Hannibal rewatch and Baldur's Gate 3 ramblings
I recently re-watched the first season of Hannibal after almost 8 years and since Iām now deep into another fandom (BG3) I analyzed some of the themes of the show and how parts of it could tie in with the story of the game, particularly when it comes to the Dark Urge.
Iām also doing a review because why the hell not. I divided the text into sections for convenience, so if you want to read only the review or are exclusively interested in my speculating ramblings on BG3 you can easily do that.
Itās a long one so letās start.
REVIEW
THIS REVIEW IS NOT SPOILER FREE AND WILL GO INTO GREAT DETAILS ABOUT THE TWISTS AND PLOT POINTS OF THE SHOW.
If you didnāt watch it and you like thriller/crime/horror please do yourself a favor and watch this show now!
Iāll start by saying season one, to me, is almost perfection. Itās 13 very well crafted and acted episodes and almost none feel like filler (almost but weāll get to it). The crime of the week structure is integrated with the horizontal themes of the season seamlessly and the story avoids exploring too many parallel plots, making the theming very cohesive.
I remember watching this show for the first time and finishing season 1 in about 2 to 3 days, but Iād never think the same wouldāve happened a second time. The first 5 episodes had me in a clutch from the start. Every character is fleshed out and extremely well written, the acting is impeccable, the writing is phenomenal and the visual, even when getting symbolic, never seem gratuitous or nonsensical in their use of analogies and dream-like visions.
The photography is also phenomenal, with great use of contrast that makes the image and scene clear even though it's set in the dark or at night.
If I had to rate the season I think Iād definitely give it a 9/10, and the 9 is only because of two small things that I figured Iād get out of the way first:
(I must remember whoever is reading this that these are my opinions, they donāt mean to offend anyone else differing opinion. Youāll see what I mean in a second.)
Alana Bloom x Will Graham is forced, comes out of nowhere, and makes Will act out of character most of the times.
Iām not getting into ship-fighting, this is not about shipping, I like Hannigram but I have no dog in this fight so this is totally not about it. Episode 8 is great, it has one of the best kills in the whole season and Will deteriorating stability makes for great lines and visuals, other than a lot of tension since he can no longer be predictable and ends up disrupting Hannibal plans.
And though I could attribute the way he acts towards Alana as something he does because of this deteriorating mental state, it doesnāt really feel like it. He seems very present during those scenes and acts weirdly romantic for the reclusive stray-collector, whose primary hobby is fishing and whoās been plagued by visions of death in the past episodes.
I would have rather see them to grow more of a non-romantric connection that may or may not have become romantic in later seasons. It all seems a bit rushed imo.
I also know they are setting up the Alana x Will x Hannibal. Which Iāll be honest I donāt remember liking the first time I watched it...but weāll see.
2. Episodes 9 and 11 slow the show and kind of drag the pace.
Episodes 9. The totem of bodies is a very striking and memorable visual, but the crime in itself is very bland and the killer only gets a 5 minute scene towards the end which is anticlimactic and kinda too much tell with too little show. Itās honestly a shame because the murders in the previous episodes were very well crafted and paced. This one, not so much. I understand the need to connect the themes of ālegacyā and āfamilyā with Abigailās actions but I feel like there could have been better ways to do that in previous episodes.
Episodes 11. I loved the whole Chesapeake Ripper fake-out, but Iāll be honest I donāt think I needed a whole other episode of Abel Gideonās story. Didnāt really care for the plot of this and the pace was a little too slow. Good things about this episode are the ending with Hannibal at his most manipulative, and the fact that it starts Chiltonās comedic chain of misfortunesā which cracked me up the first time I watched the show because come on!! this guy is awful and canāt catch a break, you love to see it.
Now that the ābadā is out of the way letās talk about the good, which is honestly everything else.
Episode 1
Banger of a pilot. Everything for the rest of the show is set up in only 42 minutes if you can believe that. Characters are fleshed out, themes are placed, conflicts are started. By the end of the episode all you want is MORE. I have very little else to say other than the pacing of this one should honestly be studied, a lot of modern series would need the lesson imo.
Episode 2
Interesting case with a lot of great scenes that reinforce the characters and their relationships. You get a first glance at how campy? the show can be, which is honestly something I love, Iām kinda tired of the ārealistic to the point of boredomā trend Iāve been seeing lately. Freddie Lounds is properly introduced as the disrupting force she is and we get a jumpscare that made me curse. Sorry, did I forget to mention Iām watching Hannibal and I cannot stand horror? Lmao
Episode 3
LOVE this episode, the way this show makes you feel powerless as you watch the events unfold knowing full well what is happening and who is responsible...amazing! I love Abigailās character and the very innocent and pristine way she is portrayed when you know later on the truth will come out is chilling.
Episode 4
I remember how grim I found this episode the first time and the feeling returned the second time around. Hated the killer with every fiber of my being and the fact that she kinda looks like Catherine Tate made me die a little. Also the scene of Hannibal making himself a family through gaslighting and creative use of drugs and lies was amazing.
Episode 5
I loved this crime and the way the episode paces the killings. The angel symbology was great, Iām a sucker for catholic and religious themes tied into vicious crimes. The series also introduces Bella, Jackās wife, which Iāll be honest I donāt remember having a good ending...I don't remember exactly how, but I know I will cry.
Episode 6
Favorite episode by far, the tension in the flashback scene is palpable and when you see Miriam looking at the sketch with the silhouette of Hannibal pacing towards her in the background AAAHGGG- RUN Miriam OMG! This is the episode where you realize how absolutely scary Hannibalās physicality can be. Mads Mikkelsen is 1,83 (5ft 11) but he feels like a giant in those scenes, like you can do shit about it.
Episode 7
The episodeās case is a botched transplant one and itās just okay, nothing too spectacular, but the way this series makes me hungry should be concerning, since I just watched Hannibal kill and butcher people who slightly wronged him to make a feast out of them. Iām sorry, whoever is directing the shooting of the food is doing a good job, okay?
Episode 8
My second favorite episode yay! I love this kill because itās so over the top. Also the visual of a person played like a cello is haunting just as much as the sound they decided to give it. āHe had to open you up to get a decent sound out of you.ā okay Will go off?!?! A bit sad they took this murder from Hannibal since I believe it was his in the books, but the end fight was worth it (though when Tobias started swinging his impromptu cello string weapon I did cackle because omfg calm down)
Episode 9
See section above
Episode 10
I shat myself watching this episode with all the horror vibes Iām dying please, Iām watching this through my fingers like a baby. I did love this episode though, and the final twist of Hannibal going to such lengths to be sure he leaves NO ONE behind is terrifying. Dr. Sutcliffe even agreed with him and didnāt show signs of wanting to betray or rat him out, and yet in the big scheme Hannibal still found it better to kill him. Scary stuff.
Episode 11
See section above
Episode 12-13
Putting these together because they are the finale and are closely linked to each other. There is no real ācrime of the weekā, though Georgia Madchen dies at the start of episode 12 and Abigail...dies at the start of episode 13. Will continuously declining psyche is very well portrayed, you really feel powerless with him as his brain keeps betraying him over and over at the worse possible times. Also Hannibal fake-empathy is so uncomfortable to me...knowing the lengths heād go to manipulate the situation after seeing all the ābehind the scenesā is chilling. All in all itās a good finale though it really doesnāt feel like one. By the end Will managed to see Hannibalās true colors, but I donāt think heāll fully understand what heās fighting against until he actually sees Hannibal in action, so it does feel inconclusive in a way. We do get Hannibal funny naked fursona is all its glory though so, big happy for me!
Now letās get in my current fixation and tie in some of the themes of Hannibal with Baldurās Gate 3. YAY!
BALDURāS GATE 3 ā Dark Urges, Bad Dreams and Worse Influences
Letās get something out of the way first.
The Dark Urge is a very flexible and versatile character which is mostly ā if not completelyā shaped by the player. We get to decide if they refuse the Urge, with the bittersweet realization they still took all those lives and will have to deal with that guilt. OR we could make them machines of slaughter and death, embracing their fatherās plan for them to be the killer they were made to become.
There are other variations of this and from what Iāve seen many Durges have very different characteristics depending on how the player interpreted and played the game.
This to say, all of the following dissertations on BG3 and the themes of Hannibal are my personal view of MY Durge or the way I see the character in general, which is extremely personal and could crash with someone elseās interpretation or headcanon. Keep that in mind while reading, if you see me using absolutes or if I forget an āimoā at the end of a sentence, remember this is ALL In my opinion, none of this is to be considered as a general and all-encompassing statement for every Durge out there.
That said, youāll be surprised to know in my interpretation the Dark Urge isnāt Hannibal, whatās funny is that the Dark Urge isnāt Will either.
