Hannibal: Fromage Rewatch
October 16, 2014 3:28 PM - Season 1, Episode 8 - Subscribe
In which Hannibal discovers common interests with some fellow cheese-folk.
Is this the one with the cord-whipping fight? The musician reminded me of Samuel L in Unbreakable in that he imagined himself to play a certain role and acted accordingly, giving himself freedom to break conventional rules but still limiting himself. Lecter doesn't constrain himself to the roles he plays and so he is the superior psychopath in the face-off.
posted by michaelh at 5:46 PM on October 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by michaelh at 5:46 PM on October 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yes, I think that's at least somewhat true. And I mean the cordwhipping thing... that's the kind of gesture a superhero would make, whereupon we'd all know that the villain was about to taste his wrath. Hannibal adapts to circumstances, he doesn't have any one standard approach, plus he's just really big and strong and agile and badass, so he was able to win this one. Just.
posted by tel3path at 5:58 PM on October 17, 2014
posted by tel3path at 5:58 PM on October 17, 2014
Scattered thoughts:
- This is by a fair margin my personal favorite death tableau of season 1. It's everything they're trying to do with these: Horrifying, shocking, surreal. And the scene where Will empaths it is one of the best of those, I think.
- Oh, Franklyn. "Are you bored with me?"
- GODDAMMIT, GILLIAN IS SO GOOD. I am so excited to see what she's like during Hannibal's little euro excursion in season 3. And I didn't quite read it this way at first viewing because I was too busy watching Hannibal's... petulance doesn't feel like the right word but lol at "poor" Hanni in that scene with her. Bedelia takes no shit.
- It's striking to me right now how Will's conversation with Hannibal after the autopsy is SO DARK. There's barely any light in the room. Will is constantly enveloped in darkness because ~visual metaphors~ or whatever. And even better, Hannibal follows Will around the desk a bit and becomes darkness himself. And yet somehow the scene doesn't feel indistinct or poorly lit. The use of that damn desk lamp is incredible.
- I remember laughing with and being struck by everyone going "OF COURSE HE FUCKING PLAYS THE THEREMIN AND OWNS A HARPSICHORD" when this first aired. I know now that this is book canon, and it gets funnier later but just... Goddammit, but lol.
- The guy who plays Tobias is so good at basically playing the "two spiders being spidery at each other" thing with Madds.
- Will's ok cupid profile would be amazing at this point. "I hear things in my chimney, but hey check out my cute dogs. Let's smooch."
- I love that dinner scene. I mentioned the "two spiders" thing, but even with the sound off (or at least no music), you can literally see in Madds' performance when he decides that one way or another he's going to kill Tobias because he's too dangerous for Hannibal to keep around as a toy. Unshockingly, it has nothing to do with Tobias saying he wants to kill Franklyn despite that displeasing Hannibal. Self-preserveration. Hannibal over everything.
- LOL again at Hannibal's "Well........" when Will says he smooched Alanna. And good lord, the ambient music when Will and Hannibal are talking in the kitchen is haunting as hell. And it's so... Odd to me? That Hannibal blatantly sends Will into danger and we immediately cut to Hannibal talking to Bedelia about "seeing the possibility of friendship." A bizarre kind of test? I'm not sure. His conversation with Bedelia makes clear the "he's a toy, but I can't keep him around" thing and also makes WAY BLATANT why and how Hannibal is so interested in Will.
- Oh, poor Franklyn. Trying to ascribe human emotions to a couple of spiders. His death really is shocking despite the fact we kind of knew Hannibal was going to kill him at some point probably just out of annoyance.
- There's comments already about the fight... I think what I would point out here is just JESUS CHRIST, this feels so brutal without showing that much. The editing is exquisite. In retrospect from where we are now... Man, does this fight make clear that when this show wants Hannibal to throw down shit's going to get real fast and so the Jack fight as shocking as it is to have it placed in the show the way it is ... All of the choreography and how terrifying and brutal it's made to feel is basically right here for us in the fight with Tobias. They make such good use of the set they're fighting in for both fights.
- That said, my favorite thing about the fight is probably when it's basically over. Once he feels like he's won, Hannibal's guard drops immediately and is replaced with an enormous amount of contempt. Madds plays it perfectly. To draw another parallel to later: You get a similar feeling of contempt in the fight with Jack. "You asshole, just stop trying and fucking die already" and once that's assured a feeling of, "See?"
- Hannibal hitting the harpsichord keys a bit is an odd touch. Hannibal thinks "well, he got me nice harpsichord strings"? It makes for a wonderful bit of music and cut to the crime scene bit of course.
