#apertif

I will be there on Saturday!!! If you find me somehow, (I am quite small) I have a bunch of neat handmade hannigram linocut prints to give out!!!! (while supplies last!)

I'll be cosplaying Apertif (S1E1) Will Graham with antlers! Feel free to say hello!!! ^_^ I'm super excited to meet y'all this Saturday!!!!!

1. Hannibal and Will Eat Together For the First Time

This is the second time that we see Hannibal with food on the show. I love the setting of this scene.

Will wears a wrinkled white T-shirt that he likely woke up in. Hannibal still dresses down. They both washed their hair. The dull cabin is on full display.  Hannibal shows up with egg scramble in tupperware like a normal person.

They sit parallel like reflections. Personally, I liked how the lighting complements their side-profiles. Everything screams, “Homely.”

So much non-verbal communication happens in this scene. Hannibal is so clearly feeding Will. Will gives him the silent treatment every time he talks and uses rough, jagged movements. He drinks when he feels uncomfortable.

A detail that I liked is how Will chews with his mouth open. What is interesting is that Hannibal watches and imitates this.

There are some moments of politeness between them though. Will says, “It’s delicious, thank you.” On one hand, I think that he means it. He already hates Hannibal, so why not? However, this is definitely ritualised politeness.

Hannibal’s eyes flick upwards to him and then to his mouth like he finds this interesting before saying, “My pleasure.” Likewise, Will’s eyes flicker upwards when Hannibal apologies like Will might hate holding grudges.

Immediately, Hannibal is a man who loves compliments and Will is a man who loves not to be bothered. This is Positive and Negative Face. I wish that they had stayed with this characterisation for a bit longer because it was my favourite type.

Then, there is this dialogue. Will doubles down and tries to push Hannibal away. Hannibal purposefully does not meet his energy:

Will: Just keep it professional. … I don’t find you that interesting. Hannibal: (softly) You will. (blinks)

There is a brief moment of intense bonding over the Shrike when both Hannibal and Will lean in and Will seems openly frustrated. Hannibal uses ‘variables’ as an excuse for why the Shrike seems like he is giving a gift to Will.

Here, Hannibal basically explains his feelings on murder and cannibalism and why the Shrike is actually Hannibal:

Hannibal: What kind of problems does [the Shrike] have? Will: (apathetically) Uh, he has a few. Hannibal: … Ever have any problems. Will? Will: (sarcastically) Me? No… Hannibal: Of course, you don’t. You and I are just alike. Hannibal: Problem-free. Hannibal: Nothing about us to feel horrible about…

Will ignores him, so Hannibal delivers the infamous line about how Jack thinks that he is a “teacup,” which becomes a recurring motif.

There is a brief shot of very hysterical laughter from Will, which makes Hannibal smile. Humorously, Will asks Hannibal, “How do you see me?” and frowns at the emphatic response. The camera pans out and Hannibal tells Will to finish eating.

Overall, this is just a lovely scene. I think that it is one of my favourite Hannigram moments. You can find an imitation recipe here.

2. “You Made Me Chicken Soup?”

I just think that this scene is good. It brings the audience back to the first scene: parallel seating, the tupperware, and Will’s compliment.

Will is lying in bed and, even when Hannibal’s blurry images is in focus, he has ‘hospital brain.’ His slow movements and sleepy blinking are very cute. Then, there is the infamous line:

You made me chicken soup? (sniffs to play off his soft tone)

Vulnerable Will is the highlight here. Will feebly downplays his feverish wandering and sarcastically calls a girl “his support group.” He seems almost hurt when Hannibal calls them “mentally ill.”

Hannibal tells Will that the hallucinations may be dementia and Will starts to tear up. Hannibal states that he hasn’t told Jack and Will asks, “Shouldn’t you?” His tone sounds ashamed.

The audience is left with the fact that Will and the girl are both “afraid to remember.” This whole scene contrasts with Episode 1 from beginning to end. You can find the imitation recipe here.

3. “Soup Isn’t Very Good”

Finally, Hannibal spoon-feeds Will to make him tasty a lot of episodes later in the final season. This is in contrast to the chicken soup scene.

In his hallucination, Will asks, “What’s for dinner?” Hannibal replies, “Never ask. It spoils the surprise.” The camera fades to Will, drugged and strapped to a chair. Hannibal is just a shadow, moving along the corridor.

The bitter irony in this scene is too much. Poor Will is so damaged here. He has some moments of clarity and he pants and says, “No.”

Will: (noticing the place settings) Are we expecting company?!

On the other hand, he is hallucinating, slurping loudly, and clearly not listening or understanding at all at some moments.

This scene is great because Hannibal and Will are usually outsmarting each other. For once, Will seems completely needy and dependent. Hannibal’s disappointment is almost offset by amusement. Of course, Hannibal is feeding Will parsley and thyme.