#frederick chilton meta

[pesky--dust]

the "diagnosis" Chilton gave Will during his trial was the one closest to the truth ("Will Graham has never been diagnosed. He won't allow anyone to test him. He has carefully constructed a persona to hide his real nature from the world. He wears it so well, even Jack Crawford couldn't see past it. (...) There is not yet a name for whatever Will Graham is.")

unlike Alana Bloom or Jack Crawford, he saw what a manipulator Will was and that in front of them he played a poor, confused, wounded bird ("(...) A particularly-manipulative one at that. Poor, confused, wounded bird for Agent Crawford and Doctors Lecter and Bloom. And for me, well, I get the psychopath's triumvirate: charm, focus and ruthlessness. The charm, of course, being debateable.")

he believed Will that Hannibal may be the Chesapeake Ripper and said Jack Crawford: "Hannibal once served me tongue and made a joke about eating mine. It's hard not to at least consider it.". Jack ignored him. (I think Jack was already planning some large-scale action against Hannibal, but that's a topic for another post)

he called Dr Lecter "Hannibal the Cannibal"

he understood that Will Graham was alive because Hannibal Lecter liked him that way

criticized Jack for letting Will and Hannibal get closer to each other and then leaving Will alone ("You dangle Will Graham and now you cut bait. You are letting Hannibal have him hook, line and sinker.")

when Jack expressed hope that the relationship between Hannibal and Will was one of those friendships that ends after the disemboweling, Chilton told him: "I would argue, with these two, that's tantamount to flirtation. Will is going to lead you right to him." and let's be real, he was right.

[thedarkmongoose]

it's interesting that it pans to will fishing in the stream when chilton says "he likes to play god" bc speaking of religious allegories, will graham is a fisherman and a "fisher of men." both in the profiler sense (he catches criminals), and in the sense that he captures men's hearts (jesus urged his followers to be fishers of men to the gospel). except will's gospel is darkness, and while he doesn't forcibly push people towards it like hannibal, anyone involved with will gets dragged down into the inferno. for he is a fisher of (damned) men. subsequently, the "saving lives is just as arousing as ending them" bit could be said about god, which is a sentiment hannibal shares throughout the series.

[tayasui-mono]

The audacity of Hannibal to show himself to Chilton in his house knowing that nobody was gonna believe him... Imagine a criminal nonchalantly framing you for their crime right in front of your very eyes and it isn't worth shit. He swan, you're frog

[crimsondinnerparty]

In Aperitivo, there’s a scene where Will envisions helping Hannibal cut Jack’s throat, which has a lot of interpretations. Many see this as Will fantasising about committing murder alongside Hannibal, but I think it goes deeper than that. By the time Will hears Hannibal’s voice on the phone, he admits that a part of him has fully sided with Hannibal. So, this vision? It’s more about Will contemplating what might have happened if he had made a different choice, rather than just indulging in a fantasy.

Chilton’s conversation totally sets this up. When he hits Will with the whole “this is your best possible world, Will. You’re not getting a better one” line? Yeah, that’s some heavy truth right there. Will is a pessimist, and what he’s really doing in that moment is thinking: "What if I had sided with Hannibal?" Somewhere, in another universe, Will went full dark mode and betrayed Jack, and Jack ended up dead. But here’s the thing—Will isn’t fantasizing about the act of killing Jack. He’s thinking about the consequences — the inevitable betrayal, horror, and pain Jack would have felt.

Let’s talk about that dinner scene. Will is flashing back to the “sacrificial lamb” dinner, right before the big showdown. Remember when Hannibal was like, “We can spare Jack, feed the dogs, and leave Alana a note”? If Will had dipped with Hannibal that night, Jack would’ve been fine, technically. But the betrayal would’ve still hit the same, and Will’s soul? that betrayal would have left him irrevocably changed, soulless.

This is why Chilton’s words carry such weight. The reality where Hannibal attacked, but they all survived, is the best outcome for Will. Hannibal made the choice for him — by stabbing him and leaving him for dead, Hannibal prevented Will from becoming the monster he wanted him to be. Ironically, Hannibal saved Will by keeping him from crossing the point of no return.

