Well, I just finished re-watching the latest Hannibal episode. In this episode the enigmatic Eddie Izzard returns as the serial killer Gideon, and he's out for revenge against those psychiatrists who tried to convince him who he was. Dr. Chilton and Dr. Alana Bloom are two on the list. He escapes and is now on the loose.
The episode gives us some really great development into Will slow descent as his mind starts to crumble. He has a nightmare about him dissolving and turning into liquid, which makes for one of the scariest nightmares he's had this season. Throughout the episode Will begins to have serious daydreams of water and has a moment where he's in a room full of antlers with Jack Crawford that he is armed and extremely dangerous. I loved the development on Will's psyche in this one, he is really pushed to the limit.
The game begins to determine if Gideon really was the "Chesapeake Ripper". In truth they discover that Gideon is trying to find out who the real ripper really is. He does this by cutting up his victims as public display gifts to the real killer, hanging the organs out in neatly tied bows and even not wasting the blood (having it packed in a container of ice and providing a note saying to give it as a donation to the red cross).
With Freddie Lounds she becomes embroiled in Gideon's plans as he uses her to get to the real Ripper (later on the ripper does a similar thing). What surprised me is how calm and collected this female version of Freddie Lounds is. This has made me truly love the character much more now as she is so far more interesting.
The murders were very unique in this episode, very interestingly done. The scene with Chilton is gut wrenching, literally.
So, at one point in the episode, a very good moment between Alana Bloom and Will Graham, we learn that the real ripper would consider what Gideon did to be rude and would kill him if he found him. Some great and interesting twists happen and the real ripper (which we all know for certain to be Hannibal) kills a psychiatrist in order to send a message to Crawford to tell them where to catch Gideon.
One part that annoyed me about the episode, and shocked me actually was Chilton on Gideon's operating table. I was surprised because I did not think they would kill the character off. They don't, but it was a hell of a crazy risk. Freddie is really strong in this scenario as she not once pukes or falters.
As the episode nears it's end will has a small seizure has his temperature sky rockets and he starts hallucinating. What I found very interesting is how Hannibal uses Will to get rid of Gideon while also, in a way, helping him fight his own demons. I found it very interesting to see Will and Gideon chat as Will believes Gideon to be someone else (Garrett Hobbs). With GIdeon's death Will collapses and in a way slowly brings him and Alana hopefully closer together.
By the end we get another appearance of the lovely Gillian Anderson as Hannibal's psychiatrist. I am also truly loving the development they are making on Hannibal's character. They have made him so fascinating. And I have come to the decision that Hannibal does not want to kill WIll nor make him into someone like him. He is truly trying to help him, but by also using him for his own means. He wants Will to be his friend. Because Hannibal finds him such an interesting character (or is it his madness that Hannibal prefers?)
The final few lines in the episode defiantly stayed with me as his psychiatrist tells Hannibal that if he takes the step towards friendship, he must take a step back. Hannibal griefs then that he must sit and watch him loose his mind. His psychiatrist says in response "Sometimes all we can do is watch". That last line gave me the sense then that maybe there is truly nothing Hannibal can affectively provide for Will aside from a stable anchor to reality.
Again terrific performances from the cast all round, especially Caroline Dhavernas, she was beyond phenomenal.
