In the eleventh episode of the first season of Hannibal, I’m done. Just consider me done now, done for the next episode, and done forever. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Hannibal.
Trigger Warning: For talk about abusive manipulation, sanity, and gore.
- After I watched “Rôti,” I ended up going to dinner with a friend (SHOUTOUT TO JEEYON AND CHAI THAI IN OAKLAND) and I had to talk about this episode. There’s no doubt that this episode is doing the most: it’s the most stressful, the most thrilling, the most disgusting, and the most upsetting of the series so far. And while we spoke of how pretty the show can be, and how unsettling many of the food presentations are, it was only through conversation with her that I realized why this episode got under my skin so much.
- Hugh Dancy’s performance as Will in “Rôti” made me feel like I shouldn’t be watching it.
- There really is an intense voyeuristic feel to what happens to Will here. Obviously, it’s the culmination of Hannibal’s manipulation of the man and a continuation of what was set up in “Buffet Froid.” But what we’re witnessing here is Hannibal deliberately propping Will up on the threshold of sanity just to see what happens. Just to see how Will turns to him. Just to see how much he can gaslight the fuck out of Will.
- If ever there was a more perfect example of what gaslighting is, you’re looking at it. Hannibal purposely lies about reality to Will’s face, causing him to question his own existence, and it is an absolute terror to watch.
- Of course, I must praise Hugh Dancy for his performance in “Rôti,” even if it made me deeply uncomfortable. This was a raw, fevered portrayal, y’all, and I’m still in awe over it. IT’S BEEN LIKE 13 HOURS SINCE I WATCHED IT.
- And then there’s the dual stories of Dr. Gideon and Will, two men who have been abused and prodded by other psychiatrists, both of whom struggle with their own identities. In Dr. Gideon’s case, we know for certain that Dr. Chilton’s psychic driving is responsible for Dr. Gideon’s cracked sense of identity. It’s an eerie thing to watch because his actions are directly juxtaposed against Will. Dr. Gideon is generally calm about what he’s experiencing (until he has a violent outburst), while Will has a full-on breakdown.
- It’s frustrating to watch for another context: Will’s refusal to be honest about how he’s feeling. He gets close to admitting the truth to Alana and even closer to telling Jack later on in the episode, but he ultimately refuses to disclose the full extent of his condition. It sucks to watch because I suspect this is largely due to Hannibal’s influence. Since Hannibal manipulated Will to see him as the only support system Will has where he can be totally honest, it stands to reason that he’d be hesitant with others, even someone like Alana who he trusts a great deal.
- Then there’s the whole thing where Hannibal uses puns and wordplay to openly toy with Will and I am serious, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A TUMBLR JOKE. Like, I saw a few screenshots before I blocked the #hannibal tag, and I always thought the pun thing was pure fandom. BUT Y’ALL. Hannibal suggests that Dr. Gideon is trying to find the Ripper so that he can use him as a gauge for his own identity. AND THEN HANNIBAL SAYS WILL DOESN’T HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WILL CAN USE HIM AS A GAUGE. OH MY GOD HE IS BASICALLY TELLING YOU THAT HE’S THE RIPPER
- HELP ME I CAN’T DO THIS.
- Did y’all like that moment where the writers teased us yet again with the cuteness of Will/Alana and then RIPPED IT AWAY FROM US? It’s not even that I necessarily ship them? (I do oh god WHOOPS.) It’s the fact that I just want Will to have a stable, loving force in his life and ALANA IS A BILLION TIMES BETTER THAN HANNIBAL LECTER.
- This isn’t even the worst thing in the episode, but I could go without seeing a man’s tongue wiggle through his throat. Ever again.
- I’ve praised Hugh Dancy, but let me also say that I love how Lara Jean Chorostecki plays Freddie Lounds in this episode. Because while Freddie was certain terrified of Dr. Gideon, Chorostecki was brilliant to show us that Freddie was interested in the man, too. She was frightened for her life while recognizing she was being handed the exclusive story of the century: She was there live while Dr. Chilton was disemboweled.
- So let’s just talk about this because I’m going to be fucked up about this for the rest of eternity. I’d mentioned that watching the Hannibal film in high school was a very vivid memory of mine, but I also should have said that I had assumed that this show would never be able to eclipse the end of that film.
- I should have said it to demonstrate just how fucking unprepared I was for where this show would go.
- I mean, I can’t deny that the writers are deliberately fucking with anyone who is familiar with Thomas Harris’s canon or the film universe’s canon because Dr. Chilton is VERY MUCH ALIVE in the future. So as soon as Dr. Gideon started cutting into Dr. Chilton’s abdomen, I lost it. I HAVE NO SHAME FOR HOW RIDICULOUS I GOT IN THE VIDEO AT THIS POINT. And it just gets so so so so so so so much worse. It’s weird because gore in general doesn’t bother me that much? I’ve seen a lot of horror films. But the clinical, realistic nature of the gore on Hannibal is way too much for me most of the time because the show goes to great lengths to make everything look INCREDIBLY REAL.
- I am never going to forget that last image of Dr. Chilton ever. Him holding – NEVERMIND, NO NEED TO REPEAT IT. I just… fuck. FUCK. This show is so wild, I can’t.
- BUT THEN THE STORY JUST GOES DARKER AND DARKER AND DARKER.
- HOW ARE THERE TWO MORE EPISODES
- If this episode is about identity, then the breakdown we witness here at the end of “Rôti” is a sign of Hannibal’s victory over everyone: Dr. Chilton, Dr. Gideon, Jack, Alana, and especially Will. It’s a demonstration of absolute power. Will’s encephalitis has taken over his brain, and Hannibal has let this happen. So he takes advantage of Will’s hallucinations to gaslight Will, who is so upset by his apparent inability to understand reality, and then he has a seizure, AND BY THE WAY DR. GIDEON IS JUST SITTING THERE WATCHING IT ALL. Actually, that was slightly funny to me because it was like Dr. Gideon was just being a nice houseguest and respecting that this moment had nothing to do with him.
- Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen are so incredible in that scene, by the way. I have so many positive things to say about the acting in this episode, I WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
- Sometimes, I haven’t been able to catch on to Hannibal’s manipulation in real time, and it’s only later that I realize the extent of the complicated web of deceit and gaslighting and terror that Hannibal has built. But I knew exactly what Hannibal was doing after he sent Dr. Gideon to Alana and then loudly told Will this when he came to consciousness. He was getting rid of Dr. Gideon without killing him himself.
- It’s just so sad to watch because we know Hannibal exploited Will’s love for Alana in order to take out Dr. Gideon. Will cares so deeply about Alana, and she represents hope for him. Of course he’d want to protect her!
- I really do feel gross after watching this, and the final scene between Bedelia and Hannibal was just the nail in the coffin. I’m really, really hoping that something comes of Bedelia beyond these sessions because SHE KNOWS. SHE FUCKING KNOWS, Y’ALL. She knows that Hannibal is more interested in Will’s loss of sanity than in his friendship. She knows that his pursuing a friendship with Will is a terrible, terrible idea, but she hides how she’s really feeling behind all these loaded and layered statements. I mean, yes, it’s a goddamn treat to watch Gillian Anderson and Mads Mikkelsen play therapists to one another. But if Bedelia has had a poor experience with a patient before, I think it’s not a stretch to suggest that she suspects that Hannibal is doing more than he’s let on.
- I dunno, I just want to see someone figure this shit out because I’m going to pass out if this is prolonged any longer.
- WHO AM I KIDDING, THIS IS GOING TO LAST FOR A LONG TIME.
- everything hurts, y’all. everything hurts.
The video for “Rôti” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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