Yes Freddie is back and Tattle Crime provides an important service in letting Francis Dolarhyde see Will Graham’s face in relation to his case. (insert Liz Lemon eye roll in the direction of this guy here). Molly lays some of the blame at her own feet as she told him to go, while putting the rest on Jack for coming to get Will in the first place. Whereas Abigail’s turn with the knife is traumatic (and pretty gross) and she is left needing Hannibal’s calming hands on her head as he tells her “never be ashamed of who you are.” Hannibal’s just trying to make everyone feel good about their murderous impulses simmering beneath the surface. Flashback Bedelia. Is Will concerned for the women in his life? Everyone is coming to him, some reluctantly and even though they know he is self serving there is an inevitability to it all. So when Hannibal tells her it could have been her lips he was tasting (again) she looks so angry because he is right (and probably because she has just seen him eat said lip – the funniest cutaway this show has ever done). Reba and D have a lovely date night with martinis and snuggling, but Dolarhyde has homework to do and by homework he means watch his stalker movie of Molly, Walter and the dogs. In Bedelia’s school of thought Will is not a killer even though he has killed and instead it is his compassion that led to these righteous acts of violence. In fact Alana is the only one of the surviving house of horrors bunch who calls him by his first name to his face and her interactions with him continue to be dangerously playful (more on that below). This brings Hannibal and Will together by having them fighting for each other as Dolarhyde shoots and stabs them making them weaker opponents. Not that suicide is something Dolarhyde will go for as Will posits that he will be too afraid of unleashing the beast even if he dies as the delusion is this strong. And take a Get the Look trip to the mid 80s and Halt and Catch Fire with Donna’s stripes and plaid here. Dolarhyde is somewhat scathing of his appearance – yes Will looks a little world weary but Hugh Dancy is still undeniably handsome no matter how hard they try – but he finds him interesting in how “purposeful” he looks. Naka-Choko (mentioned) Everyone is lying when it comes to Hannibal; Alana and Chilton with the insanity plea, Jack with what really really went down and Bedelia with her fabricated drugged story. Will says that what happed to Mischa doesn't explain Hannibal or quantify what he does. Plus it leads to spectacular shots like this one: Hannibal’s mind palace is not the only way in which they are playing with location and whereas Will’s cell felt like the walls were closing in on him, Hannibal’s has endless possibilities. Reba McClane the blind technician draws Francis out of his shell and this is the first real interaction we have seen between him and someone that isn’t a painting. Will Graham goes to the Lecter estate looking for answers on how to find Hannibal. Such a considerate father figure. Hannibal is proving both useful to the investigation and as a mischief maker. Another Chiyo cooking. All slightly toned down from previous, Neal is understandably annoyed at his experience with Hannibal and the care he is receiving here as his mild symptoms have increased in a dramatic fashion. She tells him that Hannibal is the one who told her. After killing the Great Red Dragon, Will, Hannibal, and Chiyoh head north. In an attempt to protect himself from Hannibal’s mind games Will attempts to stick to the case and only refers to him using the formal Dr Lecter (which also hurts his former friend). Hannibal seems vulnerable for a moment before he says yes, he did eat her but he didn’t kill her. When he exits the home of the second family he killed covered in blood it acts like a kind of rebirth and briefly stops whatever is giving him the urge to kill. The sea and the moon are intrinsically linked and the Blake painting which gives this episode its title shows what could be both Dolarhyde as the Great Red Dragon with Hannibal as the Beast from the Sea. And yes Mads Mikkelsen’s delivery of the mic drop line had me full on cackling. It also didn’t help that on the way to the church a creepy dude uttered “nice outfit” while staring at my chest with no subtlety. A dessert which includes blood and Chilton asks the question you don’t ask Hannibal if you have sat at his dinner table and gets the answer he was hoping to avoid “The blood was from a cow only in the derogatory sense.” Eat the rude and all that. There is a heightened quality to her costuming and she is tailored to perfection at all times. From items we want in our own wardrobe to pieces that got everyone talking; we want to celebrate the work of television’s best costume designers. Somehow there is still warmth and humor even with what has gone on. Sure is good have the crime solving gang back together and a return to the storytelling format closer to previous seasons. Stars Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Laurence Fishburne and show creator Bryan Fuller talk Hannibal at PaleyFest NY 2014; the show returns in 2015. A path Will has shared some details of with Molly, but how can he truly explain what occurred between them? Or it could be as a symptom of spending too much time contemplating murder as he sees Alana like this as she questions whether he is in control. Some of those are moving and in a terrifying fantastical moment Dolarhyde is enveloped by the film turning him into the projector. Investigating Hannibal's home, Will comes across Chiyo, who is holding the man she believes to be responsible for Hannibal's sister's murder hostage. Alana gives no fucks to Hannibal’s petulance in this situation, it helps there is a protective wall between them even if that wall is not visible. There are some particularly out there choices, including my own personal fave which resembles both a ringmaster and one of Hannibal’s Florence suits. It is a metaphor city on Hannibal this week as Will also employs his favorite fishing terminology to show his disdain toward Jack Crawford for the second episode in a row suggesting Jack has made him the bait and he wants him to reel in a “bigger fish.” The last time they plotted to catch a serial killer they were actually fishing and things were a lot more cordial between the pair. And no one tells their current significant other everything about their ex. Something Hannibal views as disingenuous and as a temporary facade which Will hides his true self behind. Blurred butts ahoy! The stag is of course Will’s thing, but it is worth nothing that Alana has one in her office. You can see why Hannibal let her see behind the veil with comments like this one. He asks if she is still with Margot (she is) and they have a baby son, the all important Verger heir and Alana carried the baby. Their meet cute goes from the dark room to a bus stop which features an ad for a dental product and the “Open Wide” is so on the nose, but also pretty damn funny. Nope it’s not sheer of which there has been far too much once again; instead it is something which led to one of my favorite hashtag alerts – #LadySuitWatch2015. Using the ultimate prop to allow Abigail to exercise her demons by confronting her father, Hannibal digs up Garett Jacob Hobbs allowing Abigail to inflict the same wound on him. Will is the one who chose to take Hannibal over the cliff and letting go in this situation was his decision. He was always in control. Rutina Wesley spent years on True Blood in a variety of storylines that didn’t particularly serve her well and her portrayal of Reba is both vulnerable and confident; these delicate flourishes show just how good she can be. Lies which helped save his life and yet a thank you note is not in the post. Hannibal plays the devil on one shoulder, but there is a new positive force in Dolarhyde’s life who threatens the existence of the dragon. Thankfully I didn’t dwell on this moment (well not for too long) and the day was fantastic; the bride was stunning (full on gasped when I saw her dress as it was that good) and the groom was dashing. Just look at how warm this setting is in comparison to the locations drained of color. Will watches home videos or rather digital footage on a tablet, which is more likely to capture real sentiment over a snapshot. Hannibal closed out its final season on NBC—and possibly anywhere, ... and Chiyo’s probably going to go there and clean up the mess and no one’s going to be the wiser. She was one of the few people in his life Hannibal would ever really love. Molly remarks how it is “tough to hold onto anything good. The company/weather/food/drinking/dancing was all top notch and my fiance did an excellent job as best man (also high on the dreamy stakes) The only minor hiccups involved having a tent to sleep in with no poles (we borrowed another one), a blowup air bed with no stopper and hurting my ankle when I switched out my heels for flip flops. Pretty sure I’ve got my next payday purchase picked out. And they did so in magnificent style. They remain off for the majority of the episode when he is interacting with those who know him and they come back on as soon as he leaves the facility. Eek. The bait plan is flawed because it reads like a trap and they need to legitimize the provocative nature of their proposed article with a professional. Both of which are more toned down versions of some the ensembles she has been wearing this season and it is interesting that she has ditched the red attire except for her crimson lipstick. This season has gone all in on the Hannigram factor and taken it to even higher heights; they are together in an embrace as Will leads them over the edge of the cliff. The painting Dolarhyde worships has a demonic sexuality component (thanks Hannibal for that interpretation) and the vision he has of Reba is instead rather angelic. Great danger still exists despite the physical barrier as Hannibal represents Will’s darkest path. Concern lingers with Alana taking her standard ‘worried about Will’ position and the warmth that previously existed between the pair has returned. When she chose to not follow her son out of the window I had a brief moment where I yelled “WHY?” at the screen and then realized she needed the car keys to provide a distraction (or perhaps to getaway was the original plan). This isn’t to say she has ditched her femininity entirely and beneath the surface she is still very much the heart of the show; her new wardrobe mixes both the new and old aspects of her character. Yes I had to chuckle at the “Kitchen Nightmare” headline. She is rather self-satisfied with her current position. Hannibal's design. Alana has very little to do with the Tooth Fairy side of things in this version (plotting aside), instead focusing on the Hannibal incarceration elements. Here are a couple of other really great shots from Hannibal’s cell location from both sides of the glass: The second one really emphasizes how sparse it is without anything but a very uncomfortable looking bed. Will and Hannibal will have a powerful reunion Because Bryan Fuller has gone off book while incorporating major elements it adds to the intense nature as the lip biting – oh hey Standards and Practices – and body burning take place in Red Dragon with Freddy on the receiving end of both. In a way the Red Dragon arc mirrors the first half of the season in how it doesn’t leave room for too many other characters; yes Hannibal and Will are the central figures but the supporting cast are just as vital in telling a strong story. Chilton has seen Reba and because they heard her name on the Hannibal call it gives them a big clue in finding out who the Red Dragon is. The real kicker is every time Will offered up a more ludicrous take on why the Tooth Fairy has committed his crimes; Chilton gave a concerned look at how far Will was taking it. It is Dolarhyde’s perspective rather than Hannibal’s memory palace and the location is real; Hannibal’s physical presence is imagined, but as this is a guy who is seeing flaming images and tails this is the least out there vision he has had. Chiyo looks like she’s about to say, “Fine, okay then, bye” but Hannibal tells her she’s like iron and silver. And as Alana pointed out previously she was up for Hannibal getting tortured, but less so for his death even if it puts her in the firing line. *Setting the