I hate the “fragile little teacup”-ization of Will in canon as well as in fandom. He has never been fragile. In fact, he is constantly being misunderstood to the extent that the only person he can lean on is himself, and therefore his attraction towards Hannibal in s1, the only person who, according to Will, endeavors to let Will exist as he is is obvious. This is why Hannibal’s manipulations via hypnosis and encephalitis is so heartbreaking, because he is separating Will from his sense of self - his sense of stability and confidence. Immediately, Will acts scared and lies and panics. He doesn’t know who he is anymore and that is what makes him feel fragile.
Proof! This man, right after getting acquitted from prison, goes to a CRIME SCENE. He goes and sees Hannibal’s grimy hideout where they found Miriam, goes home, tries to placate a bloody Chilton, dresses the fuck up and goes back to therapy right after letting Hannibal hang at gunpoint.
Isn’t Will Graham showing his forehead at the end of Yakimono the modern day equivalent of a Victorian era maiden showing off a glimpse of her ankle bone
I like how while Peter is meant to be a parallel to Will, Peter himself isn’t all that… conventional in that, he digs up the grave of his friend, stuffs her throat with the grave dirt, puts a bird in her chest cavity and stuffs her inside a dead horse, so that in this convoluted and absolutely mental way, she can be “reborn” while simultaneously pointing at his social worker as the killer. And it speaks so much of his own struggle with his head injury and the way he is being abused by his social worker, and his own need to be reborn from this horrible situation in which he feels like he is dying at the hands of his social worker. While there is innocence in his desire to see his friend move on from the abuse, and in this case, the pain from being murdered by the same perpetrator, Peter’s mind clearly doesn’t work like everybody else around him. But Will sympathises with him and is kind to him. He understands Peter even though Peter must not understand him the same way. And it’s painful because the person who does understand Will is Hannibal. He hates it but he can’t hate Hannibal, and he despises that he can’t hate Hannibal, while Peter’s abuser is a strict psychopath and it’s easy to hate him. Hannibal can’t be hated. So he pulls the trigger on the social worker, as a cheaper, less complicated and very black and white alternative to Hannibal Lecter. It’s a very painful and well-written story about surviving a horrible, horrible person’s abuse and being a victim, and their frankly unbearable struggle to overcome them. Will appears strong, but to be moved so utterly by Peter’s story, imagine how much Will experienced suffering under Hannibal’s manipulations. It makes me feel helpless.
Hannibal manipulates Will in the way that he actively corners Will into a state of powerlessness, leading Will to make extreme choices which Hannibal anticipates but cannot guarantee. This, I think, is the essence of their dynamic s1b through s2a.
The real kicker of these interactions, for me, is that Will chooses to kill Hannibal all the while wanting to believe that he has no other choice. But Will does have a choice. He has two: 1. To kill Hannibal, and, 2. Don’t kill Hannibal.
Will is the kind of person who, when pushed, turns to murder as a solution. This isn’t what conventional morality convinces most people to do. Most of us, unless attacked immediately and physically, wouldn’t choose to kill someone. Will does. This makes Hannibal giddy. And Will has to reconcile with the fact that, yes, he is this kind of person.
A major motivator for Will Graham is anger. Many of his more reckless actions are led by fury and disgust. I think his anger towards Hannibal saves him from agony in s2b as he attempts to kill Ingram and kills Randall Tier, but as he mellows out gradually in the company of Hannibal, we can see there is something solemn about him. He is lost and confused. He settles uncomfortably in his own skin when he goes to Lithuania. There is a spark of life within him when he tries to kill Hannibal in Florence, mixed with anger at Bedelia and a heavy sense of “duty”.
Then anger once again when he hunts and kills Dolarhyde with Hannibal. For those final few seconds, he is relaxed. It totally makes sense that he’d have been out of his fucking mind in s4. Gah. I wish we could see what happens to him!
the usage of the “goldberg variations” in hannibal has always fascinated me, even more so now that i know the origin of why bach composed them in the first place:
so basically, the variations were created to soothe the count who was ill/sleepless which hannibal mirrors in the books (and in the silence of the lambs film) by being calmed by them. in fact, we are first introduced to hannibal in apéritif with one of the variations playing in the bg while he calmly dines on a fancy dish of people. then in fromage, hannibal plays the aria variation on the harpsichord after his fight with tobias, presumably to return to a state of stasis.
the next time we hear aria, it is a piano rendition in kō no mono when will and hannibal ritualistically devour the ortolans. it seems that will is a calming, grounding force for hannibal and it eventually becomes their shared melody. heartbreakingly, a song called “bloodfest” by brian reitzell which is based on the variations plays in dolce (when hannigram reunites in the uffizi gallery) and in digestivo (when they talk in the cabin after escaping muskrat farm).
