The worst episodes of Hannibal
Ranked by viewer rating, lows first. Lit marks on the season rail place this list across the run. Vote on a placement to back it or contest it.
- 01
After surviving a disfiguring gunshot, Dr. Fredrick Chilton is now focused on rallying support to capture Hannibal, using Will as bait. Jack is distracted by Bella's failing health, but he implores Will to abandon the risky idea of finding Hannibal. Meanwhile, Alana Bloom entertains a different approach, potentially partnering with Mason Verger to utilize his vast resources.
- 02
Will Graham continues his search for Hannibal Lecter, making his way to Hannibal's childhood home in Lithuania. Once there he meets the mysterious Chiyoh, former attendant to Hannibal's aunt. Meanwhile, Jack Crawford arrives in Italy, hoping to find Will and intervene before tragedy strikes again, and Bedelia warns Hannibal against unraveling his new life.
- 03
Having successfully escaped FBI capture, Hannibal Lecter is moving through the European landscape, with Bedelia Du Maurier in tow. But Dr. Lecter's old habits and opulent tastes are still on display as he settles into a new identity and life in Florence, Italy, working at the Palazzo Capponi museum. Glimpses into the past help inform his relationship with Bedelia, a pairing not clearly defined as friend or foe.
- 04
Will Graham and Jack Crawford are certain that Francis Dolarhyde will strike again with the approaching full moon, but without a solid lead, they remain unable to predict the next family on the Red Dragon's hit list. Certain that Hannibal Lecter can lead the FBI to Dolarhyde, Alana Bloom offers Hannibal a chance at redemption. Meanwhile, Dolarhyde struggles with his feelings about the one good thing that remains in his life-his coworker Reba.
- 05
Sensing their time in Florence is coming to an end, Bedelia Du Maurier and Hannibal consider their parting as Hannibal plans for his final stand. Meanwhile, Will Graham and Jack Crawford reunite, but Jack remains uncertain about Will's true loyalty. Back in the States, Mason Verger hungrily makes plans for Hannibal's capture, while Alana Bloom and Margot Verger makes plans of their own for Mason.
- 06
With his wounds now healed, Will Graham heads to Europe eight months after the horrific event that almost took his life, in search of closure with Hannibal Lecter. Following a hunch, Will arrives in Palermo, Italy to find a disturbing gift. Will's arrival draws suspicion from Inspector Rinaldo Pazzi, who twenty years earlier pursued a Florentine killer known as "Il Mostro" and, after reading Will's file, believes that Hannibal Lecter and "Il Mostro" are one and the same. Pazzi tries to enlist Will's help in catching Hannibal, but Will warns that he is unsure of where his own allegiance lies.
- 07
Dr. Hannibal Lecter has been under lock and key for three years at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, when a new villain arises in Francis Dolarhyde, also known as "The Tooth Fairy." As the investigation unfolds Jack Crawford approaches Will Graham to help catch this vicious serial killer who is targeting families.
- 08
And the Woman Clothed with the Sun
The FBI's search for elusive serial killer Francis Dolarhyde intensifies as Will Graham begins envisioning himself in Dolarhyde's tormented psyche. Wading deeper into dangerous territory, Will enlists the help of Hannibal Lecter to assist with the killer's profile. Meanwhile, Alana Bloom reminds Will that the last time that he and Hannibal worked together things didn't end well, but Will sees no other option. Elsewhere, a new woman (guest star Rutina Wesley) comes into Dolarhyde's life.
- 09
Jack Crawford and Inspector Pazzi search for clues that will lead them closer to Hannibal Lecter's location in Florence, but the promise of riches offered by Mason Verger threatens to corrupt Pazzi's quest for redemption. Meanwhile, Will Graham and Chiyoh travel to Florence, both on a mission to find Hannibal, but at odds over the desired outcome. Elsewhere, as Alana Bloom continues to work with Mason Verger she grows concerned for the safety of all involved.
- 10
...And the Woman Clothed in Sun
Carvings symbolizing the Great Red Dragon, retrieved from crime scenes, help Will Graham and the FBI shed light on Francis Dolarhyde's disturbing psychology. Meanwhile, Dolarhyde finds ways to communicate directly with Hannibal Lecter regarding his "becoming." Will feels his bond with Hannibal growing uncomfortably stronger, and seeks out Bedelia Du Maurier, the only other person who fully understands the complexities of such a relationship.
- 11
Captured in Italy by police on Mason Verger's payroll, Will Graham are delivered to Muskrat Farm to await Mason's revenge. Alana, distressed that Will has been endangered along with Hannibal, plots a rescue. And Hannibal, once again in contact with his old patient Margot, finds it irresistible to remind her that Mason will never make good on his promises. Meanwhile, Jack informs Chiyoh of Hannibal's location.
- 12
The Number of the Beast is 666
Will Graham and the FBI enlist the expertise of Dr. Fredrick Chilton in the hopes of luring Francis Dolarhyde into an ambush, using Freddie Lounds as their mouthpiece. As Will's empathy for Dolarhyde begins to affect his fragile psyche, Bedelia Du Maurier warns that the killer Will should be most concerned about at the moment is himself. Meanwhile, Dolarhyde senses that the FBI is closing in and launches a horrifying endgame.
- 13
When a young woman's body is discovered inside of a horse, Hannibal suggests to Jack that Will be brought in to help crack this peculiar case. Will has seemingly cast aside his suspicions of Hannibal, resuming their doctor-patient relationship, but Alana remains skeptical regarding Will's true intentions and worries that Hannibal may still be in danger. The FBI questions the man they suspect to be the killer in their case, but lack of evidence forces them to let him go. Will and Hannibal race to guard the safety of a witness they believe is in jeopardy, but it might be Will's own judgment that is in peril.
