This episode presents a foil to Will in Peter, the impaired but capable ward of an untrustworthy guardian. Jack and Will collaborate in order to entrap Hannibal by using Will as bait. Script.
Will and Jack are fishing out on a frozen lake, passing a flask of whisky between them.
JACK: Thought trout were hunters. They should be chewing on my hook. WILL: In the cold, their metabolisms drop. They're not as hungry. JACK: That's the question. How do you catch a fish who isn't hungry? WILL: You have to change tactics. Use live bait that moves and excites them to action. Gotta make him bite even though he's not hungry. JACK: Make him act on instinct. He's always a predator. WILL: You have to create a reality where only you and the fish exist, where your lure becomes what he wants most, despite everything he knows. JACK: Wrong move and he swims away. WILL: I'm a good fisherman, Jack. JACK: You hook him, I'll land him.
Hannibal prepares the fish Jack and Will caught. They discuss the awkward situation before them: Jack and Will believing Hannibal was a cannibal; Will trying to have Hannibal killed; and Chilton, ultimately, being convicted of the crimes. Hannibal settles the matter, "Greatest crime now would be to walk away from what we've shared and suffered. In many ways, we need each other. We're the only ones who will know what this feels like." Will appears to struggle to balance the lies and emotions flowing in this conversation with his handler and his target.
Days afterwards, Will comes to a crime scene and reviews photos of a woman stitched into the womb of a horse.
WILL: I don't want you to see me. I don't want you to see what I do. I want to calm you, comfort you. There's so much comfort in darkness. But not for one of you. I took your life and then tried to give it back to you. I hope that the forces of death and biology will bring you rebirth.
Will reveals that the body was hidden away by someone who was grieving the victim's death.
Together, Jack and Will visit someone connected to the stable who fits the profile. Will instantly knows to ply him for information by speaking about animals, as they are at a rescue, and he can tell Peter has atypical neural responses from an accident. Later, he tells Jack that Peter knew the victim and the animals involved, and he can likely direct them to the true killer.
Will and Hannibal reunite in the study, resuming therapy. Will is openly hostile and confronts Hannibal, but his focus on reading and presenting correctly to Hannibal is impeccable.
HANNIBAL: How does it feel consulting again with Jack Crawford and the FBI? Last time it nearly destroyed you. WILL: Last time you nearly destroyed me. HANNIBAL: After everything that's happened, Will, you still believe— WILL: You can stop right there. You may have to pretend, but I don't. HANNIBAL: No, you don't. Not with me. WILL: I don't expect you to admit anything. You can't. But I prefer sins of omission to outright lies, Dr. Lecter. Don't lie to me. HANNIBAL: Will you return the courtesy? Why have you resumed your therapy? WILL: Can't just talk to any psychiatrist about what's kicking round my head. HANNIBAL: Do you fantasize about killing me? WILL: Yes. HANNIBAL: Tell me. How would you do it? WILL: With my hands. HANNIBAL: Then, we haven't moved past apologies and forgiveness. WILL: We've moved past a lot of things. I discovered a truth about myself when I tried to have you killed. HANNIBAL: That doing bad things to bad people makes you feel good? WILL: Yes. HANNIBAL: I need to know if you're going to try to kill me again, Will. WILL: I don't want to kill you anymore, Dr. Lecter, not now that I finally find you interesting.
Soil from the victim is traced to a particular location. Zeller apologizes to Will, who dismisses him at first, but Zeller explains that if he had believed Will like Beverly had, then she may still be alive. Will accepts that and shakes hands with Zeller.
Will brings the bird that was entombed in the victim's body to Peter. It is against protocol, but Will is "really not FBI" and wants to comfort Peter. Eventually, Peter admits that he hoped anyone who could find him could find the killer. He is convinced that the killer will make no one believe him which incenses Will who promises that they will.
Will, Hannibal, and Jack watch as Alana interviews Peter's social worker. They all agree that he shows some traits in common with psychopaths, but the social worker eventually asks to be let go which Jack approves of and Will immediately complains.
WILL: You're making a mistake, Jack. JACK: I've got nothing to hold him on. WILL: Peter Bernardone is psychologically disadvantaged. He's been manipulated. As his social worker, this man is in a position of trust. He betrayed that trust. ... I know what it's like to point at a killer and have no one listen. JACK: You pointed in the wrong direction.
This is a staged conversation, showing a growing wedge between Jack and Will for Hannibal to take advantage of.
Will and Hannibal are driving to the rescue to check on Peter.
HANNIBAL: You look like a man who has suffered an irrevocable loss. WILL: I'm trying to prevent one. HANNIBAL: Do you think if you save Peter Bernardone, you can save yourself? WILL: Save myself from what, Dr. Lecter? HANNIBAL: From who you perceive me to be. WILL: I'm afraid I need to be saved from who you perceive me to be. HANNIBAL: Many troublesome behaviors strike when you are uncertain of yourself. Peter Bernardone lies in the same darkness that holds you. WILL: No. I'm alone in that darkness. HANNIBAL: You're not alone, Will. I'm standing right beside you.
As they arrive at the rescue, they find Peter in front of the bloody corpse of a horse, finishing a last stitch. Will gently guides Peter away from the scene while Hannibal remains.
WILL: What was done to you was cruelty for cruelty's sake. PETER: I think... I hate him. WILL: I envy your hate. Makes it much easier when you know how to feel.
The murderer escapes from the horse. Behind Hannibal, Will already has a gun directed at the social worker.
