MisterGlass

That's very well phrased. The two of them seemed much more reconciled, and I like the idea that it is with that purpose in mind. Jack and Will both know how to play to vanity, and their combined efforts would be powerful. I agree that the lack of mention of Chilton and Miriam by them was noteworthy. I agree that Will is sincerely conflicted about Hannibal. Hannibal was much more genuine with him at the end of the episode than I think he has been since their first kitchen confrontation. They connected, and that is hard to put aside no matter how evil the other person is. I think to some extent he will even feel guilty about bringing Hannibal to destruction, necessary as it is. In their therapy session, before agreeing to be honest except for sins of omission, and discussing how Will would kill Hannibal, they say the following: Will: Rebirths can only ever be symbolic. Hannibal: You've been reborn. Will: Wasn't that the goal of my therapy? Will is a changed person, and he is changed because of Hannibal. He doesn't even wear his glasses as a shield any longer. His non-traditional therapy included hypnosis, drugs, manipulation, severe illness, and false imprisonment, not to mention the losses of Georgia, Abigail, and Beverly. And of course the loss of Will's innocence in trying to have Hannibal killed. And after suffering through all of that, he is free and more in control than he has ever been. I wonder if Will likes himself better than he did before. If he does, if accepts that he emerged from this improved, then does he feel culpable for the price of the "treatment"? I think Fuller's interview makes good points about Margot. I do like that this version is already much more empowered even if more delicate physically. To be honest I was not looking forward to the entire Verger story line, and this has gone a bit toward easing my fears. When I think of the book progression of events the only word that comes to mind is grotesque.

I'm starting to think of Will's new look as Hannibalized. He was wearing a trenchcoat, even. I loved that it was herring bone patterened. Still bonded to the wild things. Margot's style was distinctive, with the high collars, jackets, and blouses. She gives off a powerful but eccentric vibe.

That was...um...the strangest thing I've seen on network television. The parallels between the characters were not subtle but I think they were very interesting. It seems Will is not quite as certain of himself and his feelings as I thought he was. He remains firm in his convictions about Hannibal, at least. I like that he made no secret of that in therapy and that he brought fish to the meal. Also, trust Hannibal to display the fish so that they are eating each other. Will is troubled by his attempt to kill Hannibal, more so than he let on to Alana or Jack. He isn't sure what his limits are anymore, just that they aren't what they were. He managed to bond with another troubled human being, and he wanted to avenge him. Hannibal is equally curious about Will's limits. The metamorphosis metaphor is apt, with neither of them actually knowing what Will is becoming. A stag? The starling was a weird call forward, and the chrysalis/butterfly imagery. And so much water. Will's mental river is replaced by a frozen one. Margo is attacked by a fish tank. Her tears. Fluid motion. Rain. I liked that Zeller apologized for not believing Will. I could like this version of Margo. She is an interesting amalgam of Hannibal and Abigail. I can see why he's so interested.

Yes, they were fairly recent. But that would mean that the Chilton-voiced Ripper is foremost in Miriam's mind. She had almost certainly heard Hannibal speak before, but if she could be made to remember Chilton's voice more then Hannibal's, she might be convinced it was the only voice she heard. If it were firmly ingrained in her mind, she might even re-imagine what Hannibal had said to her in Chilton's voice. She doesn't seem to have much sense of time.

Given the nature of Chilton's latest injury, I think death is preferable. If he were to return as a shadow in Will's mind, I would be okay with that. An autopsy would allow Price and Zeller to see the extent of his injuries, and perhaps draw conclusions that lead away from Chilton. I like Nutjob's theories about Jack, and would certainly like to see some added suspicion on his part. Will cannot act alone forever in this interplay with Hannibal. He and Jack need to start rebuilding their mutual trust somewhere. Interestingly, Jack seems less disturbed by Will's attack on Hannibal than Alana. Showing up at the institution upon his release was a surprise, but showed that Jack was again asking questions. That was my assumption. He and Chilton clearly had several meals together after Will's incarceration, so depending on when Hannibal decided on Chilton for his patsy, he could have recorded a considerable amount of dialogue.

