#the wrath of the lamb analysis

[pesky--dust]

You have no idea how big supporter of the theory that the fall from the cliff never happened I am.

Like— The first scene of the series didn't even happen because Will was so immersed in the story he was telling during the lecture. It was only his imagination; at the crime scene Will quickly receives confirmation of all his conclusions, such as the fact that the marriage was tapped and I truly doubt electricians would have been called immediately to the crime scene along with the police, ambulance and FBI. And then he is suddenly “magically” back in the classroom from the house of the victims, when he says, “Everyone has thought about killing someone one way or another. Be it your own hands or the hand of God”.

And since the first scene of the series didn't take place at all, why wouldn't it be the same with the ending? During the battle with Francis Dolarhyde, Will sees him with the wings of a red dragon, something that is unreal. He is also only imagining that.

And the fall is also from Will's perspective, so did it really happen? Or is this only a metaphor for his fall as a human being? He genuinely felt that the brutal pack hunting he shared with Hannibal was beautiful, so he finally accepts his dark nature — he falls as a good and moral man, descending into the depths of crime (ocean).

I love it so much. I'm sorry.

[craqueluring]

i think this is my absolute favorite sequence of events in all of hannibal. will watches dolarhyde nearly choke hannibal out. you can hear hannibal gasping for air and you can see while dolarhyde has him, it does not look like he is able to fight back at all. hannibal looks beat.

if will just stayed put and let this happen, dolarhyde could've killed hannibal, and then will could've (at least tried) to kill dolarhyde. he could've run to get his gun and shot him, and hannibal and dolarhyde would both be dead, just like he originally planned with alana and jack. though obviously he wasn't actually planning it himself, still this eliminates any doubt.

but no, he pulls the knife out of his own shoulder and saves hannibal with it. he saved hannibal. he saved hannibal's life! this is such a "if i can't kill you, nobody can" moment. this is will choosing hannibal and everything that comes with him

and this is the exact moment 'love crime' starts playing. because hannibal saved will by jumping on dolarhyde's shoulders first just before will got his spine broken, and then will saved hannibal directly after. they are finally, after all this time, working in harmony.

[graciereadshannigram]

NBC's Hannibal really Did That and created the most compelling and beautiful allegory for coming out in a world that is inherently violent towards queerness and treats it as horrifying, disgusting, and psychotic.

top of mind right now is Will's Becoming, started in S01E01 and fully completed in S03E13. buckle in folks, this may end up being a long one.

following the allegory, both episodes feature Will and Hannibal sharing a queer experience with one another.

in the first, Will (at this point, deeply closeted and in denial) engages with GJH in an effort to protect Abigail. Hannibal (also closeted, but more out of self preservation, certainly not out of shame) isn't directly involved, merely a passive observer, but he did orchestrate the experience by calling GJH to warn him they were coming. obviously, his actions at this point are driven by curiosity. what will GJH do? and what about Will? clearly, Hannibal has clocked Will as similar to himself (aka queer), but can see that Will is in deep denial and terrified of his urges.

and it's just so powerful to see that Will's first explicitly queer experience is within the context of self sacrifice for the good of someone else. he wouldn't have chosen it, but he had to do it. at this point, this is the only way his psyche will accept his queerness. this scenario also gives him plausible deniabilty about his reasons for engaging GJH. it allows him to admit to Alana that he feels "good" after the whole event, claiming that he feels good because he saved Abigail. even though we know at least part of the reason he feels good is that he finally got to indulge this particular urge.

but even so, the whole point of season 1 is Will struggling with his guilt. he has nightmares. he thinks he's a monster.

(side note: i also think it is just so perfect that it takes Will ten shots to get GJH, like of course our sweet baby queer boy having his first queer experience isn't very experienced. i can hard relate)

fast forward to the series finale, we find Will and Hannibal having yet another queer experience with one another, but this time they are equal participants and it is Will, not Hannibal, who ultimately orchestrated this encounter.

and what is so wonderfully interesting to me is that a (very) small part of Will seems to remain conflicted about what his role will be in this scenario right up until it is actually happening. will he walk away, leaving Hannibal and the Red Dragon to their own devices, and return to his heteronormative family? will he be an active participant with Hannibal? will he simply be a passive observer? the moment Will decides he's going to participate is so clear and this is the moment he fully, 100% comes into himself and arrives at full self acceptance.

and then, when it's finally over, and Hannibal holds him while saying, "see? this is all i ever wanted for you. for both of us." and Will, his eyes quite literally shining with joy and love says, "it's beautiful" while clutching Hannibal and resting his head on his chest, enjoying the embrace (do NOT get me started on Hannibal's expression of pure ecstasy, i will explode).

and to wrap it all up, we see Will quite literally take a leap of faith in the arms of his most beloved before tumbling off the cliff. together.

like. that is so fucking beautiful???? and i don't think there is ANY piece of media that will ever have this type of impact on me again?

anyway. congrats if you made it this far and stay tuned for more ramblings as i get my thoughts in order lmao i just really fucking love this entire show.

