Hannibal - Recap: The Secret "Garden"

Hannibal continued to impress this week. Its second showing, “Amuse-Bouche,” following its premiere debut continued to build on the intrigue of the series’ first episode. This show is very much about exploring the psyche of anomalies. The theme this week focused on the human mind’s craving for connectivity. If all anyone wants in life is freedom from the confines of loneliness, how far will a twisted killer go to achieve his darkest desire?

The episode opened with Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) firing off round after round at a shooting range. Following the death of murderer Garret Hobbs at his own hand during the premiere, our lead found himself suffering through flashes of the dead man’s decaying corpse. This was, after all, the first person Will had pulled the trigger on. In a sense, Will felt responsible for the cannibal’s now orphaned daughter, spending countless nights watching over her comatose body as it laid in a hospital bed. Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) and Alana (Caroline Dhavernas) continued to show concern for Will following his first life taken. Will is endowed, of course, with the gift/ curse of pure empathy. The man with the uncanny ability to connect to the minds of crazed killers had now crossed a line. He has essentially become a killer. What would that mean for Will Graham?

Will and Jack continued their investigation of Hobbs. Although Hobbs was a cannibal, there was no telling whether or not someone else was involved. The bodies of several girls were still missing. There was, of course, the “copycat” killer we became exposed to during the episode prior. As viewers, we were privy to the fact that this “copycat” was no copycat at all, but rather, the show’s titular star, Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), helping Graham to piece together the puzzle. The prime suspect in the quest to find Hobbs’ sidekick was, shockingly, his comatose daughter. She would have made the perfect bait to lure in young girls her own age for her father’s sick pleasure. Was she too a cannibal? We’ll have to wait until next week for that answer. This week, the focus would quickly shift to another murder case. Strangely, I think this new scenario was even more grotesque.

NBC "Hannibal"

A few boys hiking through the woods managed to stumble upon what appeared to be a “garden” of people. Jack, Will, and the rest of the FBI team started work on uncovering a lead. Whoever had “planted” these people had intricately wired them to some sort of chemical irrigation system. The bodies were unbound and buried just below the surface. Above the soil, a fungus thrived. Someone had been using human bodies to cultivate mushrooms, but why? This is the point at which we became aware of the true repercussions Will faced following the death of Hobbs. Will’s mind snapped into forensics mode, rewinding the crime scene while scanning for evidence. As usual, he navigated through the narrative playing through the murderer’s mind. That is, until images of Hobbs’ corpse tainted his vision. Will’s power had short-circuited before he could finish uncovering the motive. When one of the decaying corpses came to, I just about lost it. All of that bloody rot seemed like a lot to show on NBC!

From a distance, tabloid blogger Freddie Lounds (Lara Jean Chorostecki) played the role of one of the hiker’s mothers. Her forte was blogging from the inside of crime scenes, and she found herself infatuated with the concept of Will, the FBI’s secret weapon. Freddie had, in fact, already snooped around Hobbs’ cabin for information. Will would serve as her latest story.

Jack Crawford had been adamant in getting Will reapproved for fulltime field work. Part of the process, albeit not a true requirement, would be a psychological evaluation. Jack’s intention was to ensure that Will’s mental state remained stable, if only to give himself a little peace of mind. Hannibal would serve as his therapist. Interestingly enough, Hannibal was unconcerned with satisfying Jack’s wishes, but rather, connecting with Will following their joint effort on the Hobbs case. They shared in their mutual draw towards the orphaned girl. Slowly, over the course of the episode, Hannibal would help Graham to realize that his true obsession over Hobbs was not bred from guilt, but rather, from the feeling of power that came from eliminating evil. The mere fact that someone so dark and psychotic could exist had tainted Will’s own psyche.

From outside of the private session, Freddie attempted to record the conversation between Will and Hannibal. Under the guise of a prospective new patient, she subsequently tried to outwit Lecter; however, any attempt to outwit Hannibal seems absolutely futile at this point. His mental prowess goes unmatched, and he uncovered her true identity immediately. What a fool.

NBC "Hannibal"

I enjoyed the following scene in which we were invited to dinner alongside Hannibal and Crawford. Crawford's interest in Will is one of the show's overarching story lines, in that we're still somewhat in the dark regarding how much of Jack's concern for Will is a personal fear for his friend's wellbeing and how much is purely selfish. Hannibal never fails to seem one step ahead of everyone else, recognizing that Jack might see Will as a "broken pony" in his stable, stressing out regarding his breaking point. Also, watching Hannibal cook for other people never gets old...

Analysis of the fungus-ridden bodies had revealed that the mushrooms were not the cause of death. Rather, each victim had died of kidney failure. Will instantaneously pieced together that the corpses were diabetics and that someone had induced a diabetic coma upon each of them. By doing so, he could keep them alive while force-feeding them enough sugar to feed the fungus. Their inevitable death was unimportant. This green-thumbed murderer was most likely someone working in a medical field, as they would have needed to have access to the medications required to achieve this. Someone was looking to tap into the connective qualities of the fungus. The killer had a craving for human connectivity.

The murderer was, in actuality, a pharmacist, and one more disappearing diabetic tipped Jack and Will off to his whereabouts. The FBI swarmed the store, only to discover that he'd flown the coop just prior. Having left his car, Will was clever enough to recognize that the latest intended victim would be prepped in his trunk. Thankfully, they uncovered her in time to save her life; however, what had given them away? Freddie's tabloid blog was discovered in the man's computer history. Her story covering Will and his analysis of the "garden" form earlier ruined their attempt at capturing the criminal. After threatening Freddie, following way too many crime scene contaminations at her hand, Jack would ensure that she would never bother them again nor would she milk his team for classified information.

Unfortunately, Freddie would continue to play a detrimental role in this specific case. The doctor, having read her article, developed his own infatuation with Will and his special mind. Through frightening Freddie, he discovered the location of Hobbs' daughter's hospital, and he intended to help Will "connect" with her… by burying her alive.

The episode closed with Will putting a stop to the kidnapping of the girl, just before the madman could leave the building.Will didn't kill him this time, though. A shot would cripple him enough to immobilize the lunatic while the FBI arrived, but in the meantime, Will would learn the truth behind the man's hair brained scheme. This specific species of fungus reached for life as it passed through its environment, unbeknownst to the other being. By planting these people and harvesting the fungus through their bodies, he would finally feel connected  and reached for in life. He wished to help Will feel the same sense of inclusion with Hobbs' daughter.

In closing, I like the growing relationship between Alana and Will. It seems as though her sense of genuine emotional empathy hits him in a way that no one else manages to. No relationship is more interesting than the growing bond between Hannibal and Graham, though. The highlight of the episode for me was Lecter's speech about God, power, and people. If God created man in his own image, how could they not feel a sense of positive power following killing? According to Hannibal, God "kills" people all the time. Just a few days prior, a roof had collapsed on a church killing the worshipers inside as they sang a hymn. Did God feel good? He couldn't say, but God did feel powerful.

What did you think of Hannibal episode 2, "Amuse-Bouche"? Are you going to continue tuning in? Are you finding the dynamic between Hannibal and Will to be compelling?

Thanks for reading my Recap and Review of Hannibal episode 2, "Amuse-Bouche"!