a similar slowed down version plays in the series finale called “the wrath of the lamb, pt. 2 / bach aria, pt. 2” when will/hannibal are in the glass house, right before they defeat francis. even throughout the series, there are variations to the variations such as this, as well as hannibal’s own composition “suite no. 4 - III. sarabande: la d'aubonne” by antoine forqueray & christophe rousset, which has similar vibes to the goldberg variations. perhaps inspired by them?
but the body of music isn’t simply used as a calming metaphor or an ode to will - rather, it is a deeper, existential contemplation that was nicely summed up by jeremy denk & donald francis tovey: (Hannibal Lecter’s Guide To The ‘Goldberg Variations’; NPR):
the goldberg variations are a representation of a cycle, a reflection, a “becoming” of sorts; a longing to be free but also a cautionary tale that once someone is seen for who they truly are, there is no turning back. and in the blink of an eye, this beautiful lie that we call life is over.
Can we please not write Will Graham like he’s a rat living in the NY city subways 😭 LOOK at his drawer, it is filled with colgate white organized shirts. That takes balls and dedication and a little bit of hyperfixating. He is comfy, not dirty! I know he smells like laundry detergent and dog shampoo.
I love how sulky Will looks when Hannibal surrenders himself, like, he’s just So! Upset! At this mad man who would have eaten his brain a few hours ago. He gets dragged around the globe to Muskrat farm while he’s drugged and simultaneously suffering with a bullet would and a portion of his forehead being sliced open. Some clown tells him he’s going to cut off his face without anesthesia. Then he’s waking up in his own bed, in different clothes yet again, and of-fucking-course Hannibal Lecter is playing his nurse.
He’s just so tired. He’s like, fuck you and fuck this! And Hannibal’s crooning heartachingly tender romance at him with his, “Your memory palace is building. It’s full of new things. It shares some rooms with my own. I’ve discovered you there. Victorious.” (Has ‘I love you’ ever sounded this good?)
And when Hannibal surrenders, it’s anticipated but also Will’s just so petulant about it. He feels so deeply for Hannibal and so many horrible things have happened to him in the last 48 hours because of Hannibal, but he still cares for him and despite his insistence of indifference, he’s hurt. He’s upset. He doesn’t care anymore!
WAIT IN SHIIZAKANA, WILL SAYS HE FOUND OUT ABOUT MARGOT FROM HANNIBAL’S CALENDAR SO DID HANNIBAL JUST GO ok i guess^^ AND LET WILL TAKE HIS APPOINTMENT BOOK OR DID WILL LOOK INTO IT SECRETIVELY Mr. Bryan Fuller please do a q&a session
my roman empire is Will only genuinely laughing in Hannibal’s company when, first, Hannibal says he believes Jack is treating him like he is a fragile little teacup (WHICH IS TRUE AND I KNOW WILL FELT VALIDATED AND EQUALLY ABSURD ABOUT IT HENCE THE SUDDEN LAUGHTER) and second, when Hannibal says Will can connect minds like the mushroom killer was attempting to accomplish (In this case, I think Will felt self-conscious) MEANWHILE with Peter, Will laughs so easily and naturally without any effort from Peter AND I MUST SAY that Hannibal does not bring out and cannot cater to the giddier aspects of Will’s personality. It is so atypical to not have joy as the focal point of an intimate relationship and I love it so much because Will and Hannibal are both such incredibly emotionally intelligent people and they need more than the typical to feel satisfied within the company of another. They need to feel everything their brains can conjure, they’re fed by the good, the bad, the creepy, the mysterious and the otherworldly, beyond the visible universe. They need to feel alive whilst straying from the well-worn path. It really is like two chess players meeting by chance in a world that vastly doesn’t understand chess.
I like to think a young, medico, Florentine Hannibal Lecter would be more vigorous in his obsession over present-day Will Graham. He would be like a glass filled to the brim with water, droplets clinging to themselves at the rim before spilling over. He is perfecting how to emote like a proper person yet, how to hide his happiness and exuberance with the morbid and beautiful. He leaves behind little trails of himself in his interactions with Will. That, something is off about him feeling being evoked unlike his older self who never stands out how one is meant to stand out. I know his gaze shines brightly when he’s with Will. Excited, curious, predatory.