[crudelobotomiser]

People can’t stand me because I’ll say some shit like “in the cathedral/mind palace it’s bathed in yellow light and in reality there’s yellow light on the other side of the cell/the yellow light is closer to Will and it shows how Hannibal longs to be bathed in the same yellow light as him on the other side of the prison cell” and I’m so serious

Like coincidence?!?!? I think not!!!

And also when they have the conversation where Will says please and is super gay the lighting in the cathedral is a little colder/more white and it cuts to Will standing inside the cell and these details are so important to me

[crimsondinnerparty]

So the thing I got is Will was aware of Hannibal's feelings for him and used the intimate touch as a strategic move to momentarily distract Hannibal and prevent him from anticipating what might happen next. Woww it hurts now 🥲

What ? No baby , who told u that?Please stop reading anti hannigram posts. I would recommend scrolling down @bonearenaofmyskull blog , they have written about this recently. If u have more doubts , feel free to come back

[fixedteacup]

the twotl ending is so amazing because it's the first time we see will fully commit, we see him give in to his "urges he kept down for so long", it's the most honest he's ever been and it's also the most open and honest hannibal has ever been – we've never seen him actually slaughter the people he ends up cannibalizing, not in the way we see him here; he tears off dolarhyde's skin with his teeth, biting off a good chunk of his neck, and this is what's beautiful. neither of them are hiding from themselves or from the other, it's a moment of unspoken understanding, of trust, honesty, and acceptance.

[thedarkmongoose]

there might have been another reason hannibal called will a mongoose. aside from being a fierce predator - "Trust a mongoose in times of trouble. Field studies show they have each other’s backs. When faced with potential violence from rival factions, dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula) groupmates pull together and act more co-operatively.”

(source)

[somewhere-in-the-trees]

This may have been said before but for Hannibal, Will’s anger and violence is the wrath of god because Will is his god. I heard the phrase the wrath of god and it just connected that the final episode, The Wrath Of The Lamb is The Wrath of Hannibal’s God (Will). In this we can further understand why he is so joyful at Wills decent into a fugue state, it’s a religious exultation for him to bathe in the wrath of his god, something larger than life like an Old Testament act upon humanity. He soaks it in like the glory of the sun warms him because such an explosion of fury is quite literally miraculous. All of his influence and design over Will has been pushing towards this experience, and while he could not predict how it would manifest, he knew the glory of his god would rain down on him and create an experience far greater than anything in his life up until this point.

[pesky--dust]

Thinking very casual thoughts about the parallel between Shiizakana (s02e09) and The Wrath of the Lamb (s03e13).

Shiizakana:

In Will's dream, Hannibal is tied to a tree with a rope, which is pulled by Ravenstag, strangling him. Will demands that Hannibal admit what he is, but Hannibal suggests that if that's what Will wants, he should appeal to his better nature. Will says that he wasn't aware Hannibal had one. It is Will who controls the situation here, whistling to order Ravenstag to pull the rope around Hannibal harder.

After Hannibal's famous words (No one can be fully aware of another human being unless we love them. By that love we see potential in our beloved. Through that love we allow our beloved to see their potential. Expressing that love, our beloved's potential comes true.) Will sees a Wendigo bonded to the tree instead of Hannibal.

With the help of Ravenstag, who symbolizes his connection to Hannibal, Will kills not Hannibal but the Wendigo. He realizes that if he wants to take revenge on Hannibal, he must do it through love (Will has heard enough.).

The Wrath of the Lamb:

Hannibal is indeed bonded, and Will achieved this through Hannibal's love for him. Rejected, Hannibal preferred to be truly tied down and wait for who knows how long for Will rather than remain free but alone.

Will's subconscious resulted in him persuading Hannibal to admit who he really was, just as he had dreamed about it.

[fannibalcascade]

Let's talk about Will Graham's rollercoaster of motivations :-

The cliff fall scene in the final episode of Hannibal Season 3 is a breathtaking culmination of the intense relationship between Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter. The scene unfolds atop the cliffs of the dramatic Reichenbach Falls, paying homage to Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic location.

In the end, was it revenge or redemption? 🤔 The line blurs as Will grapples with his own darkness, seeking closure in Hannibal's twisted world.

Will's choice to take this drastic step becomes a symbolic act of severing ties, rejecting the entanglement of darkness and manipulation that Hannibal represents in his life. The cliff fall stands as a visceral manifestation of Will's ultimate decision to break free from the destructive bond, even if it means embracing the uncertainty of the fall.Will's choice to take this drastic step becomes a symbolic act of severing ties, rejecting the entanglement of darkness and manipulation that Hannibal represents in his life.

