The net tightens around Hannibal as several of his old “friends” close in on him.

“HE’S UNDER THE TABLE, JACK.”

Note: The following review goes into detail about the episode. SPOILER ALERT!

Another week, another fantastic episode of Hannibal. It’s such a shame that the show faces an increasingly darker future now, as it really is quite a unique experience. “Dolce” was an incredibly trippy episode, with flowing shots and kaleidoscopic sex-scenes capturing our attention from start to finish. Last week’s brutal brawl really shook things up and put Hannibal on the defensive. But being the master manipulator he is, there was always going to be an opportunity for him to turn the tables at some stage.

I’m not even sure where to begin this week. There’s so much to chew on, pun completely intended, but maybe it’s best to start right at the end. Hannibal finally got to have that lovely dinner party with Will and Jack that he had planned at the end of Season 2. Things did not go well for Will and Jack at all. I thought Jack had it bad when Hannibal sliced his Achilles, but then it got even worse as Jack had to sit there screaming while Hannibal sawed into Will’s head. That scene was absolutely horrific, in an artsy way that only Hannibal can pull off. This was followed up by that “WTF!” ending, where the action cut away and next thing we know Hannibal and Will are in Mason Verger’s clutches. It was a real headscratcher of an ending that leaves me with a ton of questions. How exactly did they end up back there? What happened to Jack? And just what the hell is going to happen next?

I believe Bedelia may be the answer to one of those questions. When last we saw her, she was starting to get quite cooperative with that police inspector. My theory right now is that she led him to where Hannibal was, and the inspector was dirty as hell and decided to help himself to Verger’s bounty. Gillian Anderson absolutely killed it this week. Bedelia has gotten more and more interesting with each episode, and I could never quite tell what her game was. She knew all along that Hannibal planned to kill her, but she also knew she had time before that happened. She also injected herself with a ton of drugs so she could pretend she wasn’t complicit at all, something that even impressed Jack. I’m not sure what part Bedelia has left to play on the show, but I’m hoping we see more of her before the potential series finale.

The Hannibal and Will material was all gold. They’ve been circling around each other all season long, and when they finally came face to face it didn’t disappoint. It immediately just felt like two old friends connecting, and it was probably the happiest we’ve seen Will in a long time. This show absolutely nails its symbolism, and the matching wounds that each man bore were fantastic. Each of them had marks on the opposite side of their faces than the other, so when combined, they made one completely broken being. I believe that Will really would have killed Hannibal too, if it wasn’t for Chiyoh’s intervention. He had the knife and it looked like he was about to use it, so Chiyoh ended up saving Hannibal’s life by shooting Will. Chiyoh’s mission has seemingly become a little clearer now, with it looking like she wants to put Hannibal in a cage of her own design. She’s definitely an interesting wild card to have around.

The women on the show had a very strong week, and Alana and Margot played their part in that. Their sex-scene together was one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever seen on a network television show, but I’m really not complaining. I had wondered why Alana would put up with how horrible Mason Verger is, even when you consider all that she’s been through. Catching Hannibal is still her number one goal, but she’s also plotting to take down Verger too. He’s just a means to an end in regards to Hannibal, but now Alana’s plotting with Margot to steal Verger’s sperm, and perhaps in another twisted Hannibal moment, Alana will be offering to have a little Verger baby for Margot.

THE BREAKDOWN

Jack’s confrontation with Hannibal kicked everything into high gear. There’s a big chunk of time missing from this episode that’s surely going to end up being very important, but the main thing to take away from it all is that Hannibal and “nearly headless Will” are now at the mercy of Mason Verger. I don’t know for sure how they ended up there, and I sure as hell don’t know how they’re going to get themselves out of this jam, but I just simply cannot wait to find out.

How exactly do you think Hannibal and Will ended up at Verger’s farm? Was it Bedelia? Chiyoh? Or something else entirely? Tweet me @OldSnake24. And be sure to follow us @YouNerded!

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