scene* Just look how lovely it is. It did make for a good dancing dress (the shoes less so, hence the flip flop switch). Reflections also appear on the glass of Hannibal’s cell and I can only imagine what a nightmare it is to light these scenes and avoid the crew appearing alongside the actors. Photographs and mirrors reflect our image, but they don’t always reveal what is really there. Hannibal is clearly having fun here pointing out the 11 days countdown until the next full moon – “tick tock” – and talking about Dolarhyde with such fondness claiming that he doesn’t think he is insane. Hannibal is trying to infect this happiness (it is lovely to hear Will laugh) with suggestions of impulses and so Molly’s joke about Will having a criminal mind doesn’t go down that well. The ladysuits work in both the opulent and cold location of the Verger residence and later when she is in charge of the facility housing Hannibal in the second half of the season; it is a look which asserts dominance. Not wearing adequate armor is how Will puts the events of three years ago and you’re going to need more than just your glasses – once again he wears them out in public, but not private encounters – to stop the spiral. Hannibal’s surroundings both real and memory palace are far more opulent than the cell which housed Will and the memories which haunted him. Meaning that he could not control or comprehend the amount of love he had for her. Some short scenes follow: Hannibal gives Bedelia a scalp massage (shampoo, not salt) while she lounges in the bath and dryly asks him “how did your sister taste?” Will frees the prisoner. Also despite having a lot of money off the original price it was still a BIG PURCHASE. We’ve seen the results of his time with Randall Tier, how he tried to push Margot into killing Mason (which she eventually did) and with Will Graham. All slightly toned down from previous bold stripe affairs and there is a subtle hint of Hannibal inspired plaid when she strips him of his dignity. She instantly likes him because he doesn’t pity her and he’s more comfortable with her because she can’t see what he wants to hide from the world. Instead they switched Freddie out for Chilton, which in this context makes so much sense. Hannibal has pointed Will in the direction of this work by Blake acting as puppet master from his cell and this is where Will has a brief, but violent interaction with Dolarhyde. If he can’t have his teacup then Will sure as hell can’t play happy families with someone else. Last week Dolarhyde felt a living woman for the first time (let’s not dwell too long on the living part) and this has disrupted his relationship with the Dragon. When this happens again, Bedelia does go to help and instead fists him to death. Will made a clean break from Hannibal and has got dragged back by recent events; for Bedelia du Maurier she has been using her time with Hannibal to fuel her career, which is troubling because her encounter with Neal Frank (oh hey Zachary Quinto not playing just a corpse this time) shows she’s not a great psychiatrist. He is at war with himself and while Bedelia’s split state was all smoke and mirrors, Dolarhyde is very much experiencing two very distinct versions. Chilton has become something of a Kenny like figure and unlike his South Park counterpart he just can’t be killed. Walter also has strong feelings regarding Dolarhyde’s fate and he doesn’t agree with Will wanting to catch him rather than kill him. Hannibal does not have the same interest in her other than he would like to eat her (as she points out she is safe from this threat at the moment) and there is something stronger at work here. Positioning Reba as the good in Dolarhyde’s life could lead to the age old Madonna/Whore complex at work especially as he is quite clearly not accustomed to intimacy of this kind – more drinking implements are broken this week – but there is nothing scandalous about Reba’s actions despite her “Hope I didn’t shock you” comment. Plus a brief panic about clicking the wrong size (I had not). First appearance This is what Hannibal does best; manipulate someone in crisis to kill and Dolarhyde has already crossed the murder threshold and really doesn’t need much convincing. In this conversation with Alana we get to see his memory palace in action: His former Baltimore residence is not the only place he spends time and the church in Palermo is just as vital. For years she has been keeping a man prisoner in the basement for Hannibal, who he claims ate his sister Mischa. She also tells him he should use his empathy to crush rather than nurture as it will be easier for him in the long run. The white shirt and hair loosely pulled back (which comes undone during the fisting) gives her a rather innocent and compassionate look, which are quickly betrayed by what occurs. Francis Dolarhyde is a different kind of beast and yet Hannibal is curious enough to reach out to him and recognize his desire for a happy family. For Chilton fame motivates this choice and with Alana it is more likely a sense of duty. Way to up amp up the super paranoid feelings while also grossing me out. He also doesn’t let the limitations of his surroundings get the best of him and he is incredibly resourceful when nurturing new projects. However it fit and this was quickly followed by the realization that it was pretty low cut and super cleavy; neither of which are in my style wheelhouse. In fact I would argue that season 3 has taken us to some new (twisted) hilarious heights as I’ve laughed a whole bunch this season. Yes Hannibal is also a dick to his ex-girlfriend and essentially threatened their lives as well as hers. Will then asks Chiyoh how she knows that it was the man in the cage that killed Mischa. Don’t get me wrong as it is so much fun seeing the sassing off between Will and Hannibal followed by how they come together to slay the dragon, but other aspects of the story fall far too quickly by the side. After a week of no dialogue, Richard Armitage gets to flex his vocal muscles aside from guttural screaming and he continues to mesmerize in his performance of Dolarhyde nailing the ‘Great Red Dragon’ urges along with his crippling shyness.