This week’s episode of Hannibal, Sorbet, again starts with a trip to a crime scene for Graham and Crawford. This time they've found a guy who had his kidney taken out and the suspicion (at least to Crawford) is that it may be the Chesapeake Ripper resurfacing. Graham does his thing and has his doubts and the story arc of who-done-it winds its way through the episode until the pair figure out that it’s actually just an organ harvester, trying to make a few extra bucks. But that part of the story is secondary to what’s really going on. This week, we get a lot more insight into what makes Doctor Hannibal Lecter tick.
Hannibal, now known by us all to indeed be the proper Chesapeake Ripper, makes his way through the episode taking people out and gathering up some nice juicy organs for a wonderful dinner party. He also takes a visit to his own psychiatrist, believe it or not. His psychiatrist happens to be played by fan-favorite Gillian Anderson, though she only gets a small bit of screen time. What she does get, she plays excellently. One gets the feeling that she’s just as disturbed as Lecter, albeit in her own way. I hope we get a chance to see a lot more of her in the future.
Though the episode may seem slow at times, what it excels at is bringing life to many different aspects of Lecter’s life. When I first started watching this show, I figured we wouldn't really get much in the way of insight into Lecter’s actual being, that he would exist as a silent antagonist there to mess with Graham and Crawford.
But once again Bryan Fuller proves that he wants to look deeper at all of the main characters. This walk with Hannibal through everyday events (both rational and not-so-rational) gets us much closer to the character as a person and not just a menacing enemy. It’s not a pleasant trip and, in the end, I was left feeling some degree of sympathy for the man. Oh, you evil bastard, that you have to be human as well.
This series, in my opinion, just keeps getting better and better. Every week it feels like the writers are bringing something slightly different to the table. It’s not your typical FBI profiler show, that’s for damn sure. As the season carries on, I am left puzzled as to how they plan to tie all the plots they have so far together. If the quality remains the same, it will be one hell of a finale.
For a sneak peak of what next week has to offer on Hannibal, check this link out. And until next time, be careful of any surprise dinner party invitations.
Hannibal Sorbet courtesy of nerdbastards.com