- 14
The bond between Hannibal and Will grows after Will demonstrates his willingness to go to dark places, a shift that does not go unnoticed by Jack. Jack and the FBI team investigate a tableau made of Randal Tier and his animal exoskeleton, fully realized as the vicious hunter he yearned to be. Hannibal advises Margot Verger regarding her concerns over her brother Mason's violent nature, a fear that intensifies when Mason demonstrates how he has trained pigs to consume human flesh. Will agrees to an interview with Freddie Lounds for her upcoming book, and learns that she is looking into his allegations of Hannibal's possible guilt.
- 15
Will is determined to fight for his innocence as Hannibal and Jack try to wrap their heads around the fact he's behind bars. Meanwhile, Alana faces a strained relationship with Will while Kade Purnell with the FBI pays him a visit.
- 16
Will Graham's trial begins and he must watch as those closest to him are forced to take sides. Jack Crawford scathing report about his conduct with Will, is pulled in conflicting directions. He acknowledges that he may be partially to blame for pushing his star pupil over the edge. To add confusion to an already suspenseful trial, a court bailiff is killed in a Copycat-like manner and those closest to Will start to wonder if they were wrong about him. The outcome of the entire trial hangs in the balance as one last key victim is served up.
- 17
Jack theorizes that Abigail may have aided her father, Garret Jacob Hobbs in his serial killings. Against Dr. Alana Bloom's advice, but at Hannibal's behest, Abigail is escorted back to Minnesota, where she discovers much violent hostility against her and her family. Things go from bad to worse when a copycat killer murders a friend of Abigail. Hannibal suggests they hide the body to protect Abigail - but secrets come at a cost.
- 18
Will investigates a string of family murders. Meanwhile, Hannibal releases Abigail from the hospital, then uses frightening psychiatric practices to make her loyal to him.
- 19
Will Graham and the BAU team track a serial killer whose bloody ritual includes cutting the victims' back flesh and stretching it to look like angel wings. Returning to the field weighs heavily on Will's psyche and Hannibal tries to drive a wedge between Will and Jack. Meanwhile, Jack Crawford's wife Bella pulls away from him and begins seeing Hannibal as her therapist, in an effort to come to terms with the fact she is dying. Beverly tries to connect with Will on a more personal level.
- 20
Jack & Alana are contacted by a former colleague, Dr. Chilton, who believes he has The Chesapeake Ripper in custody, but then one of his patients commits a murder that matches The Ripper's profile. The team determines the Ripper was a surgeon and is still at large when Jack's former protégé Miriam becomes the next victim. Jack copes with her loss and the prospect of losing his wife by opening-up to Hannibal.
- 21
When Jack Crawford's star pupil Miriam Lass is found alive, she becomes the FBI's best hope to identifying the Chesapeake Ripper, but her foggy memory complicates the search. Evidence found at the site of Miriam's rescue exonerates Will Graham of any involvement in the Ripper and Copycat cases, and he is released from the asylum. Will warns Dr. Chilton that he could be in danger due to his intimate knowledge of the Ripper case, but when Chilton tries to confide in Jack that he shares Will's fears about Hannibal, he is rebuffed; no evidence has been found against Hannibal, despite the FBI's efforts. Meanwhile, Jack wastes no time in reinstating Will on the BAU team as they hunt for the Ripper. After introducing Will and Miriam to compare notes, Jack's suspicions of Hannibal's involvement continue to build. Only Miriam's memory holds the key to unlocking the Ripper's true identity, but can it be trusted?
- 22
The FBI is called in to investigate the discovery of a truck driver's body, seemingly torn apart by two separate species of animal working in tandem, neither of which consumed their kill. After one of his therapy sessions, Will meets Hannibal's strange new patient, Margot Verger. Will and Margot compare notes on Hannibal and his unconventional advice. Continually encouraging his patients to revel in what they are, Hannibal aims to determine Will's true self by sending him a test, the results of which surprise even Hannibal.
- 23
The truth of Freddie Lounds' disappearance is discovered by Jack and his team. Alana expresses her concern over Will's mental state, but he confuses her fears by encouraging her to arm and protect herself. Mason Verger suspects that his sister, Margot, is plotting to usurp him by getting pregnant with an heir. Hannibal reveals to Will how much Abigail reminded him of his sister, making it even harder for Will to understand why she had to die.
- 24
In a therapy session, Will imagines how he would kill Hannibal, honestly sharing his visions, and oddly bolstering their co-dependency. Later, in a session with Mason Verger, Hannibal discusses Margot's unfortunate "accident" and other veiled threats. Jack grows impatient with Will's progress on catching Hannibal, and brings in a surprise witness from the past to help. And when Hannibal's life is threatened, Will must decide whether to come to his aid, and give Hannibal the opportunity for revenge.
- 25
The case of the human soup becomes clearer when a victim that has escaped from the killer's clutches washes downstream after a deadly fall, leaving valuable evidence for the BAU team to uncover. Hannibal Lecter assists on the case, sniffing out clues of his own from of the victim's body. Meanwhile, Will Graham begins a plan of manipulation from within the asylum, set on proving his own innocence. Hannibal is able to put the clues together before the BAU team, arriving at the killer's silo and helping him to carry out his fascinating, yet deadly tableau... just not in the way the killer intended. Jack tries to deal with his guilt over not protecting Will and submits to mandated therapy after Alana Bloom's scathing report. To Jack's surprise the counseling turns out to be beneficial. The BAU team independently arrives at the silo, finding a human tapestry of forty-seven bodies patched together, the killer hidden in plain sight. Awaiting his upcoming trial, Will is surprised by an unexpected guest - Bedelia du Maurier - who gives him a much-needed boost to his psyche.
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