[craqueluring]

re: this reddit post i found that discusses the idea that bedelia was too focused on being safe from hannibal, and that she neglected to consider the danger of actively provoking will (and his jealousy), who is just as dangerous. she did this by taunting him about how she was hannibal's wife, and with him "behind the veil" unlike will. OP says that bedelia seems like will's primary post-fall target because of this, and mentions the end credit scene of bedelia in TWOTL. (i really recommend reading their whole post! it was a very interesting observation and theory)

i am going to work with this idea that will is jealous of/angry at bedelia for her being in italy with hannibal instead of him (because will was supposed to be the one hannibal ran away with), and that the end credit scene of bedelia is reality.

i think there is significance to the fact that bedelia specifically had her leg (and most likely the rest of her limbs) cut off, cooked, and eaten by will and hannibal.

who is the only other person we have seen killed this way? gideon. why did hannibal want gideon dead in the first place? because gideon was effectively stealing hannibal's identity as the chesapeake ripper.

both gideon and bedelia were living lives that were not their lives to live. gideon falsely living as the chesapeake ripper, and bedelia falsely living as hannibal's companion, "behind the veil," in will's place.

i also thought it was interesting that in antipasto, the episode switches between the b&w flashback of hannibal cooking and eating gideon's limbs, and hannibal and bedelia's life in europe. i thought this could've been some subtle foreshadowing — as bedelia is living a life that wasnt hers to live, we see what happened to a man who was living a life that wasn't his to live.

as hannibal and gideon eat together, gideon learns about the real chesapeake ripper ("you were determined to know the chesapeake ripper, gideon. now is your opportunity"). i imagine that will and hannibal would do the same thing to bedelia. explaining their life together post-cliff, which what was supposed to happen post-mizumono, to bedelia who was in will's place, living a life that wasn't hers to live.

even further, i noticed that the painting changes in the room bedelia is in from the last time we see her in TWOTL (when will tells her his plan to fake hannibals escape) to the post-credit scene, which indicates that time has passed. so, they didnt instantly go to kill bedelia after the cliff. this time between the cliff and the post-credit scene could be the story of will and hannibal's life together that they explain to bedelia

so, bedelia gets the same treatment as gideon. they both get to see how it feels to (literally) have a part of them, their identity, their lives, taken from them. as they learn about the life they were stealing from the person whose life they were stealing. the divine punishment of a sinner mirrors the sin being punished.

[abominable-space-they]

I think so often about the way the nickname The Tooth Fairy was always a hint about what was really going on, behind the veil, behind the fairy tale we're given.

Because it doesn't make sense for Francis to have accrued that nickname organically. His crimes have no relationship to what the tooth fairy does.

But if your design is finding all the little gifts the monsters leave for you in the dark and in exchange remaking them in their own image.

So that the monster on the outside matches the monster on the inside

Then the moniker the tooth fairy makes a little bit more sense

If you fancy yourself a predator who re-makes monsters so that they may become that which they always were, what they need to be, and in so doing remake yourself into the monster you always were, like Frankenstein

Well then The Tooth Fairy makes a little more sense

Frankenstein, a story about forbidden gay love.

And if your forbidden gay love is Hannibal the Cannibal who bites to fight & fuck... but also to love.

Well then the Tooth Fairy actually kinda makes sense

And if you have a bitchy mean sense of humor when you feel belittled and your husband loves a corny punny joke that tells the truth in a way that everyone will refuse to see, well in that case, The Tooth Fairy is a perfect sensationalist serial killer nickname for Will Graham

[cosmicghoul99]

An interesting Hannibal theory I think you should know about

I'm not sure how many people know this, but if you're unaware, some really interesting things relate to the show and Hannibal's character specifically. (Wanna add that I am not religious, so apologies if I get something wrong. I mean no offense to anyone, this is just a little analysis on my part)

There are a lot of biblical references in the show. It makes sense; religion has always been a deep, moral, and philosophical concept, and Hannibal loves to incorporate the ideas of religion and God into his actions and that of those around him. One of these references is a recurring one. Hannibal is often referred to as the devil. Like this quote from Gideon:

"You really are the devil," Abel Gideon - Antipasto

Or this one from Bedelia:

"Who holds the Devil, let him hold him well. He will hardly be caught a second time." Bedelia Du Maurier - The Wrath of the Lamb

Add this to all the religious imagery, the references to stags and the wendigo, plus the season three discussions about Dante. Bedelia says that she was "swallowed whole" by the beast at the mouth of Hell. You get the picture. There is a lot of talk and allusions to Hannibal being "the Devil."

Obviously, this is a metaphor first and largely used because he is the main "evil" or antagonistic character, but there's actually some truth to this.

Both Bryan Fuller, the creator, and Mads Mikkelsen, the actor of Hannibal, have stated that Hannibal is meant to be the literal devil. He is meant to be both a personification of the devil and the literal devil.

According to Bryan Fuller, Mads Mikkelsen plays Hannibal like he is Lucifer. In an interview, he stated that "he is as close as you can come to the Devil, in the sense that the Devil has no reasons," following it up by saying that Hannibal's reactions aren’t something of a person, but of the Devil. He intentionally plays the character through the lens of the fallen angel, Lucifer. Hannibal is meant to, in the eyes of the actor, be a manifestation of the Devil

Bryan Fuller has also said in interviews and online that he believes Hannibal is the devil. Of course, he states that this is his opinion and that others are up to their own interpretation, but the show's main creator and writer believes this also means that we can reasonably see this in the show.

Throughout the show, Hannibal is simply on another level. Many times, he does not seem human but rather otherworldly. I think that is where Mad's acting presents itself, alongside whenever Hannibal is talking about humanity and God.

