Hannibal “Savoureux”

This season of “Hannibal” has been awesome.  There were times when I thought they were going to take the series in a lame direction with serialized killer-of-the-week episodes, but all of the killers fed into the main storyline of Hannibal and Graham’s relationship in interesting ways.  This is probably my second or third favorite show on television, just behind Game of Thrones and maybe The Walking Dead haven’t decided on that one yet, and I can’t wait to see the next season.  My love for this series is yet again justified by the amazing season finale that aired on Thursday.  This series has gone to a place I never expected when they released their intentions of doing a Hannibal series, and I’m immensely glad for it.

This episode proves how vile and devious Hannibal can be.  I’ve always known he was a criminal mastermind, but to see him pull off the insane amount of devilry revealed in this episode is epic.  If you haven’t seen the finale spoilers lie ahead, obviously.  If you’ve never watched this show I will personally slap you in the face.  Go watch it.  Now.  Don’t wait. 

Will Graham wakes from a nightmare to find he’s puking up blood and amongst the blood is an ear.  He believes he’s killed somebody.  The ear turns out to be Abigail Hobbs’ ear and Graham gets framed with her murder.  Upon further examination of his house they find his fishing lures WHICH CONTAIN ELEMENTS OF ALL THE COPYCAT VICTIMS FROM THE FIRST SEASON!  He’s been set up by none other than Hannibal.  The worst/best part is we know Hannibal is responsible, but he finds a way, throughout the whole episode, to spin every question and every concern right back on Will.  Nobody gets close to him.  The episode ends with Graham in the basement of the Baltimore Insane Asylum near where Hannibal will be kept later in life.  The last shot is of Will looking through the bars a Hannibal.  Will knows Hannibal had his hand in this plot.  Hannibal smiles through the bars at him.  It’s so evil!  It’s fantastic!

Another reveal this episode is something I’ve pondered all season, the feathered stag that haunts Will’s dreams, and later hallucinations.  I was puzzled the first couple of episodes by what it could mean.  Was it a figure of Garret Jacob Hobbs?  Was it a physical embodiment of his guilt over killing Hobbs?  A couple of weeks ago I started entertaining the idea that it was his vision of Hannibal.  This is kind of obvious now that I’m looking back on it, but the stag represented the copy-cat killer that Graham could never catch.  This episode my musings were vindicated when Will starts putting the pieces together and suspecting Hannibal.  The feathered stag transforms into a feathered, dark version of Hannibal with horns, almost the visage of a demon.  This was so cool I can’t even put into words my excitement when I saw it.

Everyone needs to check out this series.  I say it every week and I’ll continue to say it.  If “The Following,” which has sloppier writing and a less interesting story, can pull in nine million viewers an episode then Hannibal can do better than two and a half.  I don’t know one person that would dislike this show other than my mom, but scary psycho killers frighten her.  Aren’t you more brave than my mom? 

Watch Hannibal, you’ll love it.  I guarantee it.