Hannibal: S01E03 - Potage.

Please be more like episode two and less like that God Awful pilot!

Abigail Hobbs has awoken and the clash of interests around Will explode because of it as Jack and Alana function like the devil and the angel on his shoulder, respectively. Even though we all know the true puppet master is Lecter himself. And when a fresh copy cat body turns up, Will's emotional involvement with Abigail is called into question, how much is he getting wrong because he doesn't want to accept a possible truth? And then, then things really escalate into all out madness...

Abigail proves to be a very interesting character thrown into the mix because she has so many internal conflicts. Firstly, she has to battle with the guilt, although she wasn't responsible there is no denying that Hobbs killed because of her. She has to also battle with the fear that she will become just like her father and battle with the way the world now perceives her, a parallel to Will himself as he fears his empathy will make him become like the psychopaths he studies. That is, if he isn't completely insane already. This makes sense of why he is so drawn to her, beyond that sense of duty and the empathy for everything that he cannot shed.

This also works as an interesting twist as the episode seemed to be going out of its way to draw parallels between her and Will, not her and Lecter but by the episodes end, it appears she will be taken under Lecter's wing instead. I don't really know what the point of all this is, but I won't complain about writers adding extra layers to things that seem ham handedly given.

She also gets to provide the personal insights into Hobbs that we couldn't have found otherwise, honestly between her insights and an opening flashback sequence, Potage adds more disturbing poetry to our psychopaths, as we learn more about Hobbs psyche. Hobbs claims that in honouring your kill, you rise above the initial act of murder, which is why he eats his victims - nothing can go to waste, that to him, is murder. It's fucked up, for sure, but the conviction in his very being for his beliefs makes it all so very beautiful. And even more disturbing.

I  also loved the scene where Abigail returned to her house, so both her, and the audience, get to see what happens to all those crime scenes after all the evidence has been gathered. We don't often get to see that in procedurals and I am really enjoying how this show is becoming a sort of meta critique and exploration of the genre itself. It's almost becoming a sort of American Broadchurch. 

And once again the episode serves up some beautifully twisted imagery, the second copy cat victim was startling and disturbing and although more subtle, seeing Abigail take human hair out of the cushions sent a shiver down my spine.

I am somewhat torn on how I feel about Hannibal and the use of him in the episode. At first it's easy to be swept up by how clever it is to have Lecter right there in the middle of the people who are trying to catch him, especially since he is the only one who knows the copy cat is in the room with them. Lecter is a shrink, so he is trained in having a face that only conveys emotions when he commands it, this all works great but on the other hand... he sure seems to be getting a way with...well...everything, doesn't he? I know the show has so far only hinted at things and has set nothing in stone yet as to what he is truly doing and it constantly asks us to not take things on face value but I am still left slightly amazed that Lecter can hang out with the FBI and manage to do any of the things the show is hinting that he did, let alone hiding bodies at houses swarming with police. I know this show is far from grounded in reality but I honestly found the entire sequence in Abigail's house at the end so preposterous that it actually pulled me out of the show.

Then again its still no more preposterous than the absolute cunt of a journalist, who is seemingly allowed to turn up at every crime scene, antagonise everyone and then go home with no consequences. She is really the only thing I dislike about the show, not all journalists are soulless demons who only exist to antagonise and make peoples lives harder. I find her character gratuitous and I think the show would be ten times better without her. At least I finally have someone to root for when it comes for Hannibal's next victim.

Although he episode stumbled in places during the first act with some unnecessary retreading, the episode found its feet and charged to a glorious finish by the end. Although not better than the last episode, it is still probably one of the best episodes of TV I have seen in quite some time, sealing this sense of quality around Hannibal that just isn't evident in other shows. Keep this up and I think I'll have a new favourite on my hands.

Pros;

• The characters!
• This is such a beautiful show, whether it be through visuals, performances, dialogue, themes. Everything is just beautiful.
• I do find Hannibal pretty cleverly conceived conceptually. 
• It continues to be terrifying, both visually and the places it makes you go mentally.

Cons;

• Well all of the characters minus that cunt of a journalist and the weak Jack Crawford.
• Although I like Hannibal as a character, I'm not big on his and the journalists super powers.

Think About It!

-Locke

What would you rate, 'Potage'?