S02.E12: Tome Wan

[ElectricBoogaloo]

In a therapy session, Will imagines how he would kill Hannibal, honestly sharing his visions, and oddly bolstering their co-dependency. Later, in a session with Mason Verger, Hannibal discusses Margot’s unfortunate “accident” and other veiled threats. Jack grows impatient with Will’s progress on catching Hannibal, and brings in a surprise witness from the past to help. And when Hannibal’s life is threatened, Will must decide whether to come to his aid, and give Hannibal the opportunity for revenge.

 

http://youtu.be/pY2PVrczlZs

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Heh, I like that one of the cards said, "WILL HANNIBAL"!

[arc]

I like that the promo used "just deserts" correctly, though given the food/cannibal punning going on, they would have actually had a fair claim to use "just desserts" instead.

[AimingforYoko]

Mason's comeuppance was satisfying, if really, really gross.

[MisterGlass]

Oh, but it was so much worse than I imagined.  Glad I wasn't planning to sleep.  Ever.

[FormerMod-a1]

I don't know how WIll could just stand there and not react.  As vile a person as Mason is, that was seriously messed up.

[AimingforYoko]

It was surreal and hilarious how Will and Hannibal were just talking like there wasn't a man feeding his own face to the dogs. Then Hannibal pops in with, "Then eat your nose."

[Actionmage]

No, what actually got a chuckle was "I'm full of myself." I felt so bad. Then I remembered it was Mason and didn't mind so much.

 

The lighting was a great way to skirt the blood issue of Standards and Practices. Like when The Bride fought The Crazy 88s in Kill Bill, Volume 1. Keeping most of the grotesquerie in shadow/darkness, but Mason was lit juuuust enough to...outline what had been done. (Btw? Bad dogs! Good Winston! Good, good Winston!!)

 

Still reeling from the gross. More later.

[MisterGlass]

The scene just kept going.  There was a commercial break and it was still going.  Gah.  This pulled a great deal of the end of "Hannibal" forward in time.

 

I was glad to see Margot unflinching there at the end, but it isn't much consolation that she is still going to be around Mason.  Of course Mason will be dependent on her for a great deal now, even where the business is concerned.

 

Focusing for a moment on the least horrific parts of the episode, I was glad to see Dr. DuMaurier return unharmed.  I hope she continues to survive. Winning immunity seems to have been needed since she was more directly invovled in her patient's death than I realized.  Not that Lecter isn't the root of the issue.

 

It seems that Will and Jack are not on as transparent a footing as I anticipated.  Will is in something of Miriam Lass's position, prepared to beg forgiveness than ask permission.  He did not have approval for Randall or Freddie, and it looks like Jack will never know the full extent of what happened at Will's house.  But Jack is still playing along, even to the point of continuing to dine with Hannibal.  I thought previously that Hannibal played friends well, but Jack is almost as good an actor.  And even then it seems that Hannibal isn't entirely playing, if he thinks Jack deserves the truth.

 

Will is in too deep.  I expected him to save Hannibal, because even though he wants him destroyed this wasn't the way.  But he is culpable for this.  He put Mason out as bait, and even after that fiasco he is prepared to put Jack out there as next in line.  Jack might be willing, but it is a very bad idea.  Dr. DuMaurier is right: they have no idea where they really stand.

 

I laughed at Mason playing art critic to Hannibal's sketches, and cringed when he stabbed the office chair, knowing where that would lead.

 

Achilles, Hannibal?  He could still be stopped, though it wasn't by 'whimsy'.  Does this make Jack into Hector?  Hector died.

 

What was wrong with the bottles in Hannibal's refrigerator?  Was one of them empty?  I think that was Alana's reserve; did someone take one out to be examined?

[thuganomics85]

Mads wins facial reaction of the night, thanks to Hannibal's "Oh, fuck you, dick" response to Mason stabbing his chair, but I have to give some love to the dog playing Winston, who somehow looked like he wanted to say "Dude, don't go in there!  Trust me!", to Will.