We all know Will becoming Hannibal would’ve been the worst version of reality for him. So yeah, this reality? As messed up as it is, it’s actually the least bad. Will’s vision of Abigail in Primavera is all about his desire to run off with Hannibal, but Chilton is there to remind him that there’s no “better” world out there for him. It’s bleak AF, but Will’s choices all suck, and he knows it. The idea that doing the “wrong” thing might actually have been the “right” thing? That’s a thought too dark for him to even process.

[cedarxwing]

Faust allusions in Hannibal

"I believe that Hannibal Lecter is as close as you can come to the devil, to Satan. He's the fallen angel. His motives are not banal reasons, like childhood abuse or junkie parents. It's in his genes. He finds life is most beautiful on the threshold to death, and that is something that is much closer to the fallen angel than it is to a psychopath." - Mads Mikkelsen on Hannibal as the Devil

I'm not a Faust expert or anything, but I've been balls deep in Wikipedia for the last week and here are my findings:

Super Short Summary of Faust:

Faust is an old scholar dissatisfied with life. One day Mephistopheles (the Devil) shows up and offers him a deal including unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. The particulars of the deal vary by version:

Original Faustbuch: Mephisto offers 24 years of service, and then Faust must serve him forever in hell.

Goethe: Mephisto will serve Faust until he experiences a moment of perfect satisfaction, after which he'll be dragged to hell. (Mephisto also makes a secondary bet with God that he can tempt Faust away from righteousness and into damnation.)

Gounod's opera: Mephisto turns Faust young again and wins him the beautiful Marguerite's heart. He also offers knowledge and power, but the story is more about Marguerite.

In most versions, Faust is damned to Hell at the end. In Goethe's version, Faust finds his moment of perfect satisfaction, but Mephisto doesn't succeed in tempting Faust into sin, so Faust ends up going to Heaven.

Explicit References

I won't list all the times the script refers to Hannibal as the Devil, but they're fun to look for. :)

The first explicit reference to Faust is in Sorbet (1x07), when Gounod's Le veau d'or plays while Hannibal gathers meat for his dinner party. This aria is Mephisto's manifesto on human nature:

"The calf of gold is the victor over the gods! In its derisory (absurde) glory, The abject monster insults heaven! It contemplates, oh weird frenzy! At his feet the human race, Hurling itself about, iron in hand, In blood and in the mire, Where gleams the burning metal, And satan leads the dance"

People are slaves to greed and easily tempted away from their morals--a nice description of Hannibal's perspective on humanity and his favorite pastime. I also like the implication that the rude people in his Rolodex are damned souls that he's come to reap.

This is a quote from Hannibal Rising when Hannibal watches Faust at the Opera Garnier with Lady Murasaki and the Paris Police Commissioner (which, wow, this chapter is practically Phantom of the Opera fanfiction). It's funny, because at that point in the novel, Hannibal is more Faust than Mephisto, so he's contemptuous of himself. Later, once he's undergone some, ahem, character development, the book quotes Goethe:

"I'd yield myself to the Devil instantly, Did it not happen that myself am he!"

This is probably the origin of the "Hannibal is the Devil" interpretation.

Also, I just want to point out that it's not particularly unique to be contemptuous of Gounod's Faust. He's a skeevy old man who fucks up his own life and everyone else's out of boredom, which is very human and relatable, but not very likable! We're all Fausts who are contemptuous of Faust, just like we're all rooting for Hannibal and contemptuous of Chilton.

Another quote from Goethe. Faust says this line while complaining that he has to choose between a simple/familiar/earthly life and a life unbound by earthly limitations (x). The double meaning of this line perfectly sums up Dolarhyde's predicament. He gave up a normal life to experience something otherworldly, and now he's fighting against the Red Dragon to save Reba.

This line also summarizes the temptation Hannibal dangles in front of Will. "Don't you crave change, Will?" A moment of perfect satisfaction, after which his soul will forever belong to Hannibal. This moment comes to pass when they kill Dolarhyde and go off the cliff, a metaphorical fall from Heaven (better explained here: x).

