Hannibal and Will’s story came to a satisfying conclusion on tonight’s season 3 finale. Or did it?
Ding dong, Hannibal is over. Following the news of Hannibal‘s cancellation at NBC, fans had one question: Could the season 3 finale serve as a series finale? After tonight’s episode, the question shifted to: How could this not be the series finale? Tonight’s Hannibal was a feast for the eyes, taking the show’s sharp wit, marinating it with plenty of bloodshed, and producing a satisfying ending fans will want to watch over and over again.
For six weeks, Richard Armitage’s Red Dragon performances (Emmy-worhty in an ideal/fair world), seized the focus of Hannibal‘s final arc. In the end, however, Hannibal reminded viewers whose story this really is. It is not about Alana’s powerful transformation in season 3, it is not about Jimmy and Brian’s antics in the lab, it isn’t even really about Will Graham. It is about Hannibal Lecter and those who happen to be caught in his web. Will Graham, just so happens to be the closest to the center of it.
First, let’s wrap up Francis Dolarhyde’s narrative. Dolarhyde issues Reba one final task to test her trustworthiness. Taking the key off his neck, she is to lock the door and return back upstairs. Dolarhyde anticipates her fleeing and waits for her on the other side. But the key task was merely an bait and switch. Recognizing that the key was around Francis’ neck left her able to feel for it after he set the house on fire and shot himself in the head. Reba felt for the key around the body and fled the scene.
Most certainly worse for the wear, Will Graham pays her a visit in the hospital and reassures her that Francis killed himself not because he was a monster, but because he had one on his back. She challenged the Dragon and won. Francis could not bear to let the Dragon have her, nor could he watch her die in the flames. Reba is left with her memories of D and the comfort that his pain is at an end.
Will, however, must push through his own frustrations that come with the news of Dolarhyde’s death. The Dragon is slain, his work is complete. He and Hannibal are done. Working his way back into his memory palace, he is quickly reminded that they are not collaborators. They are separated by a glass wall and countless acts of manipulation, deceit, and bodies left in their wake.
Although Hannibal highlights Will’s shortcomings against the Dragon but offers praise for his successes involving Chilton’s new charred look. “What a cunning boy you are,” Hannibal says to Will. Rather than outright giving him credit, Hannibal lets Will draw his own conclusions. Was he a spectator?
At end of the day, regardless of Hannibal’s final attempt to mess with his mind, Will’s purpose in Maryland is at an end. The Dragon is gone, his family is safe, he can return to the life he and Molly built. But Hankbal believes otherwise. Can he ever put their reunion behind him? Every uncomfortable politeness, where certain things go unsaid, Hannibal will be there in Will’s mind to fill the silence.
The Dragon has other plans for Will’s return trip. Lying in wait in his hotel room, the Dragon rises once more. Graham wakes up, spared by the Dolarhyde, who now sees himself as an all powerful being — someone greater than the Dragon.
The “cunning boy” comes out to play, inviting Dolarhyde to consider an alternative to taking his life. A chance to join the Hannibal club. Hannibal changed Will. What would it say about Dolarhyde if he could change Hannibal? He would prove himself greater than the Monster.
In a fitting farewell to both Thomas Harris’ novel and Jimmy and Brian, the duo appear to tell readers of Red Dragon what they already know. The body in Dolarhyde’s home was staged to save Reba and facilitate his escape.
Will is no longer the best bait to dangle in front of the Dragon. Hannibal needs to be set free. And then… They both need to die.
Bedelia has another opinion on the matter. Does Will, after all this time, truly believe he will ever have the upper hand against Hannibal? Regardless of his certainty that both Dolarhyde and Hannibal will meet their end, Will issues fair warning that those in Hannibal’s path may not make it out unscathed. Ready or not, here he comes.
If Hannibal had an MVP award, no one deserves it more than Dr. Frederick Chilton. Burned alive, shot in the face, holding his own bowels, and still alive to tell the tale through lipless face. He may have plenty of scars, but he is the least changed of them all.
Alana goes to Hannibal with a deal — assist the FBI lure Dolarhyde out of hiding and all luxuries are restored, from drawings to toilet.
The bait to get Hannibal involved, of course, is Will Graham. Alana fears what will become of her once Hannibal finds himself in the world once more. He assures her of this since she has been living on borrowed time since the moment she decided to be brave in his kitchen. There are more ways to hurt her now that she has a wife and child. No one is safe.
Hannibal’s only condition is that Will ask him and throw a please on top of it. Will agrees to throw a pretty please and returns once more to his partner’s side.
Will’s little mic drop during their final meeting leads him to come back and pick it up again. Will plays right into Hannibal’s weakness, flattery and flashing those puppy dog eyes. “Hannibal, you’re our best shot.” All that was missing was a wink and a smile.
The plan unravels from here. Once in transport, a rogue cop car driven by Dolarhyde takes the van and police escort out with a few perfect shots and leaves Hannibal and Will to flee. Killing them in the open would be too simple. He must stalk his prey.
Hannibal pushes the dead cops out of a squad car and pulls up to Will asking, “Are you going my way?”
Together, at last, Hannibal lures Will in with their final glass of wine. Instead of toasting their friendship, Will admits he will watch as the Dragon attempts to change the monster. He will not have to wait long. Dolarhyde shoots Hannibal through the stomach, shattering the wine and the window looking out over the eroding bluff.
As Hannibal greets his new guest with great difficulty, Will sips his wine and watches the Dragon begin his film.
When Will reaches for his gun, Dolarhyde changes his focus and a greater battle than the Red Dinner of last season breaks out.
Stabbing, slicing, legs, cheeks, chests, Will, Hannibal, Dolarhyde use all of their fight instincts until Hannibal and Will consummate their relationship. They double team Dolarhyde and as Hannibal bites his throat, Will slices a gash in his chest, ending the reign of the Dragon.
“See, this is the life I wanted for you, Will,” offers Hannibal. Will finally sees the world as Hannibal wanted him to — giving into his primal instincts and watching the world spill its blood for them. Will pulls himself up to embrace Hannibal and says, “It’s beautiful.”
Together they fall over the bluff, as neither can survive without the other.
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Wait! That’s not all! If you stuck around through the credits, you saw that not all of Hannibal’s prey received a proper farewell. Bedelia sits at a table fit for a king with her own leg roasted and prepared for her long awaited companion.