Billed as the midseason finale, Digestivo is certainly one of the best episodes of the series. It’s no Mizumono, but it comes close. This episode begins with a POV of what Jack Crawford might look like while your cranium is being sawed open and it just keeps getting crazier from there. Welcome to Muskrat Farms, kids, it’s going to be a twisted and gory ride.
If it wasn’t for Chiyo doing her best impression of Willem Dafoe in John Wick, Jack would not still be alive, but he is and now Chiyo is on her way to Muskrat Farms to join the party. As Alana and Margot plot their revenge, Mason and Cordell are looking forward to their good and funny times with Hannibal and Will. Amusingly, Hannibal appears to be as excited about it as they are. Only Dr. Lecter would be visibly delighted by someone detailing how they are going to cook and eat him.
As is the normal course for the show, a most impressive dinner table is set, but it’s not really the kind of dinner you want to be invited to. Well, actually, I kind of wish I could have been at this dinner with Mason, Will and Hannibal. The sassy verbal tennis match between Hannibal and Mason was endlessly amusing, but it was nowhere near as fun as watching Will pull a Rick Grimes and take a bite out of Cordell’s face. “No pajama party for you, Mr. Graham.”
At this feast, Mason explained that he wishes to have Will’s face transplanted onto his. Mason will then take great pleasure in eating Hannibal very slowly and he shall savor every single bite. With a gorgeous smile, Hannibal simply congratulates the two men on their exquisite plans while he calmly eats. Just as when he was stabbed with Mason’s knife and branded by Cordell, Hannibal remains eerily calm and slightly amused. Everything about this episode is so completely over the top and absurd that it should have been comically awful. Readers of the novel Hannibal know that all of this comes off as too much in the book, but you just go along with it anyway. Bryan Fuller has, once again, managed to take some seriously schlocky material and turn it into truly engaging, beautiful and thought provoking dialogue with a dash of black comedy. “Simple and clean and delicious.”
Always the clever writers, the fans’ desire to see Mads Mikkleson naked and chained up is indulged without it feeling as though they were pandering to us. (I’m looking at you True Blood and American Horror Story.) To cover all bases, we also get to see the gorgeous new power couple of Alana and Margot. Again, the events that occurred in the novel were so unbelievably crass that I was blown away by the show’s ability to present them without it seeming so disgusting. Of course Hannibal milked Mason’s prostate with a cattle prod when he was on the operating table. Uh, duh. Congratulations Margot, you can now have an incestuous Mercer baby. I sure do hope they aren’t anything like their father.
Alana finally coming face to face with Hannibal was very conflicting. She has wanted nothing more than to get revenge, but instead, she asks for Hannibal’s help. Hannibal promises to save Will and as a man who always keeps his promises, Alana has just put herself on Hannibal’s future dinner menu.
I, honestly, have no idea if it is intentional or not, but the red surgery clothing they have been using always harkens back to Dead Ringers for me. Put the red Dead Ringers imagery next to an Eyes Without a Face homage and this transplant scene just went from ridiculously unbelievable to insanely gorgeous. Very Almodovar.
“Did you eat her?”
“Yes, but I did not kill her.”
Talk about splitting hairs. Hannibal, you have had a lot of fun, but the teacup is broken and it is now time for you to step aside and let another monster take center stage, however, before that, you must be subjected to one of the most brutal breakup speeches in the history of ever.
“I miss my dogs. I’m not going to miss you. I’m not going to find you. I’m not going to look for you. I don’t want to know where you are or what you do. I don’t want to think about you anymore.”
“You delight in wickedness and then berate yourself for the delight.”
“You delight.
I tolerate.
I don’t have your appetite.
Goodbye Hannibal.”
Ouch.
Not to worry Fannibals, Hannibal waited outside Will’s house into the cold and dark hours of the night just so Jack Crawford could apprehend him and take him in. Despite Chiyo claiming that not all monsters should be caged, she lets Hannibal indulge his sick desire to continue to torment his one true love: Will Graham.
“I want you to know exactly where I am and where you can always find me.”
Folks, we have officially reached a psycho level of love between Hannibal and Will. I mean, this is 50 Shades of Gray territory of B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
As I originally stated, this episode was meant to be a midseason finale and what a fine one it would have been. Many things were tied up, yet we were still left with some delicious tastes of what is to come in the final six episodes of the season. Well, good news/bad news situation with this. NBC pulled the plug on Hannibal and sent it to their own personal form of corporal punishment :airing on Saturday nights. This may be the last season of Hannibal, but we don’t have to wait between the midseason finale and the final six episodes. No, TV Babies, next week we will be introduced to Frances Dolarhyde. Hannibal the Cannibal, please step aside and let the spotlight focus on the Red Dragon.
As my very good friend Bonnie would say, “giddy, giddy, giddy!”
Sidenotes:
Never overcook a penis. Also, loved the reference to Armin Meiwes, or The Rottenburg Cannibal, if you’re nasty.
I love that Hannibal requests Alana pull hair from his scalp, but away from the hairline. We can’t be mucking up that gorgeous hairline.
Yet another clever reference to The Silence of the Lambs with Mason waking up with Cordell’s face.
Is that actually a thing eels do?
All I really want is for a man to look at me the way Hannibal looks as Will after he takes a bite out of Cordell’s face.
2020 Rewatch Notes:
This episode remains one of my favorites because all of the over the top nonsense is working together so wonderfully.
I accused the writing in the Hannibal novel to be schlocky. During the Hannibal reunion, Fuller referred to it as purple and bloated. His description is way better.
I shall never tire of the look on Hannibal’s face when Will takes a bite out of Cordell’s face.
Lisa Fremont
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