Or at least contempt for all conventions.

I agree, Alana wasn't there to ask him any questions of real depth. Jack probably wanted her because she is someone Hannibal 'trusts', and she probably agreed to be there to show her support and sympathy for Hannibal. In part, I feel like Alana is digging her heels in to assert Hannibal's innocence because she was convinced of Will's guilt and was wrong. Bryan Fuller made a comment to the effect that he knew in a real world situation there would be more people involved in the investigations than are shown, that tasks would be more compartmentalized, but that there was a need to conserve characters on the show. As far as Miriam going to Hannibal's office, she had already declared that he was not the Ripper, so either Jack believed her and wanted Hannibal to examine her, or he was not convinced and wanted to see if further exposure would trigger a memory. If the latter, he may have had her buy in for it. I do think it would have been more approriate to take her to the therapist that interviewed Jack when he was under investigation. Chilton proposed essentially the same treatment, which he had used on Will. Apparently flashing lights can be used as part of a treatment for traumatic events, in something called eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. Whether Hannibal's treatment is modeled on this concept I do not know.

Plans within plans. As Will said, this has all been according to his design. The question will be what Will, his creation, his monster, does from here. I think Hannibal approved of the changes to Will evienced by the attempt on Hannibal's life, and that's why he provided the evidence to free Will. Will said Hannibal still wants to be his friend, and if so, he must have had a plan ready for keeping Will available. Chilton filled the niche nicely. The scene with Will holding a gun to Hannibal in the kitchen was interesting. Hannibal didn't try to fend him off, but he did look away when the gun was on him. I could not determine how much of his reaction was a need for self-reservation, and how much was attempting to play Will.

I enjoyed the fact that Hannibal not only declared to Jack that he would have a dinner party just when Will said he would, but that he actually made the food a flower garden to mimic the murder of the man in the tree. He is bold beyond belief.

They have already pretzled canon, but elegantly. This could work, but we won't know for a while. The FBI can only go as far as they can prove. Chilton, as he said himself, was the prefect patsy. His physical condition, and ability to perform the tasks required by the Chesapeake Ripper, are a fair question, and I would like to see it come up again. He did seem to need the cane earlier in the season, but here he dropped it in his basement and went upstairs without it. He did not have it when he was running through the snow away from Jack. I feel like the cane became a prop for him and he continued to use it past the point of genuinely needing it. Chilton doesn't act like a cold-blooded killer, but they expect the Ripper to be someone who can blend into society, and appear non-threatening. For all they know, Chilton is employing a person suit that is unscrupulous but benign, hiding a monster underneath. They were made to believe Will was a murderer, so how much more willing would they be to believe that Chilton is one? He was overtly interested in Will when they first met, and wanted to study him, something that Will's frame up gave him the opportunity to do. Chilton has been accused of unorthodox practices before, and played innocent when confronted by his misdeeds. It could be argued that if he were the Ripper, he was looking for someone to frame, selecting first Gideon, and when that did not work, Will, with whom he was fascinated, and as a last resort Hannibal, whom he envied. Chilton is eavesdropping on every room in his building. He has no obvious social life, aside from dinners with Hannibal. He hired the orderly that tried to kill Hannibal, and used him for other less than savory tasks. He would come to mind as a potential accomplice, if they were looking for someone that could have taken care of Miriam while Chilton was away. That Gideon's attack left him unable to eat much protein would explain away the absence of long pork in his system. They might theorize that he still has the urge to kill and remove organs, but has had to find another way to savor the experience. Gideon even insisted that Chilton had described Hannibal's dining room to him to spite the doctor. No one likes Chilton, and he feels under-respected. He was always eager to chatter on about the horror of the Ripper killings, like a Tattler reader. If Jack and Alana were looking at the situation as it stands now with their mindsets of say, two years ago, they would think Lector deserved more scrutiny. But they have been drug deeper and deeper into his world, and do not have the overview and objectivity necessary to see him. Jack tried when he had the meat tested. Each time Hannibal passes a test, or is falsely accused, he seems more innocent and put upon.