Not to get too lost in the weeds, but I would argue that killing Dolarhyde wasn't really a sin (maybe it was a sin to let those prison guards die, but killing Dolarhyde was self-defense and he was a serial killer for Pete's sake), so Hannibal lost his bet with God (Jack), and Will (Faust) is going to heaven after all, just like in Goethe's version. Maybe this idea would've been explored in Season 4, who knows.

Faustian Bargains

Once you strike a bargain with Hannibal, your soul belongs to him, and he can collect it at any time. The whole show is a series of people falling for this trap (except for Will, to Hannibal's never-ending frustration).

Some characters go to Hannibal seeking "otherworldly knowledge" while others are motivated by material greed. Gideon wants to know the Ripper and pays the price. Chilton and Sutcliffe commiserate with Hannibal in their medical malpractice and are punished accordingly. In Digestivo, Alana/Margot accept Hannibal's offer to take the fall for Mason's murder (and also get Mason's sperm) so they can inherit the Verger fortune.

The Faustian bargain motif is most apparent in Season 3, when Hannibal starts making characters explicitly ask for his help:

And, of course, the bargain Hannibal waited three seasons to strike:

Bedelia is the purest manifestation of this. She makes not one but two deals with Hannibal. The first was to help her get away with murder. The second was to take her "behind the veil" in Florence, where she acquires otherworldly knowledge and experiences. This is framed as "lucid greed" on her part, and maybe not just greed for knowledge, depending on how much she made off her lectures about being Lydia Fell! Hannibal spends Season 3a trying to get her to "participate" and makes some headway before his plans are derailed. She gets her come-uppance in the post-credits scene.

Finally, the most heartbreaking deal Hannibal makes:

Abigail's soul belongs to Hannibal as soon as she accepts this offer. In Mizumono, she willingly goes to her fate. :(

(Again, I'm not an expert, so if I got anything wrong please correct me!!)

[love-songs-for-emma]

thinking about the group of characters who survived Hannibal Lecter by turning away from/having no interest in consuming meat (by choice or circumstance):

freddie lounds (vegetarian)

frederick chilton (stopped eating it post his gutting by gideon where he became unable to digest it properly)

margot verger (lesbian)

alana bloom (bi but ends up with a woman & stopped drinking beer once she realized Hannibal had been making her cannibal beer)

[frumious-bandersnatch-ao3]

Honestly? Forget the ortolan scene (don't, actually, but for the purposes of this post do), the surgery scene between Frederick Chilton and Abel Gideon is one of the most deeply erotic scenes in NBC Hannibal and I think we collectively sleep on it.

[super-who-locked-me-in-here]

Thinking about how in season 2, Chilton referred to Will as a "poor, confused, wounded bird for Agent Crawford and Doctors Lecter and Bloom" and then in season 3, after asking Will what he would do if he saw a wounded bird, she says "My first thought is also that it's vulnerable. And yet... I want to crush it. A primal rejection of weakness which is every bit as natural as the nurturing instinct. Of course, I wouldn't crush it, but my first thought is to do just that..."

And just how, Will was a project for her. A curiosity to be sated. A danger she avoided (for a time, at least) by leading with her nurturing instinct rather than her instinct to crush him (although one could argue that the former was merely a thin veil over the latter). In the end she was true to her words: her first instinct was to crush Will, but she denied herself, and that was to her own detriment.

There's something to be said for Bedelia's "nurturing" and Will not biting the hand that feeds him, but there's also something to be said about when the hand only feeds you petty half-truths and false pleasantries. Eventually the flesh of the hand will look more appetizing than its bland niceties that you starve yourself with.

[wannabepsychiatrist]

But i hate people, how do i find enemies.. i hate talking to people

"You're talking to me- There's a real person behind me and you're doing just fine talking. And all you have to do is channel that hatred into talking to people."

[readingrude]

Contrary to the stated terms of their accord, Will wants Chilton to spill to Hannibal. He correctly surmises that telling Chilton not to ensures he will, besting the cocky Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane administrator with simple reverse psychology. What then does Will seek to gain? To upset Hannibal by cutting off access to the object of his obsession? To provoke him into making a mistake that might lead to his unmasking or, better yet, arrest? To just see what he might do? Maybe all of the above.