- I'm struck by how glossed over Hannibal's self-defense killing is here. I wasn't at the time, and it doesn't bother me exactly, but it really makes clear the show's priorities in terms of story telling.
- GODDAMMIT, GILLIAN ANDERSON IS FLAWLESS. Also, the credits music on this episode is gorgeous as fuck.
posted by sparkletone at 9:02 PM on October 17, 2014 [4 favorites]
- This is by a fair margin my personal favorite death tableau of season 1. It's everything they're trying to do with these: Horrifying, shocking, surreal. And the scene where Will empaths it is one of the best of those, I think.
- Oh, Franklyn. "Are you bored with me?"
- GODDAMMIT, GILLIAN IS SO GOOD. I am so excited to see what she's like during Hannibal's little euro excursion in season 3. And I didn't quite read it this way at first viewing because I was too busy watching Hannibal's... petulance doesn't feel like the right word but lol at "poor" Hanni in that scene with her. Bedelia takes no shit.
- It's striking to me right now how Will's conversation with Hannibal after the autopsy is SO DARK. There's barely any light in the room. Will is constantly enveloped in darkness because ~visual metaphors~ or whatever. And even better, Hannibal follows Will around the desk a bit and becomes darkness himself. And yet somehow the scene doesn't feel indistinct or poorly lit. The use of that damn desk lamp is incredible.
- I remember laughing with and being struck by everyone going "OF COURSE HE FUCKING PLAYS THE THEREMIN AND OWNS A HARPSICHORD" when this first aired. I know now that this is book canon, and it gets funnier later but just... Goddammit, but lol.
- The guy who plays Tobias is so good at basically playing the "two spiders being spidery at each other" thing with Madds.
- Will's ok cupid profile would be amazing at this point. "I hear things in my chimney, but hey check out my cute dogs. Let's smooch."
- I love that dinner scene. I mentioned the "two spiders" thing, but even with the sound off (or at least no music), you can literally see in Madds' performance when he decides that one way or another he's going to kill Tobias because he's too dangerous for Hannibal to keep around as a toy. Unshockingly, it has nothing to do with Tobias saying he wants to kill Franklyn despite that displeasing Hannibal. Self-preserveration. Hannibal over everything.
- LOL again at Hannibal's "Well........" when Will says he smooched Alanna. And good lord, the ambient music when Will and Hannibal are talking in the kitchen is haunting as hell. And it's so... Odd to me? That Hannibal blatantly sends Will into danger and we immediately cut to Hannibal talking to Bedelia about "seeing the possibility of friendship." A bizarre kind of test? I'm not sure. His conversation with Bedelia makes clear the "he's a toy, but I can't keep him around" thing and also makes WAY BLATANT why and how Hannibal is so interested in Will.
- Oh, poor Franklyn. Trying to ascribe human emotions to a couple of spiders. His death really is shocking despite the fact we kind of knew Hannibal was going to kill him at some point probably just out of annoyance.
- There's comments already about the fight... I think what I would point out here is just JESUS CHRIST, this feels so brutal without showing that much. The editing is exquisite. In retrospect from where we are now... Man, does this fight make clear that when this show wants Hannibal to throw down shit's going to get real fast and so the Jack fight as shocking as it is to have it placed in the show the way it is ... All of the choreography and how terrifying and brutal it's made to feel is basically right here for us in the fight with Tobias. They make such good use of the set they're fighting in for both fights.
- That said, my favorite thing about the fight is probably when it's basically over. Once he feels like he's won, Hannibal's guard drops immediately and is replaced with an enormous amount of contempt. Madds plays it perfectly. To draw another parallel to later: You get a similar feeling of contempt in the fight with Jack. "You asshole, just stop trying and fucking die already" and once that's assured a feeling of, "See?"
- Hannibal hitting the harpsichord keys a bit is an odd touch. Hannibal thinks "well, he got me nice harpsichord strings"? It makes for a wonderful bit of music and cut to the crime scene bit of course.
- I'm struck by how glossed over Hannibal's self-defense killing is here. I wasn't at the time, and it doesn't bother me exactly, but it really makes clear the show's priorities in terms of story telling.
- GODDAMMIT, GILLIAN ANDERSON IS FLAWLESS. Also, the credits music on this episode is gorgeous as fuck.
posted by sparkletone at 9:02 PM on October 17, 2014 [4 favorites]
Anyone remember the old days of naïveté when we thought we were reading into Hannibal's jealousy about Will kissing Alana? When we thought Hannigram was just wishful thinking? When we thought Murder Family was a fanfic trope?
posted by tel3path at 2:23 PM on October 18, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by tel3path at 2:23 PM on October 18, 2014 [4 favorites]
"I'm struck by how glossed over Hannibal's self-defense killing is here."
