‘Hannibal’ season 3, episode 12 review: Someone’s getting tongue-tied…

Saturday night’s new episode of “Hannibal” proved itself to be a thrilling one … and also one that probably grossed out out a great deal. This story contained what has to be one of the grossest and greatest moments in the history of NBC, and that may be the one silver lining in the show’s low ratings and timeslot: It is able to get away with things that it has no business whatsoever being able to get away with.

Ultimately, we saw the Great Red Dragon rip the lips right off of Chilton’s face, a move made to ensure that he could no longer speak the words against him beyond of course what he wanted him to say: A claim that he lied very much about what he said, and a threat to Will Graham that his spine will be ripped in two if the dragon and the man ever cross paths again.

Knowing that he was perhaps now in more danger of being found (he did name Reba in a phone recording), the Dragon ultimately decided to take Reba away to make his great proclamation. He revealed himself to be something more in this conversation. Why do this? The easiest answer to this is that this is his way of presenting himself as vulnerable, his hope of being somehow understood in the midst of the chaos. What the Dragon fails to understand is that no one truly wants to understand him, and this is the fate that he has thrust upon himself with his actions. He may have self-inflicted power, but he is alone and has the BAU chasing his every move.

This episode was ultimately all sorts of awesome. It was violent, brutal, thought-provoking, and easily the best of the Red Dragon era. It also sets the stage remarkably well for what is going to be the end of the story next week with “The Wrath of the Lamb.” Grade: A.