We completely dismiss the KOW (Killer of the week) as pointless, despite an amazing tableau in the totem pole and the presence of Lance Henriksen. We also debate the ethics of good and evil in a really great episode of Hannibal.
Hannibal S01E09 – Trou Normand – Eat The Rudecast
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To me, Jack CLEARLY didn’t believe Will when he said nothing was wrong. He just wasn’t going to browbeat Will if he wasn’t forthcoming about what was wrong.
The killer-of-the-week stuff isn’t the best part of the show, but I disagree that it has anything to do with network notes (there are few shows even on cable which seem less network-influenced than Hannibal). The procedural format is just a convenient way to make TV. Even Sherlock, which uses the non-standard format of three 90 minute episodes per season (when they get around to it), is sort of a procedural. Fuller originally considered having the Red Dragon storyline be an entire season, but changed his mind when he realized he couldn’t get an entire season’s worth of episodes out of it.
Another reason I’m ok with the procedural aspect is because as far as the FBI characters are concerned, they are in a law enforcement procedural rather than a downward spiral of insanity. I actually prefer the first season to the second (I also consider Amuse Bouche to be one of my favorite episodes and Sorbet one of my least, so I clearly have a different perspective from you guys) because it more seamlessly melded the procedural & serialized aspects, whereas the second lurched between, with the killers in the second half of the season not being as good as the standard set by the first season. I’d go into more details, but that could spoil some things for those who haven’t seen that far.
I didn’t think there was any attempt to be ambiguous with regard to who dug up Nicholas Boyle. Abigail admits it to Hannibal, saying that while she couldn’t control whether it would happen she can control when it happens. It makes a certain sort of sense psychologically even if more rationally it doesn’t help her.