Hannibal loves to play at being God and also criticizes God as well. I believe it is in episode three after Will kills Hobbs, that they discuss how Will killing Hobbs felt good. Hannibal responds with this.

"Killing must feel good to God, too... He does it all the time, and are we not created in His image?" Hannibal Lecter - Amuse-Bouche 

Oh boy. This is such an interesting line. He talks about being created in His image. Let's be honest; he speaks as if he were God or knows God at least. His comment actually makes more sense if you view this as him being the Devil. Lucifer, the fallen angel, was cast from Heaven for rebelling against God. He feels that it was unjust. Most people talking about God and His actions view him with benevolence. Hannibal does not. In the bible, Lucifer had a problem with humans. And humans are, of course, said to be created in God's image. You could also argue that angels, especially Lucifer, were created in that same image, too. Hannibal has an issue with the rude. Why the rude particular? It is because those who are rude often showcase the worst of humanity's attributes and free will. Hannibal despises the rude because I believe that it, in some ways, represents the hatred that the Devil, or Lucifer, holds for humanity. The Devil had an issue with humans gaining free will and felt they did not deserve life via God's hands. This is similar to how Hannibal feels that those who are rude do not deserve to live. Hannibal, then, of course, being Satan himself, would be resentful of God for casting him from Heaven. Again, Hannibal often discusses God's motives, or what God feels doing certain things. Literally, a few seconds later in that episode, he says this:

"Hannibal: God's terrific. He dropped a church roof on thirty-four of his worshippers last Wednesday night in Texas while they sang a hymn.

Will: Did God feel good about that?

Hannibal: He felt powerful." Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter - Amuse-Bouche 

That last line about him feeling powerful gets me thinking. Hannibal is speaking not just about this but also about his own fall. But more importantly, he's also showing us what he thinks of himself. Killing makes God feel powerful. That means that killing makes Hannibal feel powerful as well. He is both giving motives and somewhat criticizing God at the same time. Hannibal seems to find the situation amusing. I think he believes it quite funny that humans were killed while worshipping God. He might even see a comparison between what happened to him and what happened here. He is simultaneously praising God and calling Him a hypocrite.

Hannibal's motives for killing are also interesting, and I said earlier that I think the reason why he kills is because he believes that rude and ill-tempered people are the problem with humanity. And he wants to get rid of them.

Now, let's explore how this connects with other metaphors, his decisions in canon, and his relationship with Will.

Let's talk about the stag. I did some research, and in many religions, including Christianity, stags represent God and his might, at least from what I could find. I find this interesting because stags are also meant to represent opposition to the snake, another symbol of the Devil. Why is the representation of Hannibal, at least in Will's mind, a stag? I think it actually represents the darkening of Will. If stags are meant to represent good, then that means that Will starts off that way and then slowly follows the stag and is affected by it, which, to me, means that Will is slowly being corrupted. Just like the stag was corrupted due to Hannibal's influence, Will is starting to change and fall deeper and deeper into darkness. It's also interesting that the dynamic between Hannibal and Will is clearly that of one between the Devil and the person they are trying to tempt. Hannibal is trying to tempt Will into changing himself and embracing the darkness inside of him.

Will is Hannibal's realization that humans are actually not that bad. They are complex, and their free will actually makes them relate to him more than he thinks. Will is his weakness, and Hannibal is intrigued by him. If the Devil, which is Hannibal, is the snake, then, in Hannibal's own words, Will is the mongoose that preys on the snake. Hannibal originally fell because of humans, and at the end of the series, he falls because of humanity again. He fell for Will. Will is meant to represent the lamb of God. The symbolism is that Hannibal fell for Will, who sacrificed himself to keep the Devil away, getting corrupted in the process.

Dolarhyde is also a factor. The original painting, "The Great Red Dragon," represents Satan. How does that tie into this idea? I think it's not Dolarhyde who is meant to be Satan; rather, it is Hannibal. We know that Dolyrhde idolizes Hannibal in a sense. Like Will and many of his other patients, which I'll get into later, Francis is influenced by what Hannibal says. Yet another temptation by the Devil. This is also connected to Will coming into his own life because Francis is also manipulated by Will. There is a connection between Hannibal and Will, which is shared via the tempting and manipulation of Francis.

I mean, we have this statement by Jack talking about The dragon, the lamb, etc. Jack says that,

"He's not the Dragon, you are. The Devil himself bound in the pit." Jack Crawford

Hannibal compares Jack to God. But I think they both are, in some way.

Many of Hannibal's patients and the people in his life, in general, are manipulated by him. I mean, some of his patients are tempted and influenced by him to do bad things commit crimes, and murder people. That's very indicative of the Devil's work, in my opinion. Even Jack and Alana end up being manipulated and deceived by him.

There is a lot of other religious imagery and symbolism, so I'll only discuss some of it. To start with, the reference to Bedelia's presentation and Hannibal's name in Italy and what they could represent. I mentioned earlier that in season 3, Bedelia talks about her time in Florence with Hannibal. She talks about how Dante gave a physical space to Hell, a solid concept, but before that, people would say, the "mouth of Hell." Then she says that she was "swallowed by the beast." This refers to Hannibal, but here's the interesting thing. In the Bible, the Devil is also referred to as the Beast. Bedelia is yet again referring to herself being used and brought into the mouth of Hell by the Beast, Hannibal. The name that Hannibal was monikered by in Italy is also the same. "Il Mostro" translates to the monster, which can be interpreted as yet another way to refer to the devil. Then, there is the obvious references to lambs in the show, with it being a sacrificial symbol. I'm sure that's been talked about a lot, and I mentioned it earlier.

There are many mentions of justice, redemption, retribution, and more in the show. This connects with the religious themes, of course, but it also plays into Hannibal's view of himself as a God, as well as how the show depicts him as the Devil. He is the one who casts judgment onto people, like his patients, and onto the rude, like a God. He is the one who issues punishment for sins and misdeeds, like the Devil. I think it's so interesting to see them both working in tandem.

I once saw a post saying that Hannibal acts like he's lived the same life a hundred or so times. And I agree. He does. He acts like he has been around for a time so long that many have forgotten it. It makes sense why he's so confident, and nothing seems to phase him. Nothing that happens has any consequence for him. The only thing, really, that he cares about is Will. That's why he tries to get Will to have his Becoming and Fall with him. He wants Will to be there with him. Which is sweet, I think :) And not to bring up related trauma for anyone that has ever been a fan of Devilman or Devilman Crybaby, but IMO, it really really reminds me of Akira and Ryo and how Ryo is stuck in the same cycle over and over again as a lesson. Idk, my opinion. Let me know what you think.

I also wanted to touch on some other interpretations of the raven stag shown alongside the wendigo and how other religions and beliefs might relate to this.

The Wendigo is a demonic entity or evil spirit from the Algonquian people of Canada. It is a winter spirit that is meant to represent greed and gluttony. When humans succumb to greed, like being greedy for money, being cruel to people, or generally evil things, the Wendigo spirit can possess you. During harsh winters, when food is scarce, people commit taboo acts and consume another human, participating in cannibalism. This also causes a possession and turns this person into a wendigo, never to be satisfied and constantly craving forever. I am not Algonquian, or even Indigenous/Native American, so I can't speak too much on this, and I don't know too much, but I hope I explained it well enough. I apologize if I did not. The show has its own visualization of this, and Wendigos traditionally doesn't look like the one in the show, but the overall message is the same. Even if Hannibal is not the Devil, he could be some manifestation of a Wendigo. It makes sense. Remember his back story? He was forced into captivity while hiding by soldiers during an extremely harsh winter during the war. Harsh enough that food became scarce, and the soldiers had to resort to cannibalism. They fed Mischa to Hannibal, which might have triggered something. Ofc this is a reach, but I did want to bring another interpretation into this.

Obviously, this is all just speculation. I love this show, with its dark complexities and incredible depth, and I wanted to talk about something I've been thinking about for a while now. Again, not everything might be correct. I apologize if that's not the case. Please feel free to correct me. I also apologize if this made no sense or was not cohesive, it's pretty late for me, but I couldn't get this out of my head.

I hope it was interesting ;)

[crimsondinnerparty]

Because of this - https://www.tumblr.com/fannibalcascade/738895497546383360/alright-for-quite-some-time-weve-been-talking?source=share

Well fuck that blog , and fuck their analysis I don't care about them nor about u . I am already very sick at the moment. Don't test me .

[bonearenaofmyskull]

Feel free to answer this whenever you want; I just had to write it down because I've been seeing this analysis in the "Hannibal meta" tags for some time. I came across an analysis, or rather multiple analyses, that blatantly dismiss the Hannigram hug. Despite being a big romance fan and interpreting it romantically, the analyses mostly argued it was a tactic for Will to push them both into the sea. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. Additionally, I vaguely recall a post suggesting that Will's 'it's beautiful' remark is actually distracting and disturbing, but I don't recall the details. The gist of the analysis was to not interpret the embrace and the words as romantic but rather as a rejection. Whenever you're free, could you help me understand this? Thank you; you're the best. ❤️

Okay, I'm laughing a little at this because I think...I think...I just might be the originator of the interpretation that Will used the embrace as a tool to throw the both of them off the cliff:

I almost hate to suggest this, but it’s possible the reason Will pulled Hannibal into his arms at the end of “The Wrath of the Lamb” was because he knew that the gesture would be overwhelming to Hannibal because Hannibal is in love with him. With that touch, Hannibal wouldn’t be able to think ahead to what must be coming next. (All that business about touch making us who we are and putting hands on shoulders for authenticity.) Which doesn’t mean that Will wasn’t authentically feeling the moment, but just that he knew exactly why it would work. (x)

I can't find any posts in the hannibal meta tag that you're referring to, either about the embrace or the "It's beautiful" line, and it could be either that I'm just not going back far enough (that tag is way busier than I expected it to be) or that one or the other of us are blocking each other.

So I'm not sure I understand the logic of what you're responding to, but I would say that with both points and with analyses about Hannibal in general, the biggest and most frequent mistake that I see people make is their inability or unwillingness to manage nuance. This is especially problematic in a show that is primarily concerned on the character front with duality and transformation. Hardlining a strongly polarized opinion almost never serves people well.

