Hannibal
Season 3 Episode 5 “Contorno”
Directed by Guillermo Navaro
Written by Bryan fuller
Created by Bryan Fuller
Starring Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas, Gillian Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Joe Anderson, Fortunato Cerlino, and Tao Okamoto
NBC
Air date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015, 10pm

When I was in high school, I used to go white water rafting down the Nantahala River in western North Carolina during the summer. There was this jumping rock towards the middle of the route that I always terrified to jump off of – it’s fairly high up, and you had to make sure you jumped out into the middle of the river or else you could hurt yourself. It was always a daunting process, until I actually leapt. It’s in that moment where you feel a variety of emotions – adrenaline, fear, excitement – it was always a mix of those things. There’s a boundlessness to a jump like that. It’s an area in which nothing, yet everything, is happening.

They don’t call it a leap of faith for nothing.

“Contorno” features Will (Hugh Dancy), Jack (Laurence Fishburne), and Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen) making their own leaps of faith, forced to deal with their own boundlessness, as their safe zones are shattered like Hannibal’s favorite teacups.

Poor, poor Pazzi (Fortunato Cerlino). That wordplay is very intentional, as it’s all about the Benjamins with the Inspector, driving him to sell out his moral compass on the tradition capture of Hannibal, in order to provide a better life for his wife. This is something that Hannibal is able to predict, as he’s always been able to expertly play others. What Hannibal didn’t prepare for was a renewed Jack Crawford.

Jack’s “Ciao” to Bella takes on a more tragic meaning once we learn that the two met in Florence – as Ciao means both hello and goodbye in Italian. But it’s the plunging of the wedding ring that crystalizes Jack’s approach. There’s nothing blinding him in what he needs to do. Watching Jack make an absolute show of Hannibal is just as thrilling for Jack as a character, as it is for the audience. The dance between these two is somehow even more brutal than what we saw in Season 2. And it’s only by luck and happenstance that Hannibal’s leap of faith works out. It’s a choice he makes, but one he’s forced into. Jack’s leap of faith is trusting in himself, finally understanding what he can and cannot do, when it comes the capture of Hannibal. Which brings us to . . .

Will Graham. Will’s plot feels like it was lesser compared to the rightfully exciting events taking place in Florence, its function is more metaphor than anything else. Will’s the only one who can truly take out Hannibal. It’s fitting that both Will and Hannibal end up taking leaps (even though, semantically speaking, Will was pushed). They’re both alone, yet unknowingly staggering towards one another. After weeks of thematic connections, the two are now more similar to one another than they’ve ever been before. It’s fitting then that they’ll finally be one another’s downfall. Perhaps they’ll make a leap into the abyss together.

Quick Thoughts:

– Holy swallowing joking, Bryan Fuller. I’m shocked that made it past NBC’s standards and practices, because it was anything but subtle.

– I love the ending of the dinner scene between Pazzi and Jack, as it feels so natural. Part of me hopes that was a bit of improv that was included in the final cut.

– I’m very glad “Contorno” finally dives into moving the plot forward. After weeks of setup, it’s very satisfying to begin to see payoffs come through. They’re certainly more rewarding to the viewers than Pazzi’s potential cash windfall.

– I appreciate that Alana (Caroline Dhavernas) isn’t the red devil that I thought she was last week, rather she recognizes that the enemy of her enemy is indeed her friend.

– Contorno: Vegetables served as a side dish with a main course.

What did you think of this week’s episode? Sound off in our comments below!

Video

Hannibal – Next: Hannibal Is Found (Preview)

Will, Chiyoh and Jack all converge on Florence when Hannibal’s location is found out on Thursday’s brand new episode, 10/9c on NBC.

Hannibal – Next: Jack Bids Bella Good-Bye (Preview)

Jack says goodbye to Bella in the city where they met on a brand new Hannibal, Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC.