Let the (Mind) Games Begin, Hannibal “Potage” 

Dr. Lecter is so pleased that Will is on to him – or, at least, on to the copycat killer. Just watching Mads Mikkelsen‘s face as Will talks about the copycat as “intelligent, a sadist” makes this particular scene so satisfying to watch. When Will goes on to speculate that the copycat will never kill like this again, maybe we see some wheels turning in Lecter’s brain. This killer had intimate knowledge of Hobbs’ crimes and he elevated what he knew about them to make his copycat crimes art. How intimately did this killer know Hobbs? Did he know Hobbs from afar or did he ingratiate himself into Hobbs’ life? They know Hobbs received a call from someone just before the FBI arrived at his house. Will believes that caller is their copycat. And, of course, we know that’s true.

Alana Is Will’s Buffer

At least Jack makes no secret about “choosing the opinion that best serves his agenda.” Alana knows Will isn’t ready to go back out into the field, but Jack really wants him there now that Abigail’s awake. Lecter doesn’t have the same reservations as Alana does.

Who Is Abigail Hobbs?

As the episode begins, we see Abigail hunt with her father. She kills a deer and they bring her back to the cabin. Garret Jacob Hobbs wants Abigail to butcher the animal. He tells her they’re going to honor every part of her; none of her will go to waste. Eating her is honoring her, otherwise it’s just murder. After Lecter gives the all clear on Will, he and Will visit Abigail at Port Haven Psychiatric Facility in Baltimore. From Alana’s visit with Abigail, they already know she’s good at manipulation and that she’s surprisingly practical. Alana questioned her state of mind, though, and didn’t think she’d talk to them unless she felt safe.

Freddie Lounds

I wouldn’t call her a reporter, because she doesn’t seem to have much journalistic integrity. Freddie’s very good at getting information out of just about anybody and she’ll use every trick in her vast arsenal to get access to who she wants, when she wants. Freddie calls Will a liar when he tells Abigail he’s a Special Agent with the FBI. She tells Abigail Will couldn’t pass the screening process; he was too unstable. She also thinks he’s insane – or, that’s what she says in front of Abigail. I can’t say I respect Freddie, but maybe I’m impressed with her skills. What is her purpose, though? To show us another angle on the cases Will works? To tell her version of the truth? I might respect her more if she was less manipulative, but then she wouldn’t be where she is today. And I’m truly intrigued by her encounters with Lecter. I don’t know if I should be scared for her. I think Lecter’s curious enough about her that he might want to see what she does next. So, I guess she’s safe – at least from him – for now.

It’s Not Wise to Piss A Guy Off Who Thinks About Killing People For a Living

Although Will’s the one who says it, this statement really applies to Lecter doesn’t it? When he and Will take Abigail home, her house has been defaced. Abigail is clearly affected by being there, even going so far as to ask if you can catch someone’s crazy. In fact, she suggests they re-enact the crime with Lecter playing the voice of the man on the phone. They soon realize they aren’t going to find any evidence of those girls in the house. Her father used every part of the body as a way to honor his victims. Abigail wants to know if her father was feeding the girls to them. He likely was.

The Cabin In The Woods

The next day Alana, Will and Lecter take Abigail up to her father’s cabin. If he used every part of the girl’s bodies, they think they’ll find something there. What Will doesn’t expect to find is Abigail’s friend Marissa dead and impaled in the attic.

Abigail Hobbs May Be the Target of a Killer, But She Isn’t One

Well, she might not have been one until now. Nicholas Boyle thinks his sister is a victim of The Shrike, when she was actually a victim of the copycat. He claims to be seeking justice for his sister when he confronts Abigail in her own home. Thinking he is going to kill her, Abigail stabs him. Seeing Abigail approach with bloody hand, Hannibal knocks Alana out and asks for an explanation. He doesn’t think Abigail was acting in self-dense and has a solution: they hide the body. Later Abigail goes to see Lecter because she’s having trouble sleeping. Because she didn’t honor any part of Nicholas, it was murder and she wants to know why they didn’t tell the truth. She thinks Lecter is a serial killer, just like her father. But Lecter claims he’s nothing like her father, even though we know at least one thing they share in common. And now they both have a secret to keep because Abigail knows the voice on the phone was Lecter.

Things I Learned From This Episode

• Deer are complex emotional creatures, who are as smarter or smarter than a 4 year-old human. They care about each other and their environment.

• Chalk outlines are only used at crimes scenes when the victim is still alive and has to be taken to the hospital before the authorities finish the crime scene.

Hannibal airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC.