TV Review: ‘HANNIBAL Season 2, Episode 5: MUKŌZUKE’

RIP Beverly Katz

When Freddie Lounds received an anonymous tip about the observatory, she probably wasn’t expecting to see Beverly sliced up and on display Damien Hirst style. This may very well be the most important episode yet. Not just because the death of Beverly will push everyone closer to catching Hannibal, but also shows Will is not powerless. He has (or had) a friend in orderly Matthew Brown, played to creepy perfection by Jonathan Tucker. He admits to being the person who killed the bailiff in Will’s trial, but didn’t kill the judge. The crucifixion like attack on Hannibal will instructs Matthew to carry out is definitely a game changer.

The real star of the show tonight is the imagery. When Will demands that he be taken to see Beverly’s display at the observatory, he’s wheeled there in the classic mask and dolly restraint that’s so iconic to the Hannibal Lector mythology. The vivisected Beverly is nausea inducing and is clearly meant to evoke Damien Hirst’s “Mother and Child (Divided).”  There’s also another great juxtaposition in the opening showing Hannibal preparing a delectable meal for himself and a prison cook preparing a less than stellar looking meal for Will. There’s also a really excellent crossfade with Will’s face placed over a sink filled with blood. It’s really just a very creepy image that shows that Will is now drawing blood from Hannibal.

There’s not really a single misstep in tonight’s episode. Every scene and every plot point only serves to move the story forward, and we get a lot of excellent scenes featuring Chilton (who is slowly becoming a favorite of mine) and a great scene between Abel Gideon and Hannibal. I like how Eddie Izzard’s Gideon is slowly becoming more important to the show, hopefully we get a lot more of him before the endgame. This episode is definitely a game changer and one of the best in the series. The fact that it’s also one of the most viewed episodes since the first season can only be a good thing too!