I’m more of the mind to say that Will doesn’t feel guilty about his more vicious nature, rather he just resists feeling okay or happy about it. If he’s not happy about killing Hobbs, then he can still say he did what he could in the situation, which is true, but he enjoyed feeling powerful over this disgusting person. After sending Matthew to kill Hannibal, he tells Hannibal he had no other choice. Yes, but how often can a person say they chose murder because they had no other choice and be able to justify it? Well, how does he justify it to himself? So he tries not to think about it, tries to stay neutral, and runs away from it by ignoring it. And as with any cognitive dissonance, it doesn’t, freaking, work. When he kills Randall Tier, then, it’s chefs kiss. Cold acceptance, cold indulgence, and then he can still turn around and say he was just undercover and doing what he could do in the situation.
watching fromage and everyone loves to laugh at the scene where will talks about how the killer made the victim into an instrument and the lab team looks at him like he’s a freak but no one ever mentions the scene immediately after in which will and hannibal are having a completely open and easy conversation about human bones making good instruments like wow find a man that vibes at your fucked up frequency
I want to bring my own fucked up dish to the potluck and say that Will knows he said something unconventional and understands the distaste of others directed towards him due to this but since he perceives himself as differently intelligent and not crazy, he also perceives Hannibal as being the same and red alarms don’t go off in his head when they should. Like, they never have these conversations in public, if they had, perhaps someone would have pointed out that hey, that Dr Lecter guy is kinda off the rails.
They are both aware of how others “other” them and while Hannibal weaponises it, Will just tries to push people away, hence making him more vulnerable to manipulations.
“You can’t reduce me to a set of influences. I’ve given up good and evil for behaviourism” seemed contradictory to me when I heard it first, yet I think I understand it now. This is Will justifying his action of killing Randall and his supposed murder of Freddie as they participate in cannibalism; dining on Randall’s meat. Will’s saying what he has done doesn’t fit within the context of morality; he doesn’t kill because he is evil. He has killed because he deemed it to be the appropriate reaction in his abnormal situation i.e., pretending to get on the same side of Hannibal and for this, he has found no choice but to murder Randall therefore he has abandoned the morality of it. Hannibal replies aptly: “Then you can’t say I’m evil” because Will cannot apply contradicting philosophies to two individuals who have exercised the same action. Still resisting, Will tells him, “You’re destructive - same thing.” Hannibal asks, “Evil is just destructive? Storms are evil; if it’s that simple. And we have fire. And then there’s hail. Underwriters lump it all under acts of god. Is this meal an act of god, Will?” I really love how convincing Hannibal is. He takes away the worry of morality. He’s saying its man-made. They’re forces of nature. Who is there to judge us, Will? Besides you. Then the final shot, of Hannibal and Will’s faces overlapping and merging together - they’ve committed the same sin. They’ve both killed, cooked and eaten another human being. I LOVE this scene. The affectionate, euphoric music, Hannibal’s gentle expressions. Him waiting to see how Will likes the food before taking a bite himself. Will’s mind melting and mellowing, still sharp around the edges. So lovely.
It is so gratifying to watch Hannibal and Mason’s first meeting. Mason’s just saying the most egregious shit and Hannibal just stares at him blankly in response. You can figuratively see the ’???’ blinking over Mason’s head, like he can’t read Hannibal and be looks so confused and taken off guard. Mason’s probably used to getting a reaction out of people, being an abusive, narcissistic bully. But Hannibal demands all the power in any room he’s in. Mason’s met his match.
I love Hannigram because they’re not the rose & jack type where they’re like “I’ll die for you”. Actually they’re each self-serving stubborn mfs. They’re the “kill or get killed” type. Self-sacrifice? What is that? You’re going down with me.
Listening to Newjeans’ attention and Hugh Dancy appears on my feed when the lyric goes ‘you give me butterflies, you know’, and, like, he has that face you know? He has the 'you give me butterflies, you know’ appearance
Me, personally, I LOVE the cool-toned blue shirts every time. They suit his natural colouring so well. Pair that with these metallic copper+teal ties, it was just so *chefs kiss
My other favourite, favourite look was when he was dressed in a burgundy shirt in Naka choko when he and Will cooked together. It looked blood red on screen and when he folded the sleeves back the contrast of it against his skin was so tantalizing and dangerous.
What were Will and Hannibal even doing in s1, honestly? Will is such a difficult patient that the only way Hannibal could get around to practicing therapy was to talk to him through the murder cases, which, on hindsight, is so laborious yet Hannibal made it seem ao effortless. Is that why there is an hour and half gap between his penultimate client and Will? But, also, what was going on??? Did Jack know that Will was discussing intimate details of these on-going cases with Hannibal? Or did he believe Will was just talking about himself like any person is expected to do in therapy? Hannigram were surely thick as thieves. They were doing so many unethical and unprofessional things so casually behind closed doors, whilst outside they appeared so dignified and lawful.