The therapy resumption scene at the end of S02.E07 "Yakimono" was interesting. Hannibal was in a hound's tooth sweater and Will was in a long sleeve red button down shirt. No suit jacket for Hannibal, and no coat for Will, as though the outer layers are peeled away. What's more, Will cleaned himself up for the encounter, getting ready for battle.

I've just had an opportunity to see this episode, and was alternately smirking at Chilton and cringing at the food. Alana was right that Abigail was hiding something, that Gideon was not the Ripper and the Chilton was manipulating him, and that Will had viral encephalitis. Alana is subtle, and tries to be non-confrontational, which makes her appear like a weaker character. She just has a much more measured approach. I think Snookums's post above gives a good summary of why Alana might become involved with Hannibal. Will tried to start a relationship for Alana when he was grasping for stability, and really beginning to hallucinate. Alana may also be grasping for stability. Hannibal seems to be one of the people she is closest to, and he was nearly killed. She may have been pulled closer by the fear of losing him and the shock of Will's actions. He even started playing "Chopsticks" with her. If we did not know what we know, it would have been a sweet and innocent moment. He is the phoenix in this. He rose from the ashes, but he is not and never will be the same. I feel like Hannibal proved Will's innocence because Will has finally become what Hannibal wanted him to be. There is no going back after attempting to kill Hannibal. The census taker reference was priceless, as was Chilton's "Hannibal the Cannibal".

The part I find interesting is that Hannibal is the one that suggests that they have a wider basis for a relationship than just a shared trauma. And he's right, they have a great deal in common. At least, she has a great deal in common with the person suit that he presents to her.

I never thought I would say I'm sorry to lose Chilton, but that is a measure of how well he has been portrayed by the writing and by Raul Esparza. His pitiful recital of why he is the perfect patsy to Will, after begging to use his shower, was kind of touching. And Will calling Jack on him was quite the calm and calculated action. It's an interesting twist to have him go now; I did not see the frame up coming, or his death. For a moment I expected Jack to kill him in the woods, until once again he proved to be both pitiable and human, and gave up. I am not surprised at all that Alana would believe Chilton was the killer. She has no respect for his methods and holds him accountable for the people Gideon killed. She knows he is manipulative, and as AimingForYoko said, this is an even more masterful frame up than Will. And petty as it may be, he was rude to her. That does not incline her to his side. Jack believes evidence, and he has more evidence than ever. He had Hannibal's food tested and proved non-human, he has a dead Gideon in Chilton's basement, and Miriam Lass's breakdown and attack. Even Price and Zeller accept this, and consider Beverly avenged. If Hannibal never killed again, or at least not as the Ripper, this would wrap it all up nicely. As far as the attack on the FBI agents, I think the best stratefy would have been to unlock the door, and hide. Unless they have legal authorization to enter, they will need to wait to be invited. He can call for them to come in from another location. They would enter and see an unconscious Chilton first, and at least one of them would go to check on his status. The bigger risk was in letting Chilton see more of his methods, like the plastic suit. Chilton's house, like his wardrobe, is like Hannibal's through the looking glass. It is white in opposition to the darkness of Hannibal's home. I am not surprised by the basement guest room; he may use one of the first floor bedrooms as an office, leaving the basement room the spare. I loved Will in this episode. Hannibal is right, he is truly empowered - a different person. He doesn't need to hide himself. The kitchen confrontation, and the session later on, were intense. I am very much looking forward to this struggle between equals. Alana is the third living victim of Hannibal, and she doesn't know it yet. Will should not judge her too harshly. She believed that he was a murderer, as everyone else did, but that he was not responsible. She actively tried to help him by the legal means available to her. For some time, she was the only person who would come to see him for something other than help on a case. She is Hannibal's longest con, longer than Chilton or Will. He has been playing her for, say, a decade. Miriam suffered two years, and Will for several months. The manipulation of Alana is more subtle, and goes much deeper. She is entitled to her opinion that no matter what was done to him, he was not justified in committing murder.