[cannibalgenders]

Imagine they announce a Hannibal spinoff, everyone is excited to see Mads and Hugh again maybe Clarice possibly Jack

When it comes out is a 4 hour long legal battle for the copyright over "Hannibal the Cannibal" between Freddie Lounds and Frederick Chilton the case is called Freddie v. Freddie there's not even visible murder just legal jargon

You laugh but this is actually my ideal spin-off. I hope it’s edited and directed with the sort of gritty, realistic drama as The People vs OJ Simpson and it’s a miniseries with hour long episodes detailing the intricate petty ways in which both of them have attempted to monetize their horrific experiences,

I hope their are recreations of each side of the story, everything they’re both lying about, by the original actors, but acting wildly out of character because it’s CLEARLY Bullshit that Freddie/Chilton are making up to strengthen their case.

I’d start talking to my patent attorney dad again just to screen this with him in one torturous marathon.

We get to the end. Tense silence falls on both of us. My father is tied up and I occasionally remove the duct tape from his mouth so he can explain a legal issue. Type face texts scrawls along the bottom of the screen. “Havana Cuba- 2023’. It changes to a rather meta shot of two people watching the court case on a couch. Will and Hannibal’s hands brush as they both reach for the bowl. Inside, we see a single uncooked lip.

End.

[pesky--dust]

I saw lately a post about a scene in Dolce where Will tried to stab Hannibal and that triggered some thoughts in my head, so bear with me.

No matter how horribly it sounds, but I guess that Will had a few reasons for it:

1) Hannibal has said many times how unique Will is, but in Shiizakana Will asks him, “How many have there been? Like Randall Tier? Like me?” and what is Hannibal’s answer? “Every patient is unique.”. Hannibal could said anything different and he settled for the same word, he uses for Will, so maybe he isn’t so unique as Hannibal claims him to be?

2) In Mizumono Hannibal literally stabs him and tells him that he forgives him. In Aperitivo Jack says, “Maybe it's one of those friendships that ends after the disemboweling.”, to which Chilton tells him, “I would argue, with these two, that's tantamount to flirtation. Will is going to lead you right to him.”. So yeah, Chilton may be a dumb-dumb, but he is right here.

3) In Primavera we see a battle in Will’s head — he doesn’t know what to think about Hannibal. He tells his hallucination of Abigail that Hannibal left them to die, but at the same time through this hallucination, he tells himself that Hannibal wants to by found by him. He is also aware that Hannibal left him his broken heart (but he also thinks that Hannibal is playing with him, which he also tells himself). Feeling that Hannibal is still there, he says that he forgives him, hoping Hannibal would come back to him, however it doesn’t happen (guess that if it happened, Will would totally stay with him and that would mean instant happy end for them).

Instead of this happens a few different things:

4) Will goes to Lithuania to better understand Hannibal and there he meets Chiyoh. Another person besides him left by Hannibal, as if frozen in time and as like Hannibal’s another “if all else fails”.

5) In Florence Will sees that Hannibal replaced him and Abigail with Bedelia. Was he so easy to replace for Hannibal? And Hannibal left her behind anyway. Yet another person! Guess that meeting these two women made Will think that Hannibal cares for no one besides himself.

6) I believe that Will told Hannibal truth, when they were sitting in front of Primavera, however he felt that he cannot be sure that he is as important for Hannibal like Hannibal is for him. When Hannibal asked him, “Where does the difference between the past and the future come from?”,  Will answered, “Mine? Before you and after you.” and when they are supposed to left Uffizi, Will tells him, “After you.”. He told Hannibal truth, but at the same time he feels that this is still a game between them and he wants to truly forgive Hannibal, the same way Hannibal showed him his forgiveness, that's why he wants to stab him.

Guess no character in this show knows exactly the thoughts, feelings and intencions of others people (just like in real life). Hannibal and Will may started to blur, but would anyone be surprised that they would be wary after everything that happened in Mizumono?

