“It’s obvious that on some twisted level, in some form that normal human beings can’t relate to, Hannibal cares for Will. Is he merely intrigued by this fractured soul with the burden of total empathy? Is Will his pet project that he can’t leave alone? Can Hannibal even care about Will at all?” – Jonathan Raeder

“Will Graham is and will always be my friend.”

“Hassun” begins with Will suffering from another surreal and intensely uncomfortable nightmare – the killer he so frequently imagines himself as pulls the lever and sends the real Will to his death, shaking and convulsing on the electric chair. It seems easy to compliment the show again on being both mesmerizing and disturbing, but there’s no way around it. Time rewinds and Will dies again before being awakened. He’s still alive – for now.

Will’s trial has begun, and his chances don’t look good. Everyone is convinced he killed the four girls, though Jack and Alana believe he wasn’t in his right mind when doing so. It’s difficult to see Will suffer through the hate and endure the lies the prosecutors spout throughout the episode, especially when Dr. Chilton arrogantly analyzes Will – essentially describing Hannibal – as the smartest person in the room. Hannibal’s little smirk shows what he thinks of that.

For an episode chiefly about Will, he’s largely passive, silently listening to his accusations while imagining himself calmly fishing, free and alone. His verbal sparring with Hannibal continues – Hannibal tries to rid Will of his belief that Hannibal is the killer while Will tries to finally get the upper hand and stay a step ahead of his ultimate enemy. Hannibal all but breaks into tears when talking to or about Will in this episode – he’s written Will a love poem and is so concerned that Will’s going to let it go to waste.

We’re just like Will – we know that Hannibal is a monster, we’re sure of it, and yet we cling to every little gesture he makes that might be evidence of some kindness buried deep below. When counseling Jack about his possible loss of career and the almost-certain loss of his wife, Hannibal seems to give good advice. He seems caring, just what Jack needs at the time. Giving his testimony in support of Will, sending the ear (if it was really him) – these are all strange acts that seem to work in Will’s favor.

It’s obvious that on some twisted level, in some form that normal human beings can’t relate to, Hannibal cares for Will. Is he merely intrigued by this fractured soul with the burden of total empathy? Is Will his pet project that he can’t leave alone? Can Hannibal even care about Will at all? Either way, we’re intrigued, hoping on some level that Hannibal could make a move to get Will out of his shackles, even if it’s simply the next move in another manipulation. We think Hannibal could be good.

Yet the show seems to revel in reminding us that Hannibal is not a sympathetic murder, killing only those who deserve death. He’s not killing as a means to a greater, nobler end. He’s not tortured and unable to control his actions. He is pure evil, delighting in pulling the strings of people’s lives, in proving himself a twisted god. And don’t forget – he eats people. At the end of “Hassun,” the gruesome (and yet artistic) death of the judge serves as a reminder that while Will is given a temporary reprieve, he’s far from free. Hannibal could have killed in the same way, could have given enough reasonable doubt to let Will go – but he didn’t. For whatever reason – he was sloppy. And his ploy failed. The scene of Hannibal sitting in his office, staring blankly into space is particularly interesting. He’s actually failed to get Will out of harm’s way, even with such a creative and shocking murder. It’s almost funny how he is now forced to do something incredibly intense to get the trial to stop. But Will’s not out yet. Everything starts all over again.

The Jack’s inner conflict continues to play an important role, although now we can see how inexorably tied together his feelings of failure about Will are with his feelings of helplessness about his wife. He can’t save Bella from her cancer, but he might be able to save Will. While sitting as a prosecuting witness, he’s asked if Will Graham is a methodical serial killer and – at the risk of his entire career – answers with “I don’t believe that to be true.” Jack may not know for certain whether or not Will killed those people, or if he was in his right mind at all, but he knows one thing for certain. Will did not enjoy the cases. They were torturous, even if they saved lives. Jack pushed Will too far, and no matter how many times people tell him to, he can’t forgive himself. Unlike Hannibal, guilt can still drive Jack’s actions.

We know that something convinces Jack of Hannibal’s true nature at some point this season, and this episode lets us see the seed of doubt growing inside him. Even with the setback of Hannibal telling him that this killer is not the same killer Will is accused of being, Jack is on the path of questioning Will’s guilt. How long will it take Will to convince the FBI of Hannibal’s guilt? How will Hannibal’s feelings for Will bring about his downfall? Hannibal relies on these mysteries – character motivations and methods – rather than simple suspense and whodunits. It’s a refreshing reminder that television can still be tense and engaging even when the end is spelled out in advance.

“Hassun” has a few noticeable weak spots, unlike the season’s first two episodes. While “Kaiseki” and “Sakizuke” seemed to suggest a larger role for the show’s women, they didn’t have much to do this time. And despite the horror and weary resignation that come with this reset of the trial, it sometimes seems as though the show is spinning its wheels. At the end of this episode, we know that Will is going to have to have another trial. This one won’t have really mattered. “Hassun” is still an engaging hour of television and a good episode in the Hannibal canon, but not quite as excellent as the show at its best. It’s largely setting up the momentum for the next few episodes, in which Will seems poised to launch his accusations again, this time at an FBI that may be a little more likely to believe him.

Tidbits:

· Hannibal is an incredibly dark show without much humor, so I understand trying to have the two other forensic guys joking around, but it felt very out of place to make poop jokes next to a deformed and eviscerated corpse.

· In Japanese cuisine, the Hassun course generally sets the stage for the rest of the meal – and this episode definitely performs a similar function.

· The opening scene of Will and Hannibal paralleled while getting dressed was fantastic. The music called to mind Hannibal’s cooking sequences and I squirmed in a different, yet still uncomfortable, way. Will fears his possible execution while Hannibal admires himself in the mirror.