 

Seriously, even though they kept it in the dark, what happened to Mason was easily one of the most grossest things this show has did, which is really saying something.  Hannibal really thought of the most fucked up thing possible to get revenge.  Now, it looks like Mason is paralyzed for life and doesn't have a face.  That would do it.  Oh, and Margot is going to stay around and "take care" of him.  Go Margot!

 

Sounds like the Jack/Hannibal throwdown next week will be due to Will convincing Hannibal to just go ahead and tell Jack the truth.  I wonder what the plan is here.

[FormerMod-a1]

When do you think Hannibal practices his fight skills?  He was pretty slick with the kidnap squad Mason sent for him.  That lay down on the floor and spin routine had to be through good training.

[niven]

When do you think Hannibal practices his fight skills?  He was pretty slick with the kidnap squad Mason sent for him.  That lay down on the floor and spin routine had to be through good training.

Yeah, he seems to have a lot of free time to learn some moves.

[Anela]

Crossposting from elsewhere:

 

That was so disgusting. I had to look away, and almost muted it, as well. I need to start watching this during the day again, so that I can go out into the fresh air and sunlight afterwards, but tonight the DVR didn't take, so I had to click "watch over".

 

I hope my dogs wouldn't eat that (although they used to eat raw meat). My cats would probably play with it. Ugh. This is too much - I don't understand this game anymore, and I don't like seeing Will talking to Hannibal almost like a friend. I was afraid that Hannibal had taken the pigs to Will's house, and fed his dogs to them.

 

I saw Alana in the preview: it looked as though she walked in as Hannibal was walking purposefully towards something/someone, with blood on his shirt, looking dishevelled. I wonder if she will save Jack, with that gun of hers.

[LittleIggy]

Mason's comeuppance was satisfying, if really, really gross.

Man, that was sick! Loved it! All the camera effects they used after Hannibal gave Mason the drugs were really cool.

I'm still confused about Dr. du M. Did Hannibal sic the patient on her the way he sicced saber-tooth robo killer on Will, and she went overboard like Will?

[lulee]

Man, that was sick! Loved it! All the camera effects they used after Hannibal gave Mason the drugs were really cool.

I'm still confused about Dr. du M. Did Hannibal sic the patient on her the way he sicced saber-tooth robo killer on Will, and she went overboard like Will?

that what she seemed to imply, although it's hard to imagine a scenario in which tiny, delicate Dr du M cuts a guy's tongue out...only on this show, I guess.

[niven]

Man, that was sick! Loved it! All the camera effects they used after Hannibal gave Mason the drugs were really cool.

I'm still confused about Dr. du M. Did Hannibal sic the patient on her the way he sicced saber-tooth robo killer on Will, and she went overboard like Will?

Kinda disappointed we didn't get to see a flashback on it.

[Joystickenvy]

Things I learned from tonight's episode:

A good taser trumps mad ninja skills

If someone jabs a scalpel into your thigh, you probably shouldn't pull it out

Drugs are bad

I was far less grossed out by Verger's face than the guy tearing himself loose from the mural. I think the difference for me was that Verger was so doped out of his mind that he wasn't aware of his suffering. I thought they did a great job of showing just enough to make it clear what was happening without going into graphic for the sake of shock value territory, though that is probably just because it's on network TV. Watching the dogs eat it did squick me out a bit though. I chuckled at "I'm full of myself." Verger is much more likable doped up and faceless.

Seems that Dr. Scully agrees with me that Hannibal is not being fooled. I guess we'll find out who is right and who is dead next week.

[Baltron9000]

To carry on my tortured metaphor from last week, Mason went full Joker. But Joker isn't shit compared to Ras Al Gul. 

I feel like this  episode was released at the perfect time. NBC, "Well, the ratings are bad, but its a prestige show, it's a little strange but it bumps up our credibility. It's just a shame we can't get more people on board. Ah well, maybe if we give it one more season it can reach a bigger audience." 

Hannibal, "Eat your nose." 

[lilmissprefect]

I laughed a lot during this episode. I felt kind of bad about it, but it was funny. 

 

The Mason part actually grossed me out a bit, which is odd since nothing else on this show has so far (I winced at the mural dude, but that was because ouch, not ew). I was very sad that Will's poor pups were the ones who ate his face after all - I was hoping for pigs, not puppies. Though Winston earned his place as my favorite by opting out. "No thanks, crazy cannibal. I'll hang out here, with the good company."

