Hannibal (Season 1) – “Fromage”

Hannibal (Season 1) – “Fromage”

One thing I am beginning to notice about Hannibal, is that each week is some sort of lesson combined with the whole killer of the week formula. Even though Hannibal didn’t take any massive leaps forward in terms of the overall story during this episode, it was still one of the most interesting episodes of the season so far.

This week’s lesson is in friendship. What does it mean to have friends? Why are people attracted to certain people, and why do some people just seem to isolate? These are just some of the questions raised this week.

Tobias, from a few episodes back, is revealed to be a talented musician and teacher. Tobias, in case you don’t remember, is friends with Hannibal’s obsessive patient, Franklin. We know something is off about Tobias fairly quick. He just feels off and it doesn’t seem like the episode wants to keep his secret all that secret. Tobias is a serial killer, and he has taken an interest in Hannibal.

Hannibal Lecter has been having a lot more screen time in recent episodes. Last episode was pretty focused on Lecter, and revealed a bit about his past. We have also been getting a good dose of the killer side of Lecter, the montage last week was pretty awesome, but this week has an ending that just might top it.

Graham didn’t seem to have much to do this week. He did his normal routine with the murder recreations. Though this time around it seems as though his fantasies may be crossing over into his reality. He is beginning to hear things. He also had a slight slip up that I think some of his comrades picked up on. With Crawford already so cautious with Graham, this may come back to play a bigger role at some point.

Again this was mainly Hannibal’s episode as we are slowly gaining more insight into both his killer side and his somewhat “sensitive” side. Some of the best scenes of the past couple episodes have been Hannibal seeing his own psychoanalyst, Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier (Gillian Anderson). These have really been the best insights into how complex Hannibal really is.

I can’t tell if Maurier suspects something or not. She clearly understands that Hannibal isn’t all he says he is. She makes comments of the constant walls and masks he throws up to disguise himself. I don’t think her suspicions are sinister as of yet, but I think this relationship is one that can and should be expanded upon in future episodes.

It is at this time I would like to point out that there has still been no official word on whether or not Hannibal will be renewed. It is just about the only show left still in limbo, and while we know it will get to finish out its first season, we are still left in the dark. One thing to note is that the show has international producing partners. This is certainly making things a bit more complicated and they really seem to be taking time deciding.

In a way this makes me optimistic because most on-the-fence shows would have been cut by now. My suspicion is that all the praise from the Internet is playing a part in the decision. We will let you know the fate of Hannibal as soon as we know!