Season 2, episode 7 review - Yakimono

Well, like with all seasons of television shows there comes an episode that changes the stakes for everyone. In the seventh episode of Hannibal a huge surprise happens, and it involves Miriam Lass.

The episode starts off essentially where the last left off, Miriam is whisked off to medical treatment and is then given to opportunity to identify the Chesapeake ripper. Is it hannibal? She can't recall or remember.

Will Mr. Graham be set up yet again. Now, and that is where the twist in the episode comes from. It builds on the fact that Will is not the ripper and he is now being set free. Will gives Chilton a warning to come out into the light and away from Hannibal (who hides in the shadows). He tells something similar to Alana. But she is in love with her old friend and won't be swayed by the fact that Will tried to have him killed.

What Will convinces Chilton to do is confess that he and Hannibal did the same thing, they manipulated their patients to become something they were not.

Sadly, Chilton continued to blame Hannibal, and yet in offering his services to uncover Miriam's memories Jack said that she is not his patient.

Will is now back to essentially where he was in season one, just not so dysfunctional. He is helping Jack on the case, and informs him that the ripper has been caught before and is only letting himself be known so that he can slip away again. In other words, everyone was playing into Hannibal's hands, and Will I think comes to realize this.

(Spoilers ahead, highlight if you wish to know)

Dr. Fredric Chilton, runner of the institution for the criminally insane. This is the twist, the big shocker. Hannibal goes from framing his best friend Will so that he does not get caught to realize he can't so he figures out a way to set him free, be revealing himself and framing Chilton for his crimes. Along with the murder of Abel Gideon and two officers. Chilton won't have any friends fighting for him in his corner, everyone discredits him, and to add to all the shockers when Miriam sees him, she breaks and shoots him with Jack's gun. Chilton, Dead!?

Yakimono is the game changing episode for this season. The moments that occurred here will affect the outcome of future episodes. The opening season's fight scene between Hannibal and Jack will continue to become more powerful as the season progresses. For now, things are back to the way they were. Will and Hannibal have resumed Will's therapy.

Episode rating: A++ (gore-ific episode and so tensely thrilling)