Second Course: A Hannibal Podcast

Second Course: A Hannibal Podcast


SCP36 – Hannibal S03E02 – Primavera – “Will’s Existential Struggle”

June 15, 2015

SCP36 – Hannibal S03E02 – “Will’s Existential Struggle”
Where do Will Graham’s allegiances lie?  Why is he looking for Hannibal? These are the questions audience had to ask as they watched S03E02 of Hannibal, Primavera.  These questions were made apparent as Will turned to Pazzi, the Italian investigator, while in the catacombs of the Norman Chapel and says, “You don’t know whose side I’m on.”  Hints of Will’s confusion were given to the audience earlier in the episode when he wakes up in the hospital and Abigail tells him after everything she still wants to be with Hannibal.  Later we learned that this was really Will speaking with himself because it was revealed that Abigail did actually die in the season two finale.  Finally in the end the episode is bookended with forgiveness, as Will whispers to Hannibal that he forgives him.  The audience saw Hannibal ask this question of Will again as the last few moments of season two were played to open Primavera.
Primavera Recap
Primavera opened up with the scene in the Hannibal’s kitchen that ended season two.  The whole gruesome scene was replayed to the chagrin of fannibals around the world, as Twitter was alive with tweets asking Bryan Fuller why he was putting us through this again.  We saw Will stabbed in the gut and Abigail’s neck sliced open once for a second time.  As both of them lay there in a pool of blood black liquid reminiscent of the liquid that engulfed Alana Bloom in the season two finale.  This time it is will engulfed and drowning in Hannibal’s influence calling back the imagery of Dr. Du Maurier drowning in this season’s opening episode.  After Will’s descent into the murky waters that are Hannibal the teacup breaks and comes back to together again.  When it does Will wakes up in the hospital and is greeted but a very much alive Abigail Hobbes.
In the hospital Abigail and will made allusions to William James multiverse theory by discussing what would have happened if Will had just left the night Hannibal suggested it instead of waiting until after his dinner with Jack Crawford.  Abigail revealed that in spite of all the events that have taken place she still wants to be with Hannibal and she is mad at Will for lying and not leaving with them.
Eight months later Will and Abigail travel to Palermo and visit the Norman Chapel in hope of finding Hannibal.  Will visited often and on one visit he sees the police have roped off the area around the origami heart Hannibal left in the church.  It is during this visit that Will meets Inspector Pazzi, and Italian police officer that knows all about Will’s case from season two.  He also knows all about Hannibal because he believes Hannibal is the Il Mostro of Florence, a killer that 20 years prior murdered people and staged their bodies to resemble the famous Italian painting the Primavera.
Will was given time with the body alone in the chapel to do what Will Graham does and the corpse morphed into a stag made of Dimmond’s body.  It was also during this encounter that Abigail showed and discussed with Will the broken heart Hannibal left them in the chapel. In a twist that was not seen coming Abigail’s neck splits open and she began to bleed.  There was a cut to a flashback from the season two finale during which the audience learned that Abigail did actually die when Hannibal cut her throat open and asked for Will’s forgiveness.

Pazzi showed up at the end of the flashback to discuss with Will what he has learned from his time at the crime scene.  Will noticed light coming from the catacombs and both him and Pazzi entered in pursuit of Hannibal.  Will warned Pazzi to leave because he couldn’t guarantee his safety.  Hannibal was indeed in the catacombs as the audience saw him hiding in the shadows.  The episode ended with Will whispering his forgiveness to Hannibal.
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