Both (the romantic and the tactic) can exist, but more importantly...my take on this is not just that both can exist but that neither can exist without the other.

Obviously the tactic couldn't work--it couldn't exist--unless it was overwhelmingly romantic for Hannibal. But it has to be for Will as well because it is only in its authenticity that the gesture has power over Hannibal.

And if it wasn't authentic for Will, then there would have been no need for Will to go over the cliff. The same is true for the "It's beautiful" statement: if he doesn't mean it, then there's no reason for him to die alongside this man who helped him see that beauty. My conclusion from the above post had been:

I don’t think he planned for suicide specifically or that he knew exactly what he expected to happen between himself, Francis and Hannibal (in the sense that I doubt he’d have leaped to his death if Hannibal and Francis had somehow managed to kill each other without involving him), but I think finally accepting his and Hannibal’s relationship as one that’s in love helped ready him to take that dive off the cliff. When the moment comes, when he’s finally killed with Hannibal and is awash in the beauty of that moment, it doesn’t surprise him to the point of inaction. He’s able to draw Hannibal gently into his arms and guide them both into the abyss. The beauty, the love–they simply make his path more clear.

Perhaps less easy to see from the point of view of looking at the finale in isolation is that the romance couldn't exist without the tactic either. More specifically, their interest in loving each other stems from Will's ability to match Hannibal's cleverness, manipulation, and opportunism with his own. That has been the point of the show from the start, from "You and I are just alike" to "I see myself in Will" to "I don't expect you to feel self-loathing or regret or shame. You knew what you were doing and you made your own decisions, decisions that were under your control.... You found a way to hurt me. I wonder how many more people are going to get hurt by what you do" to "Did you think you could change me, the way I've changed you? --I already did."

All of this is their "zero sum game." It is a cornerstone of their relationship that they each respond to the other's manipulation with manipulation, even when it's blatantly transparent. And that push over the cliff was blatantly transparent. Hannibal didn't fight it, he submitted to it as a kind of weird trust fall that started with the catch and ended with a death. Of a very particular sort.

Is this a rejection? I mean, yeah, sure, by one of way of looking at it. Will is taking their fate in his hands and sentencing them to death, which is definitely not sending the message that he's okay with their mountain of sin and iniquity.

But it's also a marriage, in a Shakespearean kind of way ("All...now marry in an instant"), and also in a Christian way: "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready."

I chose that quote because of its direct use of "the Lamb" which the the show instructs us through its title is the lens through which we should view Will's "wrath." Hannibal has already been established in the wife/mother (the woman clothed with the sun) role in the ritual by the Red Dragon, which puts Will in the husband/child role, similar to the dichotomy involving the Christ-child. The show has positioned Will as Christ for at least two seasons at this point, tbf, and in placing Will as Christ, then his sacrifice is by definition born of love. Christ takes human sin on himself to be washed clean through his death for those who believe and submit themselves unto him. For Hannibal this becomes a very literal baptism in the "roiling Atlantic" where "Soon, all of this will be lost to the sea."

So the question then left at the end of the series is not, "Does Will reject Hannibal?" No--he takes Hannibal's sins on himself, as Christ bore humanity's sins on the cross. That has been the story.

The real question is, "How deep and real does Hannibal's baptism go?"

If one views the finale as the definitive end of the show instead of a stepping stone to seasons we'll never get to know (I prefer thinking of it as a stepping stone, to be clear), then I'd say probably the stronger interpretation because of the Biblical undertones and Hannibal's ultimate submission is that dark!Will doesn't win, BUT that Hannigram totally does. And them going to visit some old Testament comeuppance on Bedelia doesn't contradict that.

They called to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?' Revelation 6:16, 17

WELL, NOT BEDELIA

[fictionalmenmistress]

A VERY IMPORTANT ANALYSIS, FINALE META, AND AT THE END, FUTURE SEASON TAKE; HANNIBAL (important to read to the end)...

I just finished Wrath Of The Lamb, for the very first time, after binging the series over the course off and on from like, spring to now... the last day of summer, of 2023. Tomorrow, in this timeline, it will be the very first day of the season of Autumn. I say binge, because I would hyperfixate and binge it in three segments. Season one moved a tad slow for me, as I was developing my interest, being courted and romanced by the format and unique design flavor of the show, and meeting the characters (I didn't really care much for Garrett Jacob Hobbs tbh, so that took a bit for me to want to get through), and I wanted to see more of Hannibal most of all (whom I loved and knew previously, through the movies), so I ended up taking a lil break about halfway(?) through the first season. But ohhh... like all of us, it consumed me whole, and I came willingly. Then after some months(?) (Like Will, I lost time a lot during my consumation of HANNIBAL, so I lost time. I'm not sure... its all a blurr how it came about, then to now), I came back, and got to season 2, and then I didn't stop. After season 2, I took a small break to try and pace myself... draw it out a bit more. Relish in the sweet savor, before everything was gonna heat up again. I went on an adventure across the world for a month, so, my binging was also stiffled during season 2, then. And then I went hard, again. Hannibal hannibal, I am a cannibal...

I lingered there... in the moment mid-season, before the three years later. Before the Red Dragon. When Hannibal and Will were on Verger Estate, and the last they had of one another... before Will moved on. I relished in that taste, of THEM. Out and about. Then I went back in, about a few days later. Every episode had ads throughout, long ads (thanks, hulu), so often I didn't sleep all night to watch just two or three episodes, then sleep during the day.

And I finally, made it here. The Finale, ended.

I do feel that the end was... sudden. A simple way to lay out the complexity of it. Quick, feeling. It was beautiful, but unfortunately thanks to the internet, reading show analysis as I went that would mention ending spoilers too, and being on twitter and tumblr... coming avidly to the party with cake, ready to dance, ten years late... I have seen and knew plenty well, what was to come. I recieved the impression that "will and hannibal die at the end" and "will got married" and "alana changes her look drastically, and is a lesbian" (but she's actually probs bi?) and of course, seen over and over, gifs handed right to me... of the cliff fall. Them holding one another close, covered in blood. Then... drop.

But here's the thing. The direction is clear, they didn't die. And its just as tragically poetic, in both ways. Now, if its going to forever be left here, its just fine to leave it open to your own opinion, but I do see the intent here. Bedelia's acting was rather framed odd, through, as she was confirmed to have *NOT* cooked her leg, and it was Hannibal, and there are THREE place settings, because I did at first get this weird impression from how quick it all flowed and how it was framed, that she was eagerly cracked (mentally, by hannibal, and given in to her fate) and waiting... which would be very likely for this show and an interesting route to take. But, I digress gladly, as I am very happy this WAS intended to be confirmation that Hannibal and Will made it... and though they were not in the picture, they were running that show, even in the end.

That dive... was symbolic. Like everything about them, it was multi-dimensional. Will, holding on to his last bit of justice and avengement and revenge (for his family, for Abigail again, for Hannibal drilling into him, just... everything), taking the last of Hannibal. In multiple ways. It was his... reconciliation. His final move, his forgiveness and peace, all in one. Then there's the "can't live WITH him... can't live WITHOUT him" dilemna line, this moment showing both the confliction and resolve of that for Will AND Hannibal... and also Will's conflict and impulsive resolutement to solve that tug and pull he will forever live with... just as Hannibal's impulse to free himself of it, was absurdly actually allowing himself to reach a point of desparation when he felt the need to eat will, as the final and only way to be free from his pull and hold on him.

Hannibal's love for him, all consuming. Will's obsession for Hannibal, all drowning. Will was later than hannibal, to realize, and allow himself to realize and admit, that its love for him, too. Hannibal surrendered to Will fully and accepted and stepped into being fully consumed by falling in love willingly, when he realized, "Will I'll wait for you. I surrender. At last, I allow someone else to control me, wholly, and fully I relinquish all of my control to you. Forever, its yours." Will still was confliced and feeling both love and confusion and complete decided resolve, and fighting that dilemna of truth he knows, but is not willing to face or embrace all the way(?), and facing/embracing his becoming, the whole time.

The fall, for Will also, was him fully surrendering himself as well, to Hannibal. He both took the plunge, to sacrefice them tragically, sacrefice their love FOR them, on an altar of their own design, ("this is my design"), for the greater good of all. For the greater good of them, too. And let destiny intertwined with fate, decide what came after... if they live or die from it all. Sacrefice HIMSELF, and put BOTH of them down. But also... more poetically, its when he fully embraced and also surrendered himself to fully leaning into accepting his becoming. He was one with Hannibal. He knew he loved Hannibal at this point, and he finally not just accepted it, but leaned into it... just as Hannibal did by surrendering all of himself, *for* Will, *TO* Will.

And it was so tragic, Will also knew that they must do this. Together. Just like back in the house... at the finale of season 2. Kill together, was Hannibal's plan with him. They must, again, die together. END, together. Their beginning, their End, them. Their becoming. Immortally... tragic death. Together at last, fulfilled.

I can almost envision their smiles, as they held onto one another... finally complete, as they fell. They knew what was coming, but they knew what they were. Every question for one another, and for themselves internally, together answered. All at once, laid to rest. Finally surrendered and fully open to one another. United, soul-tangled. That was everything, for them. Even as they fell, they were willing. Surrendered. In a state of total serene vulnerability, after the intimacy and climax of fighting and killing, vanquishing the beastly dragon, together. (Yes, that was a symbolic innuendo). They were happy. It was now, both Hannibal's becoming for them, and Will's becoming for them... unified as one...

If they survived, then, (which they did, its confirmed) its clear then, what waited for Will on the other side. He is fully Actualized. They both are, together. For both of them, its... new life. Born again, poetically... for they are one, together. They survived and thus have been given their new lives, surrendered to one another, happy, free. Everyone thinks they are dead. Everyone thinks they are gone. Their families mourned and release them, laid them to rest, with their fate. And they are... they've run off. The transformation, has completed itself. And there will be no more attempted killing one another... its... complete. The courtship, the contrasting and fighting back against togetherness, the tension, and reconing of figuring out their dynamic, and what it means to THEM, as individuals and a duo... and what it will be, after all. They are now in the next moment, together.

