Last night served the second course of NBC’s new horror
series Hannibal and I will say from the off, it was brilliant.
I know this is only the second episode and no doubt a premature
assumption but if the show continues as strong as this, we are in for a true televisual treat.
This week we follow Dr Will Graham and his psychological
recovery after his heroic work out in the field, culminating the end of last week's episode. His killing of Garret
Jacob Hobbs was considered an admirable act, worthy of granting Graham an
official position with the FBI out in the field again. Providing, of course, he
is mentally sound. Special Agent Jack Crawford requires he have a psychological
evaluation from Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Their meetings that interject throughout
the episode really showcase Bryan Fuller’s flare for dialogue. The script is
filled with one liners, not of a cheesy or dismissive quality, but of thought provoking
and pretty philosophical stuff ("killing must feel good to God too, he does it all the time. Are we not created in his image?").
This teamed with strong performances from Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy really draws you
in - even if they converse with one another from each end of the room, we
are continuously subservient as viewers to their latent chemistry and
connectivity.
This week, a shady
journalist named Freddie Lounds (a clear nod to Hannibal predecessors) is added to the mix.
She infiltrates various crime scenes and manipulates men victim to her feminine
wills, all to gather information and write damning articles. She can manipulate all, except Dr. Lecter of course. His
treatment of her was paradoxically charming yet threatening, concluding with
the wonderful remark, “You’ve been terribly rude Ms. Lounds. What’s to be done
about that?”. It was so wonderfully played by Mikkelsen, I couldn't help but
grin. Ms Lounds' report on “demented” Graham ultimately places him and last
week’s survivor Abigail Hobbs in danger, victim to this week’s star killer – a dodgy pharmacist
named Eldon.
I think it is safe to say that if you are not a fan of
mushrooms, this episode will not grant any favours in changing that palatable opinion.
Eldon buries his victims alive in a diabetic comatosed state, acting as a form
of fertiliser to grow a very particular kind of mushroom garden, and I'm not talking the 'magic' kind. Eldon
justifies his actions, believing it to be nature and biology speaking
to one another. I understand, my explanation is probably not doing this
particular narrative strand any favours, but it is definitely this week’s
standout moment. In keeping with the show’s incredibly stylistic and almost
surreal flare, the camera does not shy away from decomposing, mushroom-covered
bodies as they are discovered and investigated by the FBI team. It’s twisted
and revolting - just what we want to see from a horror television series. It
also manages to provide a generically conventional but nevertheless jumpy
moment of the episode.
My only scruple this week is that the episode ended with Graham shooting someone again. It removed me from the position of a captivated viewer into a moment of "oh...". Thankfully, the ending redeemed itself with another meeting between Graham and Dr. Lecter. In a moment of psychological revelation, Graham effectively admits the enjoyment he felt in killing. Still, I'm hoping his new gun-toting habits will not become a weekly tradition to feature at the end of each episode... poor man.
In the world of cuisine, an amuse-bouche is a mix of
delicious flavours to warm the palette, a taste of what is to come. It is no
wonder therefore, that it was the title of Hannibal’s second episode. It was a delicious mix of intense crime-solving affair and psychological musings, with stylistic
craft and skillful dialogue as the strong reigning ingredients. A taster for
what is to come? Bring on next week already. This has made me hungry... but perhaps not for
mushrooms.
What did you think of this week's episode? Post a comment!
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