Me too, and some say it eventually contributed to Jack's suspicion of Hannibal, but I don't think we're shown the mechanism by which this happened? I could be wrong because I'm actually very behind on this rewatch and won't have a chance to resume until about Tuesday. But you would think that SOME suspicion would be wafting around Hannibal simply because violent mayhem just seems to happen when he's around.
And what always bothered me, too, was that Alana supposedly couldn't stomach the idea that Will was "capable of killing" (Hannibal) - like, what did Alana make of Hannibal killing Budge then? (And never mind what about GJH...) And if there was a ruckus around Bedelia's confrontation with a violent patient (it made the headlines and was pinned to Freddie's research wall in s2) why not a similar ruckus about Hannibal's situation?
I GUESS BECAUSE HANNIBAL WAS BUDDIES WITH THE HEAD OF THE BAU AND BEDELIA WASN'T. Hannibal is an excellent judge of who to befriend, clearly.
posted by tel3path at 2:32 PM on October 18, 2014
Me too, and some say it eventually contributed to Jack's suspicion of Hannibal, but I don't think we're shown the mechanism by which this happened? I could be wrong because I'm actually very behind on this rewatch and won't have a chance to resume until about Tuesday. But you would think that SOME suspicion would be wafting around Hannibal simply because violent mayhem just seems to happen when he's around.
And what always bothered me, too, was that Alana supposedly couldn't stomach the idea that Will was "capable of killing" (Hannibal) - like, what did Alana make of Hannibal killing Budge then? (And never mind what about GJH...) And if there was a ruckus around Bedelia's confrontation with a violent patient (it made the headlines and was pinned to Freddie's research wall in s2) why not a similar ruckus about Hannibal's situation?
I GUESS BECAUSE HANNIBAL WAS BUDDIES WITH THE HEAD OF THE BAU AND BEDELIA WASN'T. Hannibal is an excellent judge of who to befriend, clearly.
posted by tel3path at 2:32 PM on October 18, 2014
some say it eventually contributed to Jack's suspicion of Hannibal
The ONLY not-glossing that happens RE Hannibal's self-defense murder of Tobias comes from Jack Crawford, who gives him the side-eye and some pointed questioning for about two seconds before the glossing begins unabated.
posted by carsonb at 3:30 PM on October 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
The ONLY not-glossing that happens RE Hannibal's self-defense murder of Tobias comes from Jack Crawford, who gives him the side-eye and some pointed questioning for about two seconds before the glossing begins unabated.
posted by carsonb at 3:30 PM on October 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
Hannibal Paleyfest panel: Yahoo Screen
YouTube (first of 4 parts)
posted by yellowbinder at 7:22 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
YouTube (first of 4 parts)
posted by yellowbinder at 7:22 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Finally caught up. My favorite point in this episode is the utter contempt for Tobias when Hannibal says "I didn't poison you, Tobias. I wouldn't do that to the food."
posted by bfranklin at 1:57 PM on October 23, 2014
posted by bfranklin at 1:57 PM on October 23, 2014
I know, right? That's beautiful. And metonymic of the way Hannibal thinks.
posted by tel3path at 3:20 PM on October 23, 2014
posted by tel3path at 3:20 PM on October 23, 2014
Up to this one in my rewatch, and I sort of forgot that this is where Hannibal moves to overtly framing his thing with Will as "maybe I need a friend" versus "maybe I have an interesting new toy to play with and perhaps casually shred."
Also, man, Bedelia scenes are going to be epically more awesome coming back to them after season 3, aren't they? This was super-fun in that regard.
posted by Stacey at 5:35 PM on September 30, 2015
Also, man, Bedelia scenes are going to be epically more awesome coming back to them after season 3, aren't they? This was super-fun in that regard.
posted by Stacey at 5:35 PM on September 30, 2015
I've got mice right now and we set out a bunch of traps. Multiple times last night, I SWORE I could hear a mouse caught in a trap and struggling, it even woke me up one time, but every time I checked the traps, they were all empty.
Maybe I should get a brain scan.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:10 AM on October 23, 2015
Maybe I should get a brain scan.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:10 AM on October 23, 2015
So, was just looking back over Bedelia's sessions with Hannibal, and only now is it transparently obvious that he was trying to make her JEALOUS of Will.
Welp, can't say he didn't succeed at that. Eventually.
posted by tel3path at 10:00 AM on January 26, 2016
Welp, can't say he didn't succeed at that. Eventually.
posted by tel3path at 10:00 AM on January 26, 2016
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posted by tel3path at 3:04 PM on October 17, 2014 [1 favorite]