 

I can't help but love Will and Hannibal's talks more than anything, and that last one by the fire was wonderful. Will finally telling Hannibal flat out that they can't be murder besties because people are going to notice that everyone around them keeps dropping like flies cracked me up. Interesting that Hannibal seems willing to reveal himself to Jack (if Will runs away with him).

 

I knew Will wouldn't be able to kill Hannibal, even though he really, really wants to. Somewhere in there, I think he knows that killing Hannibal would make him the monster he's still trying not to be. Also I think a part of him doesn't want Hannibal to not exist in the world, because he still has some of those delightful conflicting friendship feelings to balance out the hate. 

 

Next week should be very interesting. I can hardly wait. 

[dramachick]

They just keep ramping up the crazy on this show.

 

Ugh.  Beyond gross with Mason.  At least Gideon was afforded a formal place setting and a lovely presentation of himself.

 

I'm ready for next week!

[arc]

I was very sad that Will's poor pups were the ones who ate his face after all - I was hoping for pigs, not puppies.

 

Structurally, though, what an amazing fake-out by Fuller and company. "We're twisting up the lore all through this show, and Mason's got vicious homicidal pigs now. So we're totally going to swap pigs for dogs... Except no, we aren't!"

Kinda disappointed we didn't get to see a flashback on it.

According to Fuller, Anderson only made it back to the show for this episode for six hours of filming on the one day she had between Crisis and The Fall by flying to/from Toronto. A tremendous effort on her part already, so I'm glad she was here at all.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I, too, heard a squealing sound inside the house and was afraid that Mason had his pigs eat Will's dogs. I was seriously like FUCK THIS SHOW. I was about to abandon it altogether based on fictional pigs eating fictional dogs because PUPPIES! When Will went inside the house, I thought oh, thank goodness, it's just Mason cutting his face off and feeding it to the dogs. Show, you have obviously fucked me up beyond all reason.

 

What did Hannibal say he used on Mason? I loathe Mason as a person, but I love Mason high on Hannibal's psychedelics. "You have to write me a prescription for this, doctor!" Hahaha! He's positively delightful and entertaining when he's on Hannibal's drugs!

 

I knew Mason was in for it when he put his feet up and Hannibal just stared at his shoes. Then Mason stabbed the chair with his knife and I thought dude, you are in for a world of hurt. I'm not saying I agree with Hannibal about eating the rude, but gawd, Mason is insufferable. I would be pretty offended if someone put their shoes up on my desk and then stabbed my chair too.

Edited May 17, 2014 by ElectricBoogaloo

[catrox14]

AUGHHHHHHH!   This. Show. is really messing with my mind.

 

The cat, cat, and mouse game between Will, Hannibal and Jack is pretty brilliant I have to say.  Nice to see DuMaurier alive and well...and well, alive.  

 

That scene with Mason was revolting and horrifying and yet I was like, yes, Mason is getting his just desserts, so to speak.  But I literally covered my face with my hands. I couldn't even watch it through my fingers.  That was just...I can't even find the words.  

 

Once more, I ask myself, why the fuck do I watch this show!?

[jeansheridan]

I am kind of mad at Hannibal for using Will' s dogs.  He is defiling everything.  I hope next season is about the redemption of Will.

 

Mason! He intuitively understood stabbing Hannibal' s furniture would piss him off.  I am a bit shocked he did not actually piss.  I liked the mask in the end too.  Creepy but saves on make-up.

 

I love how Margot is the winner, surviving two creeps.  Three if you count her dad.  

[heyerchick]

I'm still stalled on Hannibal sharing his gay fanart with Will...

[IndependentMind]

Yeah, Gillian was so busy last year also with The X Files 20th Anniversary agreeing to attend Comic Con, Wonder Con, Paley Center and other conferences she could fit into her schedule along with filming Crisis, The Fall etc. She is Belfast now filming the second season of The Fall. Then will do a play "Streetcar Named Desire" in london for 2 months.

