The Beauty of the Re-Watch

TV junkies know the score. First comes the tumultuous love affair; that feeling of being taken over by the strange rhythms of a brilliant new show. If you’re anything like me you’re well attuned to the effect individual scenes are having on you - without quite knowing why. You’re too busy being drawn into the moment to stop and think and analyze. That result, in itself, is probably the mark of a good show.

It’s also why one of life’s greatest pleasures can be found in the second viewing. Sitting down with a cherished series, or a frustratingly uneven one and recognising ‘Yup that’s why that worked’ or ‘Ahh — I see why they didn’t quite pull that off’ is a satisfying feeling. Scoping out those details only enhances my enjoyment of a show. And so without further ado, I’m going to look at one of the early scenes from a show that everyone with a sense of taste (he he) should be watching.

I refer, of course, to Hannibal.

We’re not going to be focusing on one of the lush, image-laden dream sequences or the superbly subtle facial work of Mr Mads Mikkelson here, oh no.

Instead we are going to dine on a relatively simple set-up from the first episode.

To set the scene

Spiky, fluffy Will Graham is a dog-loving behavioral sciences profiler with the gift of total empathy.

Meaning that he can not only think like a serial killer but also feel like one. Needless to say, this ability is invaluable in helping the FBI to catch the naughty little shits. So enter stern, patrician FBI grand fromage Jack Crawford:

He needs Will to help save lives but wants to make sure his friend remains OK from a psychological standpoint. Jack moseys on down to one of Will’s lectures to try and bring him back into the fold.

A tip of the glass(es)

Pretty formulaic stuff so far, right? Which only goes to show that it’s not the ‘what‘ that matters when it comes to TV, but the ‘how’; in this case the way the show imparts information to the viewer.

As Jack and Will have their little chat, Jack notices that Will’s glasses are hanging down on the tip of his nose. It’s a tactic of Will’s to avoid making eye contact. Jack immediately corrects this, gently bringing Will’s glasses back up to the bridge:

In this one small gesture the viewer is being told the following:

1. Jack and Will have a previous history. 
2. The professional nature of that history is Jack as a mentor to Will.
3. Jack is a figure of authority and is comfortable wielding it.
4. Will is awkward and uncomfortable in social situations.
5. Jack is sometimes impulsive and quick to take action, especially to correct what he perceives as errors.
6. The fact that Will allows this action and that Jack does it carefully shows that there is a mutual respect between them. They are not merely colleagues — they are friends.

Hannibal is packed with fabulous little grace notes that work their magic on us in myriad ways. They make a world of difference because they help hook us into the stories and relationships of the characters, making the horror and insanity that warp their world all the more frightening. Hannibal is a show that makes us care. And that can be fucking terrifying!