We’re down to just a few episodes of Hannibal left this season. Can all these various plotlines meet without a rushed ending? We’ll find out over the next two weeks. As for this episode, well, a few things happened, but not enough. “Ko No Mono” is light on action and very heavy on the conversation. Ultimately this eleventh episode feels like a bit of fluff building towards what is sure to be an action-packed finale.
We start out with some of that now familiar imagery of the feathered stag and Wendigo, the latter of which gives birth to a antlered Will (Hugh Dancy); An obvious reference to Will’s transformation under Hannibal’s tutelage. While these surreal scenes are always well done and an interesting look inside Will’s head, there are becoming a bit too commonplace and have a bad habit of overstating the obvious.
What makes for more interesting, although disturbing imagery is this week’s cooking scene, where Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen) prepares songbirds for the two of them to eat. The whole scene is uneasily erotic, and somehow even more stomach turning than when human parts are consumed. The little birds are fattened up, drowned in Armagnac, plucked, cooked, and then eaten all in one bite. According to Janice Poon, Hannibal food stylist, “Traditionally, one covers one’s head with a cloth napkin while eating the bird so God will not see you engaging in such debauched indulgence.” Luckily for the songbirds these were merely props made of marzipan. As always, the physical effects, including the food, are second to none on television right now.
We then have one of the few action scenes this episode when a burning body in a wheelchair rolls past a parking attendant and right into Freddie Lounds’ parking space. Subtle this show is not. Indeed, the body is Freddie’s as confirmed by the investigators. Has Will really become Hannibal’s protégé? Is he still only acting the part? The murder or Freddie is the first time we’ve seen Will kill someone innocent or not in self defense.
The audience isn’t the only one struggling to come to grips with Will’s bad boy turn. Alana Bloom (Caroline Dhavernas) mostly flounders this episode as she repeatedly accuses and questions Will and eventually Jack. Her presence is becoming almost a bit of an annoyance with her always being a step behind. This season hasn’t been particularly kind to Alana. Here’s hoping the recently confirmed third season will give this actress more to work with. It’s a shame this character doesn’t have more to do than constantly look alarmed and on the verge of tears.
Speaking of tears, by far this episode’s stand out is Michael Pitt as Mason Verger. Pitt plays Verger in an almost comical way with strange outfits and mannerisms. He starts this episode by making a child cry, collecting his tears (presumably for a “tear-tini” later), and telling the boy, “Have a chocolate” as he leaves. He and his sister Margot (Katharine Isabelle), who is now pregnant from her encounter with Will, are quickly becoming a couple of the show’s more interesting characters. Given their fates in the novels, one has to wonder just what show runner Bryan Fuller has planned for them.
Many of the scenes this episode involve different characters in therapy with Hannibal. This means quite the amount of dialogue, most of which involves Hannibal manipulating his patients. He reveals that Margot is pregnant with a potential heir and uses Will’s paternal feelings towards Abigail Hobbs to manipulate Will. This is all well and good, but it does make for an episode that feels rather stationary, with many scenes taking place in Hannibal’s office.
Meanwhile, Freddie Lounds’ body is dug up and arranged like Shiva. It’s stated this was done by “a benefactor who admires his (the killer’s) destruction.” Alana Bloom calls it “a courtship.” It’s a, thus far, fitting title for what Hannibal and Will are doing. This is another one of those instances where the guilty party, in this case Hannibal, is hinted at, but never revealed.
Hannibal’s manipulations lead to Margot’s attempted escape ending quickly. She’s t-boned by another vehicle and wakes up surrounded by people, including her brother, dressed in red surgeon scrubs. Mason tells her, “They’re going to find something wrong with your lady parts,” and proceeds to knock her out for surgery. Presumably Margot’s baby will be lost, along with some reproductive organs.
This is a bit of a disappointment, as it makes one of the most disturbing scenes from last episode moot. Bryan Fuller already experienced a bit of backlash from fans who felt uneasy at a self-identified lesbian suddenly sleeping with a man. Fans felt that this was erasure of an LGBT character from a TV landscape that’s already overwhelmingly straight. The excuse that Margot wanted an heir and that was why she slept with Will, was flimsy at best, but the aforementioned sex scene was expertly choreographed and sufficiently disconcerting. After putting this character through that, to have her pregnancy so easily and quickly swept under the rug is a bit frustrating.
Another revelation this episode is that of a very much alive Freddie Lounds (Lara Jean Chorostecki). This is a pleasant surprise and confirmation that Will has not turned murderous, but is only playing at it to entrap Hannibal. A relief for many fans who felt bewildered at Will’s sudden turn to the dark side in the previous episode. Will is clearly far more clever than Hannibal (and fans) give him credit for.
“Ko No Mono” ends with Will confronting Mason and warning him that they are all being manipulated by Hannibal. “Doctor Lecter is the one you want to be feeding to your pigs.” This is where we go to credits, leaving it up in the air as to how seriously Mason takes Will. With just a couple episodes left, there’s bound to be some drama going down.
This was definitely not this season’s strongest episode, with far too little moving things forward and too much dialogue, but it wasn’t a complete disappointment either. The stage is definitely being set for the season finale, but hopefully all the various plot threads don’t come together too quickly. It’s been a great meal so far, so here’s to dessert being up to the same standards.