She is truly mesmerizing. And Bryan Fuller seems to really love her. And she loves working with Bryan Fuller and the cast of Hannibal. She has said that if Bryan Fuller wants her on Hannibal she will come back. And she truly loves Mads.

Her scenes are always worth waiting for.

This show is so damn good. I cant think of a show that has four brilliant actors Hugh, Mads, Lawrence and Gillian. All bringing their A game everytime they are on screen. And strong performances from other actors as well.

I totally geek out when Gillian is in screen. She is jusr so mesmerizing.

[Sarah D. Bunting]

My thoughts on the episode!

[Brattinella]

God, what a glorious show!  I am awe-struck with it's dreamy, gorgeous visuals, and the power and brilliance of all the actors. 

 

Eat your nose, then.  LMFAO!!

 

Mr. Brattinella used to watch X-Files and never really noticed how truly gorgeous Gillian is until I pointed it out.  She is STILL a vision of beauty, such a girl-crush!

 

Anyway, this episode was wonderful, gore and all.  Wish I could be a fly on the wall with Margot/Mason in the recovery-phase hahaha!!

[heyerchick]

My thoughts on the episode!

 

The snark is always delicious, thank you :) 

[IndependentMind]

Bratinella, I am with you there. Gillian is gorgeous even more so as she ages. I love that she can actually attend those fan conferences and not wear make up sometimes. She recently an on cam thing asking fans to bid on celeb doodles for charity with no a shade of make up since she just woke up. I love seeing the natural lines on her face. And those eyes. Yes, I have such a girl crush also.

[Helena Dax]

Sometimes gore makes me laugh and this was one of those times,  but  only because Mason's face was in darkness. If we could have seen it, I probably hadn't been able to look at it. Then I thought Hannibal had killed him -which would have been mercy at this point-, but no, he broke Mason's spine. (I know he was on a wheel chair in the book, but I thought Mason had jumped off from a window or something). Loved Margot in that last scene, heh. She's going to have her revenge.

 

Dr. Scully's right and Will seems ready to risk Crawford's life. But I still wonder why Crawford went to Hannibal's alone. I can't wait for next chapter. I think this season should end with Hannibal's capture. It'd be difficult to make another season where he's still free. Freddie can't be hidden forever.

 

Dr. Scully, btw, speaks very sloooooowly. 

 

My favourite part was when Hannibal was drawing Hannibal/Will fanart. No, seriously, I wasn't a shipper because I usually don't like dysfunctional relationships and Will is too good for Hannibal. But I can't stop seeing what I'm seeing, either. 

[attica]

You know, I sometimes wish Anderson would put some more zip into Bedelia's line deliveries, but on the other hand, her slowness and carefulness with each syllable is really a workshop in the craft of stuff happening behind the text. Oh, and that red blouse will be mine if I have to eat my own nose.

 

I liked how Margot's choker (which I am coveting as well) echoed Mason's halo.

 

Most of all, I think whatever drug Hannibal gave Mason MUST BE the self-same stuff that Fuller et al smoke while making this show. "I am enchanted and terrified." Yep: that sums it up pretty well.

[numbersix]

My comment on TWOP, posting as jdshadforth: 

 

I have this fantasy that, after Hannibal's reaction to Mason stabbing the chair, somewhere Anthony Hopkins started packing his Oscar in a box addressed to Mads Mikkelsen.

[Neurochick]

I was wondering how they were going to do the Mason face eating scene.  In the book 

I do think that Hannibal drugged Mason, but I thought that Hannibal convinced Mason to stick his head in the cage of some reptile Mason had and that was how his face was eaten. Can someone confirm?

 Just when I thought that show couldn't get more fucked up, it does!  I was shocked that this was allowed to be on network TV with the censors and all but I think gore is allowable if it's in the dark or something.  

 

Also at the end, I don't get why Margot was still there.  With her brother incapacitated, why not just leave?  I think it had to do with the inheritance or something, that a woman couldn't inherit the fortune or something.  

 

Next week, 

Earlier I saw a promo where Alana was holding a gun, sees Hannibal all bloody and shoots him. I wonder if that will happen in the finale. After all, Will did give her a gun and she has been practicing.

