Lecter without eclipsing Hopkin’s version. Using Alana Bloom as the stand in for She Who Must Not Be Named was genius and the near word for word recreation of that phone conversation was perfect. As was the strangely beautiful sight of seeing Pazzi’s insides fall outside only to be met with the stern glare of Jack Crawford.
What’s this?! Jack Crawford is channeling his inner Morpheus and creating a strangely delightful mashup of The Matrix and Hannibal? I don’t know if this horror loving, marital arts master wanna be could have been any happier. Oh, yes I do. Set this entire delicious bite of well deserved comeuppance to The Thieving Magpie by Gioachino Rossini and my inner band geek almost stood up and applauded when the song ended at the same moment that the fight did.
Leaving us with anticipation over what future episodes will bring, Conrono definitely made up for the excessive brooding and memory palace visits of the last two episodes and the perfect execution of the fight set to the music is one of the many reasons that Hannibal is one of the finest shows currently on television. Unfortunately, it looks as though the final nail has gone into this show’s coffin.
Sidenotes:
Feeling really, really good about not being a connoisseur of escargot. Who knows what they’ve been feeding on.
Gillian was giving me life with her Grace Kelly hair and nightgown.
Seriously. I don’t remember Mason Verger being so sexually slimy in the book.
Fellow book readers, the moment Pazzi realized he was talking to Dr. Hannibal Lecter was intoxicating, no?
I love that Mason says, “tood-a-loo” when signing off of a phone conversation.
Hello facial bridle!
Yes, fellow droogs,that was indeed the same opera used when Alex does a bit of the old ultra-violence. If you know not of what I speak, get thee to a book store and purchase A Clockwork Orange. Feel free to enjoy some milk-plus while you’re at it.
2020 Rewatch notes:
The glee in Hannibal’s eyes when he is killing Pazzi is contagious.
The fight between Jack and Hannibal is still one of the finest movements of television. Ever.
Lisa Fremont
haddonfieldhorror.com 
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