That was a notable reversal, especially in this genre, and I was glad to have the contrast. Beverly, inspite of having been killed, was not subjected to some pre-mortem torture (or monologuing) as far as we can see, unlike Hannibal. I wouldn't put it past Hannibal to have liquid nitrogen tanks on hand, either for his cooking or for special occasions like this one. We know his murders take preparation, recipe selection, and stalking, so perhaps he had this concept in mind. .I have to think that Hannibal will take credit for this transformation. This is such a monumental shift from the shy Will who was nervous abouting having his glasses adjusted by Jack in the pilot. Even when he was asymptomatic, at the very beginning, Will was never this decisive and focused. He was awkward and uncomfortable in his own skin. This Will, as Gideon said, has been shaped by what's happened to him. Belinda thought Hannibal did believe he was doing what was best for Will, and aside from Will she has been the best judge of him so far.

I think it's worth having a fashion thread on this board since the costumes are so distinctive. In this episode (2.05) alone we had Freddie in a ruffled shirt and suit, and Hannibal in a pullover sweater before breakfast.

Jack was touched be Beverly's death beyond what he would admit. He was professional in breaking the news to the science duo, the office staff, and Will, but he broke down there for a moment at the crime scene. Jack gets emotionally involved in cases even though he would not admit it; it is when he is frustrated by them that he becomes more hard nosed. When Beverly admitted that she had been talking to Will he was loud, but not discouraging. He is emotionally compromised already with Bella, so Beverly's death is going to push him farther.

It is unusual but not invalid for an antagonist to be a main character. Lecter is a villain and the main character, like Iago in Othello. Seeing his machinations doesn't diminish his evil, not after all his gaslighting and the deaths of Abigail and Beverly.

She will never look at Will the same, so perhaps it should be mutual. Hannibal and the dogs got on well. Perhaps Hannibal and Alana will take them out together for a walk while he's recovering.

It's how he savors his victims. It is his art and his celebration, even if he is the only consumer. It makes the kill complete. I also like the food blog; it is fascinating to see what she makes.

Jonathan Tucker did very well as the orderly, moving from slightly off to full on psycho as the episode progressed. Like Tobias, he was a memorable adversary for Hannibal, and much smarter in his attack. Their scene together was intense, with Hannibal refusing to be humbled even in that situtation. I would love for Beverly to continue on as a happier part of Will's psyche. I bet she would enjoy the fishing.

She is good people, and possibly the only 'normal' on the show. She is still trying to color inside the lines when no one else is; even Jack is starting to bend. I thing after episode 2.05 she must feel doubly betrayed by Will. After she was so accepting of his supposed encephalitis driven killings, trying to get him legal help and offer ways of defending himself, he decides to deliberately attack Hannibal, something she did not believe he was capable of in a conscious state.

Yes, Hannibal can no longer afford to under estimate Will. The tide has turned, and Will actually made Hannibal his victim. That Alana and Jack know Will manipulated the orderly to kill Hannibal is going to complicate matters for Will. Even if Gideon was the witness, they have the orderly and they found him on the attack as they were warned he would be. Will is guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. That adds yet another charge to his next trial, and he cannot claim that encephalitis was involved. Emotional disturbance perhaps, given what seeing Beverly's body was like. That was harrowing. I did not expect her to be displayed, though it was with somewhat more respect and attention than most of Hannibal's victims. The death reenactment was disturbing. As with Miriam, he preferred to strangle her. At least she didn't suffer long.