Which brings us... to Hannibal keeping his date with Bedelia. Post credits. He always keeps his promises... even death cannot deny Dr. Lecter being a man of his word. For he is neither of heaven nor hell's forces, and will not be denied. After all, its Hannibal's world, and we are all just living in it. That's why the show is called "HANNIBAL". And Will and him shall feast, and survive, together. All is right in the world, and everyone simply knows what they need to know. They finally go off together. And all is finally even... forgiven. All jabs taken, all shots, all stabs and slashes... its all even, all complete in its phase, now. ("Even, Steven.") Will and Hannibal, are one. One couple, a united team. A marriage. And they have both, surrendered to it, and chosen to embrace it fully, with open arms. They *are* Actualized.

This keeps going through my head... "see you on the other side." That expression. They needed to plunge, that was Will's final step. Now, everything is... evolved. Completed. What lies on the other side, is a new chapter in their stories. The past, their lives before, laid to rest. The future, now theirs only, to write. They've stopped running, from one another. And are now ironically more free and themselves and fulfilled, on the run, than they ever were before. They's stopped fighting destiny, and embraced it.

Its quite beautiful and poetic... as it always has been.

Now... The Silence Of The Lambs. I have faith that somehow, in some way in the future, we WILL see season 4. And they will succeed in its creation, and maybe even season 5 or 6, EAGERLY, once it gets back in motion. I do strongly believe that. Somehow in some way, it will happen. It feels... right. And with everyone still so driven, its only a matter of time, now. Its something time cannot outrun. Its a canon event in our timeline, I would bet a fortune on it. Someone will pop up and be the final key deal to setting the prepped lumber to burn, ablaze. And it will go like wildfire and everyone is going to be ecstatic. The show will have been revived. Have new life... and so will Hannibal and Will. Everyone will.

But I've seen a lot of takes, where people are afraid of Clarice coming in; when she can, and when she definitely will. This has all led to this, too, just as everything before it continued to build to every moment and landmark in their stories, ALL of the character's stories, thus far.

Its been ten years and I've never seen this take, so here's mine.

We have nothing to fear. Will and Hannibal are not just *ONE* and avoiding it or scared to face it, they ARE an item. They are at last, complete. That is FIXED in the story from this point on... its all led to this. Just as they are fixated, now, their stories together are a fixed point, too. Now I say, the show made us fall madly in love with Will Graham. And Will Graham, with Hannibal Lecter. Would the excellence of the show, not also make us fall in love with Clarice Starling? The only other, worthy of Hannibal Lecter in every iteration? And if Will is his beloved, as Hannibal is Will's, finally... I present a third, very excellent, very untapped but high potential dynamic. That could be juicy brilliant, compelling, conflicting. Hannibal and Will having their time together, just them, complete gay romance and marriage... just them. While Clarice develops as a character, parallel to them, on her own journey with them on theirs, just like Will was when HANNIBAL began. And they have their blissful murder husband honeymoon phase, they never had yet. Its poetic and beautiful... and on the side, we get to know Clarice... and where she fits into this post-fall (falling in love, falling for love, literally and tragically and physically), FBI situation. But I reckon, what if it comes to her pursuing them, and they pursue and play cat and mouse with her, too? The same push and pull tension, in the same brilliant way, and we get to see all of it happen with them together. And I present... what if she? Became *THEIR* obsession? Their destined third. The trifecta... the symbolic, holy trinity. We know Hannibal (character, book, and show) loves his biblical proportions symbolism and analogies. Murderous threesome soulmates... a polycule. Now that... can take this flaming titanic on a whole 'nother next level of WILD mad love. Brilliance.

Hannibal, Will, Clarice. It could have even been foreshadowed, all this time... that they were destined to have a third. Be a "family", complete together, with a younger female counterpart, of SOME kind. But she would not come in the form of a daughter... no, we've seen that. We've been given Abigail, and her time has passed. Micha, and she was laid to rest. They have healed from the loss and position of that dynamic in relation to them. No... she would be theirs, their third, in a new way. Different than Alana ever could be.

How bloody interesting.

If I was one of the writers for Hannibal, that personally would be the route I would pitch and lean to take, as both the shocking turn and sinker, that consumes us all. I think it could be so thrilling. So excellent, dynamic, new, yet iconically perfectly them, somehow. Its their next chapter. She is their next development. The final dynamic... peices, falling into place. The idea may be a love it or hate it for some, but if the show did take that route, I just know they would behold it to us in a way that would make all neigh sayers, and those hesitant of it, fall madly and utterly captivated. Just as it always has... in the disturbingly beautiful, all consuming influence, of HANNIBAL.

"I believe... that sentence, is what they would reffer to, as a 'Mic Drop'. But you've picked the Mic up again, Will."

Any direction we are shown next, will be excellent, and not one to fear. But one that will be beheld, and beloved, just as brilliant as all previous, in the end. Trust Fuller!! Mads and Hugh ♡ and everyone in love with laying out its creation perfectly and intricately.

It will be beautiful.

(Please do share any thoughts or ideas or responses in the comments or reblogs!! I would love to see what you think.♡)