Remember, Will didn't hear the words that we —the audience — heard. He didn't hear Hannibal saying during the conversation about him, “You cannot control with respect to whom you fall in love.”; he did not hear Bedelia talking to Hannibal when they came to the conclusion that Hannibal's feelings for Will were the purest form of love that Hannibal had not felt since his sister's death. Will didn't heard any of these things and we know that in Primavera he thought Hannibal is playing with him.

Didn’t expect this post would turn out so long and have no idea, if anyone would even read my way of thinking about this scene, but whatever. 

[thedarkmongoose]

[sickmachete]

below the cut is info on my new tagging system [it's a bit long, so beware]

MAIN TAGS #my art ↪ tag for any art i post that's my own #artists ↪ tag for other peoples' hannibal fanart #a.misc ↪ tag for unrelated art #txt ↪ tag for all of my own text posts #q ↪ tag for when ive queue'd posts #asks ↪ tag for asks [i will also add a tag with either your name or a specific emoji for you] #saved ↪ tag for the stuff i really like and wanna go back to :-) #nbc.h ↪ tag for hannibal posts that feature content from the actual show [ie: screenshots, gifsets, or videos] #h.bts ↪ tag for photos/videos of behind the scenes content #h.misc ↪ tag for other peoples' text posts about the show [ie: shitposts, character metas, etc] #f.c ↪ tag for frederick chilton bc i love him #w.g ↪ tag for will graham #h.l ↪ tag for hannibal lecter #h.d ↪ tag for hugh dancy [ie: behind the scenes or stuff unrelated to hannibal] #m.m ↪ tag for mads mikkelsen [ie: behind the scenes or stuff unrelated to hannibal] #misc ↪ tag for random stuff i like and wanted to reblog #blood ↪ tag for blood bc i love blood #video ↪ tag for hannibal video edits/amvs etc #video.misc ↪ tag for video edits/amvs about other shows/movies #gif ↪ tag for gifs of nbc hannibal because theyre great references for my art <3 #ref ↪ tag for pictures/gifs i really like and want saved for potential art refs #merlin ↪ tag for any merlin content #merlin spoilers ↪ tag for anything big plot wise just in case people havent seen merlin [ie: character deaths etc] #firefly ↪ tag for any firefly [the tv show] content #tv time ↪ tag for when i liveblog movies and tv shows [though ill also tag the actual movie/show too]

now. why do i have a frederick chilton tag in the main tags section you ask? well, i was going to only have tags for hannibal and will because theyre the mains and i cba to always tag everybody atm. however. chilton is my favorite failwife so i had to include one for my own personal use ASJDHFGH

if i do tag a character though itll follow the same format of first initial of first name dot first initial of last name, ie: CHARACTER / ACTOR TAGS #w.g.dogs ↪ will graham's dogs #w.g ↪ will graham #h.l ↪ hannibal lecter #h.d ↪ hugh dancy #m.m ↪ mads mikkelsen #f.c ↪ frederick chilton #f.l ↪ freddie lounds #j.c ↪ jack crawford #b.c ↪ bella crawford #a.b ↪ alana bloom #a.h ↪ abigail hobbs #b.k ↪ beverly katz #g.m ↪ georgia madchen #b.d.m ↪ bedelia du maurier #mt.v ↪ margot verger #mn.v ↪ mason verger #f.d ↪ francis dolarhyde #r.mc ↪ reba mcclane #r.stag ↪ ravenstag

feel free to send me an ask if you need me to tag anything specific !!

[k-s-morgan]

Hi! I just wanted to say I love your blogs and I hope your doing well. I'm praying for you and the Ukaraine. Also I wanted to ask about Alana Bloom in season 3, when she suggested using Frederick Chilton as the official voice for the insulting article Graham and Lounds wrote for tattle crime to enrage the dragon do you think she set Chilton up deliberately to get him hurt or did she simply not care? After the events of season two she turned into this cold cyinic and dark person which leaves me with mixed feelings about her. (I used to love her but after what happened with Chilton I cant help hating her a little.) She didnt seem all to concerned when she brought it up and when she visited him in the hospital she was so callous to him. What are your options on that scene too? Also I'd love to know what you think of Chilton in general and his character arc would be if the show renews itself. (I'm personally satisfied with all three seasons but I'm very curious to see what happens if they manage to get a 4th season)I dont think you've written a whole lot about him I'd love to know your thoughts! Best wishes and dont stop writing!