Durge is both characters at the same time, and depending where they are in their journey, this may change.
In the case of Will, towards the end of the series you get a more āstart of the gameā Durge. The memory loss, the confusing thoughts, the haunting dreams and then this weird hellish creature (Sceleritas Fel) guiding them. By this point Durge is still a victim of their circumstances, they canāt really grasp who or what they are and their mind is in complete shambles.
I can see a Resist!Durge in this scenario, someone completely horrified by their actions starting to question who they are, what they did, and if they can ever change. This point in the game isnāt spelled out as much, the narrator often refers to it but the real extent of psychological damage a Resist!Durge must face is left completely to the playerās interpretation, thatās why I think Will is such a great starting point to understand and visualize the character of Durge from a distant POV.
With Hannibal you get a more pre-tadpole pre-Orin-meddling Durge. Someone who knows what theyāre doing and how to get what they want. I personally never saw my own Durge as this calculating, something in the feral way the Urge gets to the character in game made Hannibal a tad too composed to fully be an inspiration for Durge, but Iāve also seen other people Durges as cool and collected killers, and the comparison in that case works really well.
Another interesting characteristic of Hannibal we can see in Durge is the twisted way he thinks in relation to others. Hannibal calls himself Willās friend, and I believe heās genuine in his affection since the way he helps Will is in done in earnest.
This helping though, itās monstrous in all sense. Hannibal lies, literally gaslights Will, meddles with his head and denies him medical help. He manipulates him into killing, only to watch what unfolds simply because he needs someone who understands him. By dragging Will deeper into his world and making him a killer, Hannibal cultivates what he perceives as Willās true nature and potential, making the man a suitable friend for himself.
It speaks to Hannibal narcissism that he would consider helping someone as making them more like him. But then again thatās also why Hannibal is so drawn towards Will, because he thinks differently and he IS different from him. He doesnāt have the same amount of interest or even respect for someone like Tobias, whoās probably the most Hannibal-like killer we get to see in season 1.
He needs the challenge, he needs to feel in control. And ultimately, though not in an usual sense, Hannibal needs a friend. He is lonely.
This works a lot for Durge in the sense that they may or may not corrupt people around them. As a player we get the choice and power to influence how companions act and react, and this kind of duality of āI like them, I want to help themā and āI want to make them like meā is a good motivation to give a Durge who may, for example, ascent Astarion, or turn Shadowheart more towards Shar, or give Gale a power complex (more so than he already has) ect.
BONUS! And then came Durgetash
In episode 1 Hannibal visits Will and brings him breakfast. While they chat in a honestly beautifully lit scene, this exchange happens.
Hannibal: You know, Will, I think Uncle Jack sees you as a fragile little teacup. The finest china, used only for special guests.
Will: How do you see me?
Hannibal: The mongoose I want under the house when the snakes slither by.
Did I mention I love Durgetash? Did I mention I go completely feral over unhealthy dynamics and specifically this kind of dynamic?
āThe mongoose I want under the house when the snakes slither by.ā is an amazing line for Gortash because I do believe the reason he wanted Durge to side with him was that Durge was extremely good at being undetected, and even more so skilled at killing the right target at the right time.
I love the idea of Gortash using Durge as a shield/weapon, and Durge using Gortash to economically sustain and socially shield Bhaalās cult. I love to think their relationship was born because they were useful to each other and that in this completely selfish ecosystem they somehow found company.
Because Iām sure Durge pushed back. Iām sure they realized they were being used and didnāt like it one bit, and Gortash kept Durge around even though they may pose a threat, for the same reason Hannibal keeps running circles around Will. Gortash needs a challenge. Being head of Baneās cult means that other than his God, no one else is above him, and I think a man whoās been fighting his whole life to gain control would feel a bit lost when this control is automatically given to him without a fight.
In the same way I think Durge would yearn for something more, something different than what theyāre stuck with, which is a dying cult forced to hide beneath the city, and a jealous and over-zealous sister who Iām sure tries to kill them once a week. I think they would get pulled in by the promises Gortash would make. To rule together, above ground, for once not having to hide, getting back the power Durge feels like belongs to them.
The similarities I found between these characters are way more than these but I think Iāll have to make a part 2 of this once Iām done re-watching season 2. Iām aware the series has been out for a while and Iām sure people already made way more interesting and in-depth analysis. I still hope you liked my little morning ramble that turned in a full on essay on the subject.
Thank you for reading!
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