[IndependentMind]

Well, arent most psychiatrist this way with their patients? They speak slowly and carefully?

I do think that GA approached the character this way to make her seem even more mysterious. There is a vulnerability in her and its probably what keeps Hannibal from killing her. Or maybe he respects her too much. I love the scenes that Mads and GA have done together.

Dr Maurier is surely different from Dr Scully. Where as Du Maurier speak slowly and calmly, Scully speaks faster with her medical stuff and is often irritated with Mulder's alien theories. haha.

Her schedule now has opened up, so maybe we wil see more of her in S3.

Neurochick, here is a great article regarding what you can and cannit get awat with when it comes to gore/violence on tv

http://www.avclub.com/article/hannibals-bryan-fuller-adventures-standards-and-pr-204648

[Lisin]

@Neurochick in the book he drugs Mason with (I believe) PCP, LSD and gives him Amyl Nitrate poppers and then convinces him to cut off his face and feed it to his own dogs (Mason's dogs) so the only thing that changed was the owner of the dogs, and Will being there. In the book Lecter is Mason's court appointed psychiatrist because Mason has been found guilty of molestation (I think). I also cannot remember if Lecter broke Mason's neck in the book but I feel like he did. 

[Fable]

I, too, heard a squealing sound inside the house and was afraid that Mason had his pigs eat Will's dogs. I was seriously like FUCK THIS SHOW. I was about to abandon it altogether based on fictional pigs eating fictional dogs because PUPPIES! When Will went inside the house, I thought oh, thank goodness, it's just Mason cutting his face off and feeding it to the dogs. Show, you have obviously fucked me up beyond all reason.

 

 

God, I had almost the exact same reaction.  I was so scared for Will's poor dogs, and then was relieved and thought okay, it's just Mason cutting off his face, no problem.  I wonder what that says about me....on the other hand, no I don't even really want to know! 

[rhys]

Does anyone recall Hannibal's comment to Jack during the fish aspic dinner? It was something about some people needing a god. As a heathen, I liked it, but didn't write it down.

[90PercentGravity]

I think it was something like "people who can't trust others need religion" or something like that. I remember thinking it was rather insightful.

[DangerousMinds]

@Neurochick in the book he drugs Mason with (I believe) PCP, LSD and gives him Amyl Nitrate poppers and then convinces him to cut off his face and feed it to his own dogs (Mason's dogs) so the only thing that changed was the owner of the dogs, and Will being there. In the book Lecter is Mason's court appointed psychiatrist because Mason has been found guilty of molestation (I think). I also cannot remember if Lecter broke Mason's neck in the book but I feel like he did. 

In the movie, Mason (the brilliant Gary Oldman) was swinging/hanging from some kind of sex swing when Hannibal drugged him, and after the face cutting, I think Hannibal cut the cord meaning to kill him, but he just broke his neck and he survived.

 

Mason cutting off his own face was inspired by a true story of a man, Michael, who did the same thing while under the influence of PCP. 

 

http://www.practicalhomicide.com/Research/MasonVerger.htm

 

ETA: now that I look more closely at that article, the real life case seems to have taken place in 2009. So after Harris wrote the book.

I think it was something like "people who can't trust others need religion" or something like that. I remember thinking it was rather insightful.

When Hannibal said that to Jack, I said out loud "Or, I'll just trust myself." Then Jack said almost the same thing.

Edited May 17, 2014 by DangerousMinds

[LittleIggy]

I remember in the movie "Hannibal" that when asked why he cut his face off, Gary Oldman, as Verger, said "It seemed like a good idea at the time." Always made me laugh.

[Epeolatrix]

the real life case seems to have taken place in 2009. So after Harris wrote the book.

What happened was, the real-life case first appeared in Geberth's second edition of his textbook (1996). Harris used the details in Hannibal (1999). Geberth got annoyed that his own book wasn't credited as the source, so Harris added some special thanks in subsequent editions of the novel. Geberth later presented the case at the AAFS conference in 2009, because everyone was curious about it thanks to the novel and film.

