You didn’t think I was going to write Feminist Halloween without talking about NBC Hannibal, did you?
During my last rewatch of NBC Hannibal, I started reading tumblr user wellntruly’s recaps as she also rewatched the whole series. By far my favorite recaps are her recaps of Seasons 1 and 2 after watching Season 3. In addition to looking for clues and motifs in the first two seasons, she also asks “When and why did I start shipping Hannibal and Will (Hannigram)?”, which is actually a question I had, too.
In the kitchen, Hannibal hands Will a knife. Source.
Me: Past Me, how do you feel about Hannigram?
Past Me: No, that’s creepy. That is waaaayyyy too much Hannibal taking advantage.
Me: You are right.
Past Me: Why did you say that like that.
Me:
Past Me: …In the future, how fucked up are we?
Me: Just know that it’s not entirely our fault.
Past Me: Goddamnit.
Anyway, while Hannibal thinks about how he’s not going to do that, let’s check in with Past Me again!
Me: Oh hi. So NOW how do you feel about Hannigram?
Past Me: The extent and quality of how I don’t ship this mirrors the manner in which it seems the show does, and the dissonance there makes me want to bite something while whimpering.
Me: Sounds about right. Hey you’ve still got two seasons to go!
Past Me: Do not.
Me: *grins*
Past Me: God.
If I were to make a grand connective statement about Hannibal, which sure I’ll do that, what else am I doing, I’d say that part of the reason why he keeps so many irons in the fire at once is because he would hate to cut himself off from something, because he wants it all. Hannibal is a glutton. The consummate consumer. He wants all the finest things and as much of them as he can eat, often literally. And he has such an array of delights. He delights in the most delicate order of a perfectly set table — and he delights in throwing a worthy foe across his desk and stabbing him with a letter opener. He delights in being able to predict just what people will do in situations he has carefully arranged for them, and he delights in being utterly surprised by one person in particular: Will Graham. “I could never entirely predict you,” Hannibal tells him in S2, just glowing with love. He would never want to deprive himself of any of his pleasures, and Will, along with Will’s unpredictability, is one of them.
Hannibal Recap MASTERPOSTS
Season 3 Recaps
Also: Everything Hannibal Wore
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