Season 2, Episode 9:
Shiizakana
Will continues his psychiatric sessions with Hannibal. The question of what kind of effect Dr. Lecter can have on his patients as Will meets and compares notes with Margot Verger. Also related is the case of the week, a bestial killer who also has a connection to Hannibal.
Tropes
- Bears Are Bad News: Randall's animal suit is patterned after a cave bear. A point is made that real cave bears were herbivorous, but Randall's probably hard-pressed to find a skull and jaws to comfortably fit a human head.
- Continuity Nod: Hannibal tells Will that he "collects church collapses". Earlier in the series, he told Will about one such collapse in Texas.
- Delusions of Doghood: Randall Tier is a very non-cuddly version, a museum worker who stalks and kills his prey in the manner of an Ice Age predator.
- Foreshadowing: Hannibal muses that humans are in many ways the most savage animal. The episode ends with one scared, cornered Will Graham vs. man with the savagery of a feral beast. Will out-savages him.
- Kick the Dog: A worse than literal case. Poor Buster.
- Makes Us Even: After killing Tier, Will tells Hannibal that they are "even", since both of them have sent someone else to kill the other.
- Mythology Gag: Will dreams about torturing Hannibal to death in the same way Hannibal tortures someone to death in Hannibal Rising.
- Off with His Head!: Hannibal in Will's dream.
- Protect This House: Hannibal decides to sic Randall on Will in Will's own home.