CLARK: Officer, I'm the victim here. WILL: I'm not an officer. I'm Peter's friend. CLARK: Peter's confused.
Will drops his sight slightly, taken aback, before leveling the gun again.
WILL: I'm not. Pick up the hammer.
Hannibal starts to interject as Will grows more upset, switching to a single hand as he cocks the gun. The murderer begins to make his own plea but is silenced by Hannibal who is talking to Will as he keeps his gun focused on him.
HANNIBAL: It won't feel the same, Will. It won't feel like killing me. WILL: It doesn't have to. HANNIBAL: You did the best anyone could do for Peter. Don't do this for him. If you're going to do this, Will... You have to do it for yourself. ... This is not the reckoning you promised yourself.
Will pulls the trigger, but the gun does not fire as Hannibal has placed his thumb between the hammer and the chamber. In a haze, Will allows Hannibal to take the gun but is unable to focus on reality.
HANNIBAL: With all my knowledge and intrusion, I could never entirely predict you. I can feed the caterpillar, whisper through the chrysalis, but what hatches follows its own nature and is beyond me.
Will knew that Hannibal would not let him kill Clark, because too much had been invested in him, too much interest had been generated, but he still pulled the trigger and had to trust his and Hannibal's instincts.
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timeasmymeasure
Season 2 Episode 8: Su-zakana
Date: 2019-12-24 12:58 pm (UTC)JACK: Thought trout were hunters. They should be chewing on my hook.
WILL: In the cold, their metabolisms drop. They're not as hungry.
JACK: That's the question. How do you catch a fish who isn't hungry?
WILL: You have to change tactics. Use live bait that moves and excites them to action. Gotta make him bite even though he's not hungry.
JACK: Make him act on instinct. He's always a predator.
WILL: You have to create a reality where only you and the fish exist, where your lure becomes what he wants most, despite everything he knows.
JACK: Wrong move and he swims away.
WILL: I'm a good fisherman, Jack.
JACK: You hook him, I'll land him.
WILL: I don't want you to see me. I don't want you to see what I do. I want to calm you, comfort you. There's so much comfort in darkness. But not for one of you. I took your life and then tried to give it back to you. I hope that the forces of death and biology will bring you rebirth.
Will reveals that the body was hidden away by someone who was grieving the victim's death.
HANNIBAL: How does it feel consulting again with Jack Crawford and the FBI? Last time it nearly destroyed you.
WILL: Last time you nearly destroyed me.
HANNIBAL: After everything that's happened, Will, you still believe—
WILL: You can stop right there. You may have to pretend, but I don't.
HANNIBAL: No, you don't. Not with me.
WILL: I don't expect you to admit anything. You can't. But I prefer sins of omission to outright lies, Dr. Lecter. Don't lie to me.
HANNIBAL: Will you return the courtesy? Why have you resumed your therapy?
WILL: Can't just talk to any psychiatrist about what's kicking round my head.
HANNIBAL: Do you fantasize about killing me?
WILL: Yes.
HANNIBAL: Tell me. How would you do it?
WILL: With my hands.
HANNIBAL: Then, we haven't moved past apologies and forgiveness.
WILL: We've moved past a lot of things. I discovered a truth about myself when I tried to have you killed.
HANNIBAL: That doing bad things to bad people makes you feel good?
WILL: Yes.
HANNIBAL: I need to know if you're going to try to kill me again, Will.
WILL: I don't want to kill you anymore, Dr. Lecter, not now that I finally find you interesting.
WILL: You're making a mistake, Jack.
JACK: I've got nothing to hold him on.
WILL: Peter Bernardone is psychologically disadvantaged. He's been manipulated. As his social worker, this man is in a position of trust. He betrayed that trust. ... I know what it's like to point at a killer and have no one listen.
JACK: You pointed in the wrong direction.
This is a staged conversation, showing a growing wedge between Jack and Will for Hannibal to take advantage of.
HANNIBAL: You look like a man who has suffered an irrevocable loss.
WILL: I'm trying to prevent one.
HANNIBAL: Do you think if you save Peter Bernardone, you can save yourself?
WILL: Save myself from what, Dr. Lecter?
HANNIBAL: From who you perceive me to be.
WILL: I'm afraid I need to be saved from who you perceive me to be.
HANNIBAL: Many troublesome behaviors strike when you are uncertain of yourself. Peter Bernardone lies in the same darkness that holds you.
WILL: No. I'm alone in that darkness.
HANNIBAL: You're not alone, Will. I'm standing right beside you.
WILL: What was done to you was cruelty for cruelty's sake.
PETER: I think... I hate him.
WILL: I envy your hate. Makes it much easier when you know how to feel.
CLARK: Officer, I'm the victim here.
WILL: I'm not an officer. I'm Peter's friend.
CLARK: Peter's confused.
Will drops his sight slightly, taken aback, before leveling the gun again.
WILL: I'm not. Pick up the hammer.
HANNIBAL: It won't feel the same, Will. It won't feel like killing me.
WILL: It doesn't have to.
HANNIBAL: You did the best anyone could do for Peter. Don't do this for him. If you're going to do this, Will... You have to do it for yourself. ... This is not the reckoning you promised yourself.
Will pulls the trigger, but the gun does not fire as Hannibal has placed his thumb between the hammer and the chamber. In a haze, Will allows Hannibal to take the gun but is unable to focus on reality.
HANNIBAL: With all my knowledge and intrusion, I could never entirely predict you. I can feed the caterpillar, whisper through the chrysalis, but what hatches follows its own nature and is beyond me.