 

Edited to add: Here is a link to the meeting notes from that AAFS conference. He presented it at a breakfast seminar! http://www.ncstl.org/search/results/view/85089

Edited May 17, 2014 by WertherEffekt

[IndependentMind]

Here is another review.

http://www.tv.com/m/shows/hannibal-2012/community/post/hannibal-season-2-episode-12-tomewan-review-140002235908/

[Slovenly Muse]

Oh, man, I shouldn't have laughed nearly as hard as I did during that really, really, horrifically gross Mason scene... but I couldn't help it! "Eat your nose" was priceless, but I think the moment that really cracked me up was Mason's jovial, faux-repentant confession that he was going to feed Will to his pigs right after Hannibal. "...I was!" And never before has a sentence uttered on "Hannibal" reflected so precisely the exact feelings of every viewer than, "I am enchanted and terrified."

 

Also, how about a little love for, "Whoever is pursuing whom, I intend to eat them."

 

DELIGHTED to see Bedilia again! And once again she shows up at the exact right moment to throw a floundering Will exactly as much lifeline as he needs to find himself again, and not an inch more. I love her so much. And I'm glad we finally got a clearer idea of what happened with her patient, and glad that she seems, for all her wilful ignorance over the years, to have assembled a very accurate and very helpful psychological portrait of Hannibal.

 

Interesting that Dr. DuMaurier insists that Hannibal will persuade Will to kill someone he loves. Apart from Mason, the only person Hannibal has encouraged Will to kill has been Hannibal himself. It even oddly fits! I wonder if Bedelia's warning applies truly to Will, or if it is now more appropriate to Jack, since Will has just put him on the hook. I am finding myself very concerned about Bella's fate in the finale.

 

In fact, my feelings about the upcoming finale can be summed up pretty damn clearly: I am enchanted and terrified.

[Door]

I must be the biggest sicko ever because all I could think during the face-cutting scenes were, alternatively, "Awesome!" and "Verger certainly enunciates well considering he's cut off his lips." Obviously I need to go take a seat over there. 

Edited May 18, 2014 by Door

[jeansheridan]

I am fine with them taking liberties about his mutilation.  Like still having both eyes and eyelids.  If Mason stays on for next season the show needs to save some money on FX.  

 

One thing.  Show Margot has got to know or somewhat knows what really happened.  She is a major loose end for Hannibal.  How can she live?  Whimsy?  Hannibal' s amused to give her power?  I know she has major reasons to stay silent but that hasn't stopped Hannibal before.

[FormerMod-a1]

I've been wondering about all the clean up that needed to be done at Hannibal's and Will's places.  There's at least one body at Hannibal's and blood from the thigh injury, and WIll's is where the face pealing and eating happened - I would imagine blood there too.  Plus moving Mason w/o killing him.  Was Jack in on that too?  Will called and said "Hey, don't look too closely or forensically at these places".

[DittyDotDot]

I am fine with them taking liberties about his mutilation.  Like still having both eyes and eyelids.  If Mason stays on for next season the show needs to save some money on FX.  

 

One thing.  Show Margot has got to know or somewhat knows what really happened.  She is a major loose end for Hannibal.  How can she live?  Whimsy?  Hannibal' s amused to give her power?  I know she has major reasons to stay silent but that hasn't stopped Hannibal before.

Hannibal did it for her. If he had just killed Mason then she would have lost everything. He made sure he was still alive, but will be sufficiently tortured for the rest of his life and dependent on Margo. Why would he kill her now?

[jeansheridan]

I think Hannibal left Mason alive because it amused him to do so.  Look Jack.  I can maime and do whatever I want and nobody, not even Will, stops me.  

 

The beer bottles.  Maybe they are an indication that Alana hadn't come by in a while.  It did seem oddly significant.  And he looked at them.  

 

Hannibal keeps a tidy fridge.  Again I find myself wanting to see him do dishes.  Mads really fakes cooking well.

[90PercentGravity]

Did it seem that Dr Du Maurier held the belief that Hannibal hasn't actually killed anyone himself? Maybe I just wasn't paying close enough attention, but that seemed to be what she was implying, that he manipulates others into killing instead. Does she not know he is also himself a killer?