"Hannibal" Review/Recap: “Takiawase”
Robert Tiemstra ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Death is always very much in the foreground of Hannibal, and not in the way it normally manifests itself in serial TV dramas. Season one was very much about the aftermath of death and how it affects everyone involved: the killer, the family members, and the witness. In the fourth episode of season two, Bryan Fuller and Scott Nimerfro unveil another perspective: how the prospect of inevitable death affects people.
This episode focused mainly on the story of a guest character. Jack Crawford’s (Laurence Fishburne) wife, Bella (Gina Torres), is the anchor that gives this episode more thematic heft than its three predecessors. Her acceptance of the inevitability of death ultimately earns the respect of Dr. Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) – a man who sits apart from humanity and judges each person based on empirical worth. This is a theme also touched upon by the introduction of a new brand of killer, Katherine Pims (Amanda Plummer), an acupuncturist who uses her techniques to remove the pain from her suffering patients, giving them a “dignified death” (though one may rightly question how dignified it is to have your skull hollowed out and filled with a beehive). Though the two plots never intersect, they are inseparably linked by this tantalizing theme.

And then there’s the main two, Lecter and Graham, continually at odds. Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) has a major revelation in this episode, and it is shockingly effective in how it is conveyed through harsh editing and visuals, putting the viewer effectively into Will’s mind during a seizure (it is telling that this episode also had a cautionary warning about flashing lights on top of NBC’s ordinary “violent content” slide). It is also curious to note that the first person Will uses to start fighting to separate himself from Hannibal is Dr. Fredrick Chilton, a man who is just as untrustworthy, but less competent, at manipulation. Chilton’s interaction with Lecter in this episode is interesting because it seems to underline a fundamental similarity in them as psychiatrists, a possible hint as to why Lecter harbors such hatred toward him during the events of The Silence of the Lambs. This is the first episode of the season, perhaps of the whole show, where Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham did not interact, perhaps emphasizing the growing rift between them.

There are many cameos in this episode; the fantastic Eddie Izzard makes a surprise comeback in a flashback, and Abigail Hobbs herself manifests in one of Will Graham’s hallucinations, which is the one breath of emotional relief in this heavy episode. However, their appearances are slight compared to the sheer amount of material the living characters have to shoulder in this very dense hour of television. If there are any complaints to be had with this episode, it is that Alana Bloom has yet to have a significant role in the season, and the episode feels rather cramped in comparison to its more methodically paced predecessors. These all are minor, for this episode hits all the right notes, building toward a confrontation that promises much higher stakes in the coming weeks.
Consensus: Hannibal continues to prove that thrilling suspense and Gothic horror can go hand-in-hand with thematic depth without being heavy-handed.
Overall Episode Grade: A-