Anytime Will Graham’s in a t-shirt or is dressed in a single layer, his bicep bulge takes up the entire screen even though he’s not even flexing. Imagine getting punched by the full force of that potential energy turned kinetic. RIP Randall Tier. You walked so we could run.
I see fannibals saying they wouldn’t mind not having a season 4 which is fine but I’m here to hold fort and say it doesn’t make sense storytelling-wise. Will’s character arc was written for 6 seasons technically and as is apparent in season 3’s ending, Will’s story is only halfway through. He “consummated” with Hannibal, and we all love it but this is a major event in his story and not the climax. Will’s story is that of cognitive dissonance - the co-existence of contradictions within the person: the goal is not to make Will commit murder willingly, the goal is to make Will comfortable with the fact that he wants to kill, which he isn’t because he freaking jumped off a cliff right after. Killing Dolarhyde was the first time in the series where Will committed murder wiIlingly and without excuse. The very first time, and I imagine he will suffer a lot moving forward after this.
Hannibal, the hypocrite, is like, “You’re rude and I will steal your organs and elevate you through my wonderful cooking skills and intellect and then I will consume you because the tragedy is not to die but to be wasted” and then he turns around and goes, “I will eat your brain, Will, because you won’t let me have you any other way and I love- love- love you (an impression of Mr. Darcy from the 2005 Pride & prejudice movie in case it isn’t known (in this economy??? It’s on netflix please watch it))” and it’s like, Hannibal has itchy teeth. That’s what it is. To him, both affection and disdain begin at the mouth. His feasts are biblical. Punishment and plea. Repurcussion and want. Odd creature! Imagine understanding this and sitting down at the dining table with him. You can’t make him not eat you. Will (metaphorically and literally) dines with him regardless, such is his wrath.
The second hand embarrassment I experienced when Mason laid down on Hannibal’s chaise and started monologuing 😭 and then Hannibal actually asking him to be seated across from him 😭 YEAH they’re both horrible but that was so embarrassing 😭😭 Mason looked mortified I cannot….
I wonder why mizumono is called mizumono and not koorimono but this is just me automatically imagining shaved ice when i read mizumono because mizu (water) mono (thing) + food = shaved ice (???)
Why is mizu associated with dessert anyway, don’t all foods have water… Why is it mizumono and not amaimono… Or toubun?? Something sweet…
Gasp so i searched it… Mizumono is a dish that needs to have a considerable amount of water content but there is a second definition for it. あてにならないもの = something that is unreliable/slippery. Which makes so much sense. Mizumono - watery thing - something unreliable/uncertain. Somehow it’s so apt with season 2b Will
The idea of Mischa having had this warbled, mangled little devil of an older brother who was so enamored with her that he momentarily let go of his dastardly urges as his impulse was to take care of her is so… quaint. It’s like one of those stories where a leapord cub befriends a puppy just because they were both introduced to each other as babies and so found each other familiar.
The utter SHAMELESSNESS of Hannibal going “Are you a killer, Will? You, right now? This man standing right in front of me?” When Will realises Hannibaly betrayal after he’s created this absolutely nauseating and claustrophobic situation around Will, putting him in PRISON ohhhhhhh Hannibal Lecter…….. Bringing Will’s morality into question, curious yet a defensive move against the man with the weapon… taunting him …*rips apart pillow with bare teeth" Hannibal Lecter you asshole……
I like how in the OG Hannibal movies, Hannibal’s profiling of Clarice is meant to be an insulting, cunning, and power-hungry move. Hannibal has more information therefore he sucks in all the control within the room (prison hallway?). In nbc’s Hannibal, Hannibal’s profiling of a now married Will, whilst somewhat mocking, is less of a grapple for authority and is more of a show of how intimate they still are despite the years of separation. Through the things Hannibal observes and calls out about Will, by virtue of their shared past, we immediately understand the significance of Will’s “moving on” to Hannibal, and through Will’s silence, we understand that there is a certain truth to Hannibal’s implications, despite what Will’s cozy lakeside cabin, Molly, Walter, the numerous dogs and “good deeds of saving strays” (– which, while before Will collected strays, it was less altruistic and more that this is his specific fixation – and after Molly, this has turned into something more charitable) are painting the image of. Therefore it is at once devastating, the knowledge that Will is continuing to struggle with no relief, that Hannibal knows that Will knows and there’s an insult there, that Will hates that Hannibal knows, that Will feels intimately for Hannibal in the aftermath of being seen in such a way, and there is sentiment here. Not to say this is a comparison of both scenes since their purpose is different, but I find it so fun that you can use the same blueprint and previous context gives it an altogether new life.
