“You and I have begun to blur.”

At the beginning of the series, Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter did not seem like the same person. They were at odds by virtue of occupation–FBI Special Investigator and Professional Cannibal, to be exact–and the conflict between the two initially set up the show. Gradually, however, we began to see just how similar they are, just how drawn to each other they are, and the early season three episodes served to highlight that connection. Even though they spent time apart–only natural in the “post-stabbing” stage of a relationship–there was still talk of love and betrayal and forgiveness swirling around their universe, and they eventually realized that maybe they’re one and the same. Maybe they’re beginning to blur together.

“Dolce” is about the attempted separation of that blurred identity, which definitely has been a struggle for both of them on their roads to attempted murder. Early on in the episode, Will states that “part of [himself] will always want to [slip away with Hannibal]”, and the response he gets is telling: “you’ll have to cut that part out.” Interestingly enough, Hannibal literally cuts into Will late in the episode, beginning to sever ties in preparation for the upcoming meal; what ends up happening, though, is actually one of the more powerful “Will is like Hannibal images”: the one used to close out the episode, the one in which Hannibal and Will are hanging upside down and side by side at Muskrat Farm.

After all, “Dolce” is also about unity as much as it is about separation. Chiyoh ends up helping Hannibal by shooting Will, Mason appeals to his sister to “find a way to be a family again”, Margot and Alana are unified in their desire to take down Mason, and Bedelia is attempting to unify her identity with that of Lydia Fell’s. On that last note, while part of it is her putting on an act, there’s a suggestion here that she might want to believe what she’s telling Jack and Will, that she wants those drugs to really take effect. Nevertheless, the key idea to take away here is that Bedelia was more in control than you would initially think.

And at the end of the episode, we realize that the people who thought they were in control ended up being in for a rude awakening. People are ruining murder plans left and right, and the power dynamics shift considerably in the final few minutes of the hour. It goes to show you how ingrained Hannibal is in everyone’s minds, how he’s influenced these characters’ actions and motivations and desires. They’re all unified in their plans to take him down, but they’re not on the same wavelength when it comes to working with each other. And in the end, it won’t be surprising if Hannibal Lecter is the one who comes out on top.

GRADE: A-

OTHER THOUGHTS:

– “I have not marinated long enough for your tastes.”

-That kaleidoscope sex scene is easily #1 on the list of Top Kaleidoscope Sex Scenes on Television.

-I’ve heard the next episode is considered “jaw-dropping”, and I’m not sure if that’s literal or not. We’re in Red Dragon territory now, though, so it’s going to get very, very interesting in the next few weeks.

-Amazon and Netflix have passed, so here’s to hoping Hulu or Yahoo does us a solid.

Photo credit: Hannibal, NBC