Hello! Thank you so much <3 I’m glad you’re enjoying my metas, and your support means a lot.

I think Alana simply didn’t care - I don’t believe she set Chilton up on purpose. No one really thought that the ‘official voice’ was going to be attacked except for Will, who had a much clearer and intimate understanding of Francis’ mind. There were risks involved, so Alana was wary of becoming involved, not to mention that she is smart enough by now to know that it’s better to avoid any plans if Will participates in them. So she chose to stay on the safe side, not caring if Chilton becomes a victim but also not really expecting it. 

As for the hospital scene, I agree that Alana was cold and distant. However, I think it’s a part of her own trauma. She comes across as numb to me, like a person who’s stuck in a nightmare and who’s witnessed so many horrors that they can’t bother to react any longer. I believe Alana when she says that she came to visit Chilton to remind herself of what Hannibal is capable of. Chilton adds:

Chilton: What Hannibal is capable of. What Will Graham is capable of... What you're capable of.

Alana: That, too. 

His implications are 100% correct: Alana acknowledges the role Will played in this tragedy and she acknowledges her own coldness. It’s just that she blames Hannibal for all of it instead of taking responsibility directly and/or sharing it with Will. She sees Hannibal as the source of all evil that happened with them, likely thinking he infects everyone he knows with darkness.  

As for Chilton himself, I really enjoy his character! I always thought he’s fascinating character because of his duality. On the one hand, he's a joke: he tries hard to be a respectable professional, but he fails at pretty much everything. He's hilariously full of himself and has a funny sense of self-importance, so his scenes are always golden. And yet, despite his overall silliness, Chilton can be very insightful. I think Chilton isn't stupid in general, he's just stupid in several specific spheres where he wants to look good. He has pretty solid intuition, but he doesn't fully know how to use it. Because of this, he has occasional brilliant insights but struggles with tying them together. He's a mess, and if he took some time to understand and listen to himself, coupled with his ambiguous views on morality, he could become someone darkly formidable.

I honestly have no idea what they might have done with him in S4-5. There was an idea of him taking on the role of Jame Gumb from SOTL due to the reference of him wanting Hannibal’s skin, and while I think it has potential, I’m not sure I’d be able to buy it. I think at this point, Chilton should be way too damaged both physically and mentally to do anything serious. I understand there is a running joke of how he can suffer in new seasons because his constant survivals are barely possible, but being burned to a crisp is definitely something he cannot easily return to. Maybe I could see him teaming up with Freddie, just doing research obsessively or writing endless versions of journals about his thoughts, feelings, and experiences caused by Murder Husbands.  

[dilfwatson]

thinking about honesty or the lack thereof and how it relates to hannibal like… hannibal is constantly deceiving and lying to people, but in his own way he’s always presenting them with the truth, too - it’s like a game at this point. but will sees through the facade and hannibal allows him to do so, which is ultimately his downfall. he sacrificed any semblance of peace or convention to present to will his true self.

will, on the other hand, can’t be honest with himself, therefore he can’t be honest with hannibal when it matters the most - he knows that any normality, which he craves, or wants to think he craves, he does have his grasp on will be unsalvageable if he is forthcoming with the truth, but in withholding it he loses perhaps his only chance at true, actual happiness.

then abigail, who can be seen as a bundle of deception and idealism in the shape of a person, who manipulates and lies and deceives because she has to - to herself, for herself, and for her father(s). she exists to serve as the untrue truth that everyone wants to see in her. will’s truth is that she is innocent, but juxtaposing that is hannibal, who’s truth is that she can flourish in her becoming, that she can be like him. and maybe she leans toward the latter, but maybe she is neither, and maybe she doesn’t really know.

i just think that maybe if hannibal hadn’t been so liberal with the truth or will hadn’t been so stingy with it, things could have turned out differently.