Hannibal 1x08: "Fromage"

[cleolinda]

To begin: The problem with "I just really want to be your friend," the kind of philosophical rambling you have come to expect from Cleolinda Industries; I am officially threatening NBC with my wrath. Also, here's some fan street art that turned out really, really well.

Also, yes. Korea is very, very excited about this show.

@particle_p: We need

Comments

[darksidhe]

I stumbled upon your reviews (I don't even remember how now) and I've read through them all and was avidly awaiting the review for this one because I knew it would just be gold. These reviews are such a delightful addition to the episode itself. This was my favourite episode (Though I keep saying this after each episode, which is a good sign in a show) and I could not wait to see what you had to say about it.

Have you seen the theory that's being floated out about Alana in the scene where she and Will kiss? (I don't personally buy into it, since they've pretty much been setting up that she avoids him and I've never fully bought into it being solely about not wanting to analyze him, at least not only about that).

It was basically posited, that because of how it was set up and how she simply arrives in the middle of the night, that perhaps Alana wasn't actually there. She was part of his hallucination. I'm not won over by this theory, and truly hope it's not true to be frank.

I loved how ...almost snippy Hannibal was when he made the comment about Will driving an hour to tell him that he kissed Alana. Though - and I don't mean this from a "he would rather be kissing Will" standpoint - I think the jealousy is almost as much over Will as it is over Alana, along the same lines of his head snapping up when Will says "He's playing our song" ... he wants to be the one close to Will, no one else (including Alana).

[cleolinda]

Thank you!

My explanation for the "middle of the night" thing is that it gets dark really early in the winter, and we did see snow falling? I mean, apparently Will took a hammer to his wall, Alana dropped by after work, and then Will drove an hour and was still at Lecter's in time for dinner?

I think the jealousy is almost as much over Will as it is over Alana

I do kind of think at this point that if he were forced to choose between them, like at gunpoint or something, he'd choose Will. I'm actually really interested by that in more than a binary friends/lovers way, yeah. It doesn't have to be a black and white choice between het fic and slash fic, so to speak. It reminds me of the really intense "romantic" female friendships you'd see in the Victorian culture/literature that weren't actually sexual. Or even the way male friendship was the end-all be-all in the classical era.

[darksidhe]

I actually said something similar above about the timing. The "middle of the night" was assumption a lot of us made due to it being dark - but as you said, in the winter, there's a whole lotta dark. Even allowing for the thing with Tobias being a "late dinner" it still wouldn't be /that/ late. Will certainly would have eyebrow raised higher if it were 3am and Hannibal was sitting down to a meal with someone.

I agree completely about if he had to choose one over the other, he'd choose Will. Also, don't get me wrong, I love my slashfic as much as the next girl *chuckles* but that honestly isn't what I was implying so I'm glad you got that.

Going solely from the show, and not the books, I really do think in a twisted way - Hannibal is trying to /help/ Will (while also mercilessly fucking with his head) in his own way and that he does actually like and care for him, again in his own way - which is not the way most of us know. I immediately thought sending him to Tobias was likely a test, and that when Tobias said he killed two police officers, Hannibal felt truly (for him) upset that Will might have died. I also think that was the driving factor behind him snapping Franklyn's neck (and likely saving him from a more gruesome death). It was very much "you took something of mine, I'm taking something of yours".

Having said that, I was all "Holy shit! *flails*" when he just straight up snapped his neck. This whole episode had me flailing.

The relationship between Hannibal and Will is so deliciously complex... and I think he was being straight up honest with Bedelia when he said he wanted to be friends with Will... even if perhaps Hannibal is a little unclear on what that actually means (you know, the whole sending him off possibly to his death to see if he's worthy to climb over those walls thing)

[goldenusagi]

It was very much "you took something of mine, I'm taking something of yours".

Especially the LOOK he gives Tobias right after that.

I really do think in a twisted way - Hannibal is trying to /help/ Will (while also mercilessly fucking with his head) in his own way and that he does actually like and care for him, again in his own way

It's like kids who pull on pigtails, but the fancy cannibal version, lol. Hannibal doesn't know any other way to engage with people besides fucking with them.

[darksidhe]

Tobias and Hannibal are neck in neck for a look conveying a whole conversation. I love the actor who plays Tobias.

It's like kids who pull on pigtails, but the fancy cannibal version, lol. Hannibal doesn't know any other way to engage with people besides fucking with them.

Exactly! Within the framework of how Hannibal can operate, he's actually quite protective of Will (you know when not sending him to maybe, possibly his death) and cares about him. However, he's still holding him to his very high standards, so he has to continually earn that regard that Hannibal is bestowing upon him.

After all, if Will couldn't come away from Tobias alive - then was he really worth the regard and attempt at friendship?

I'm not sure what it says about me that I can totally get my mind around where Hannibal is coming from. I should probably make sure none of my friends are doing the psychopath checklist on me *laughs*

[goldenusagi]

I should probably make sure none of my friends are doing the psychopath checklist on me *laughs*

As long as they're not discussing it with their therapist, you're good.

[darksidhe]

Specifically, as long as they aren't discussing it with their therapist who happens to be Hannibal...

[jubilantia]

Or any fancy cannibal, because apparently there are a lot of them around.

[meleth]

Or when your cat brings you a dead mouse because you clearly need help with that skillset.

[goldenusagi]

"Look what I brought you! Now eat it!"

Actually...

[meleth]

"What, you need it impaled on antlers too? God, you guys are useless."

[tabbyclaw]

This is why Will collects dogs instead of cats. He has enough trouble with human serial killers showing off for him.

[meleth]

Oh god, now I'm imagining poor Will empathing the dead shrew his cat brought him.

[tabbyclaw]

"But why leave only one kidney in the middle of the rug?"
"Because cats are assholes?"
"No. Felix planned this."

[meleth]

And looking down at the little mousey corpse, unable to escape death even in his own home, haunted by the realization that he deliberately set out to become the caretaker for the vicious killers who now inhabit his home.

[tabbyclaw]

I...sort of want to write this as a crackfic, now.