Hannibal Episode 1.03: “Potage”

Yeah, I'd say she has some major daddy issues!
Yeah, I’d say she has some major daddy issues!
All eyes are on Abigail Hobbs as they wait for her to wake up. The show opens up with Abigail having a coma-induced vision of going hunting with her father, giving us a little glimpse at their relationship. She shoots a deer, and once they get it back to their cabin, she is told to gut it. The apprehension on her face as she was hunting it and her commentary on the deer’s social structure gives the impression that she doesn’t really want to be doing this, however, she doesn’t say no. But the real moment comes when she pulls back the head and it is a girl. This dream is powerful enough to bring her out of the coma, and rightly so.

Does this prove Crawford’s claims that Abigail was an accomplice to her fathers’ killing spree?

There’s a bit of chemistry going on between Dr. Bloom and Graham. She wants to protect him, there’s no doubt about that, but there also seems to be an awkward attraction between the two of them. The doctor and the patient. That’s not unheard of, and carries the taboo stamp.

Good ol’ Doc Bloom, going to bat for Graham, working her charms on Crawford’s tender side, and now bringing a cool and detached Abigail some clothes and music because, hey, she’s still a young girl. Abigail’s quick planning to go on with her life is chilling…and surprising in that it’s coming from a teenager who witnessed her mother's murder and almost fell victim herself to her father's murderous tendencies.

Crawford wants to jump right in asking Abigail about the eight victims. I get it, but I know Dr. Bloom is right. They have to be careful with her. Abigail’s smart and playing some kind of a game.

Graham’s copycat lecture was spot on for Lecter’s profile. Hell, even Lecter himself smiles with pride.

Graham is kind of like everyone’s shiny top that they spin in their direction, bumping him when they want. He rolls along, nearly tipping occasionally, but always righting himself.

Why so serious? Oh wait, that's another villain's line!
Why so serious? Oh wait, that’s another villain’s line!

I know I said I liked Freddie Lounds last episode, but I may just have to take that one back. She’s annoying the crap out of me now. I think it’s because she has a real disdain for Graham, and like I said, I’m team Graham. I do admit, I still like her ballsiness. Lounds’ nosy ways have taken her to Abigail’s bedside where she trashes Graham just in time for him to show up. Lounds is a real piece of work. She gets people right where she wants them and uses every resource to her advantage. Honestly, she’s a survivor. But I can’t see her constantly getting away with it all. Lecter might just mess her up in the end. I’m not talking death, but something along the lines of the disturbing dinner scene in the film Hannibal where he slowly cuts out pieces of Krendler’s brain and serves it to him. Graham’s threat was pretty great, and I smirked, until she went to the Internet with it. And don’t get me started on her going to the last victims’ brother, Nicholas Burrow, and announcing that Abigail had woken up. Dirty pool, man. *Grumble, grumble, “Lounds,” grumble, grumble.*

We see more of Abigail’s instability when she returns home with Graham, Lecter and Dr. Bloom by her side. Her excited suggestion for them to reenact the crime using Graham as her father, Dr. Bloom as her mother, and Lecter as the man on the phone is just wacky. That’s the most emotion I’ve seen from her. It’s also stunning how much Lecter dances around the copycat idea with Graham.

Finding Abigail’s friend Marissa impaled on the antlers was thought provoking. We saw Marissa being rude to her mother in front of Hannibal, so there’s motivation on his part. This might explain why he covered the rock with the Burrows’ blood on it; in order for the murder to be set on Burrow.

With Graham claiming that the same killer, the copycat, killing Marissa, he also surmises Abigail may be next. Having Lecter drive Abigail out of town was pretty brilliant. Well, this could be two serial killers having a pow wow on a road trip, or it could be that Lecter is going to indulge himself on his “golden ticket”.

Uh oh... look what you did to the carpet!
Uh oh… look what you did to the carpet!
In a cool twist, Lecter becomes Abigail’s father figure. Poor kid. She really has no chance. After Abigail panics and kills Burrow, Lecter offers to help her. He wants to claim defense and hide the body, telling the story that Abigail scratched the man and he ran away. What is he playing at here? Grooming a fellow killer, perhaps? Later, after she escapes the hospital and seeks refuge with Lecter, we truly see how much her father has influenced her. She feels she didn’t honor Burrow because she didn’t use all parts of his body, therefore, it was murder. This girl needs help, but I don’t think Lecter wants to rehabilitate her. I think he sees her as a protégé. She’s a pawn in Lecter’s hands. Like the daughter he never had. There was a bit of this dynamic with him and Clarice at times.

I see Graham’s vulnerability and Lecter’s sharp and calculated cunning. They’re both likeable. I believe they have a very good balance, and they work in the same spheres. To use the same analogy, they’re both tops, rotating and gyrating near each other then far, crossing paths and wobbling away, but ultimately spinning next to each other. It’s a fragile relationship, written with intrigue, and held together with the same organic paste that Hobbs made.

Catch up on all our Hannibal coverage here on Criminal Element.


Amber Keller is a writer who delves into dark, speculative fiction, particularly horror and suspense/thrillers. You can find her work on her Amazon Author Page and she also features many short stories on Diary of a Writer. A member of the Horror Writers Association, she contributes to many websites and eMagazines and you can follow her on Twitter at @akeller9.

Read all posts by Amber Keller for Criminal Element.

Comments

  1. Mary Saputo

    Well you guys, I’ve decided to stop watching Hannibal. Was watching the last episode and found I just didn’t really care. Switched channels and erased the automatic taping. Don’t know what it was exactly. Not really crazy about any of the actors. Except for Abigail. She’s a pretty good little actress. Have a feeling Abigail isn’t as innocent as she seems. I’ll keep following your remarks to see what’s going on.

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