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I'm now a firm believer that Will was going to choose #Hannibal in the end no matter what happened. The only reason he made a phone call then was because he was under pressure, and the plan was spiraling. But whether it happened at that moment or under the original circumstances-
he never would have let Hannibal get hurt or caught.
I've gone back and forth on this, but after rewatching Mizumono S E V E R A L times this week, I think Will was on #Hannibal's side subconsciously, but *definitively.*
I've gone back and forth on this, but after rewatching Mizumono S E V E R A L times this week, I think Will was on #Hannibal's side subconsciously, but *definitively.*
Think about it. Will is constantly fabricating the information he relays to Jack, giving him bits and pieces, often leading him in the wrong direction or stalling their plans. But he's always sincere with his warnings to Hannibal.
He tells Hannibal, "if he said he suspects me, it means he suspects you." He reminds him that Jack won't go easy and not to underestimate his strength or his skills. His plan PERFECTLY caters to Hannibal's benefit.
It gives Hannibal time to burn his books & get rid of evidence, notice to pack his bags, and it leaves Will an opportunity to run away with him at a moment's notice should he decide to go with him. He's giving Hannibal all of the information he possibly can to ensure his victory.
One example of Will leading Jack wrong was when Will tells Jack Hannibal will kill him in the kitchen, when they really planned to kill him over dinner together. Not only do they say this, but Will tells Abigail in Primavera:
"What if no one died? What if we all left together? Like we were supposed to. After he served the lamb." He also tells Abigail multiple times, "we were supposed to go with him." And Abigail, who is also Will, keeps restating that she/he STILL wants to go with him.
Then two episodes later, in Aperitivo, we see Will have a fantasy of him and Hannibal killing Jack over dinner, as they planned. Will slips away into this fantasy right after Chilton tells him this is his 'best possible world' and that he's 'not getting a better one.'
In the fantasy scene, we see a visual of Will's split personality, the one he shows to Jack/the world, with the other (his instinct) prepared to hurt him for Hannibal. Standing by. Ready. In the fantasy of his BEST POSSIBLE WORLD the one that chooses Hannibal wins. The real Will.
This moment calls to a similar split-screen moment in Mizumono, with one personality being presented to Jack/the world and the other ready and prepared to commit violence for Hannibal "when the moment comes."
Will was always leading Jack just a little bit off target, enough to catch him off guard. Meanwhile, he wanted Hannibal to be focused, present and prepared. This theme of subconsciously choosing to keeping Hannibal safe is consistent with the fate of the Stag.
I read a great meta once that pointed out how we're made to believe Will shoots the Stag, signifying him killing his relationship with Hannibal, but we find out the stag ISN'T dead and doesn't become wounded until Hannibal stabs Will at the end.
Hannibal was the one who decided to kill their relationship once he found out Will betrayed him. Secretly, Will was keeping it alive. He was holding onto it. SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FINAL SCENE, THIS BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT POINT.
Outside of #Hannibal's house, Alana says "Jack is inside." At that exact moment, Will takes out his gun. He takes it out the second she says this, and we know he's not taking out his gun to hurt Hannibal. He's prepared to hurt Jack. How do we know this? I'm SO glad you asked.
As he walks inside, he has his gun up while looking for Jack. Once he sees Abigail, he settles his gun down and doesn't make any attempt to bring it back up again when he sees that Hannibal is alive and safe.
He barely showed emotion for Alana. He doesn't seem concerned about Jack. Even with Abigail, he's surprised but not overtly happy, he isn't running up to her or even walking towards her, he doesn't ask "are you okay?" She's crying. He's not crying.
He asks her with a very straight face, "where is he?" It's the only reason he came, and nothing - not even Abigail - distracts him from that goal. But the second he realizes Hannibal is behind him, he breaks down. His military mode instantaneously & effectively shuts down.
"You were supposed to leave." He's stuttering & shaking before he even turns around. He doesn't run. He doesn't flinch. He doesn't raise his gun. He turns around slowly. Vulnerably. After Hannibal says "we couldn't leave without you" Will closes the space between them EVEN more.
Will shows more emotion in that moment than he does for all of the moments leading up to it combined. He's scared Hannibal's going to get caught. He's angry that he's still there. He's relieved to see him alive.
He's overwhelmed that Hannibal waited for him and is trying to process the fact that his feelings for Will might actually be genuine. He's embarrassed and guilty because he doesn't deserve those feelings anymore. He's completely unraveling.
When Hannibal starts to caress Will's face, he stays completely still, accepting his affectionate touch. He's not looking to see if Hannibal has a weapon - he's looking back and forth between Hannibal's lips and eyes rapidly.
He isn't sure if Hannibal is going to hurt him or kiss him, but he's ready to accept either. He lets Hannibal decide his fate, and when he does, he seems to think he deserves it.
Our poor self-loathing Will. He hated himself too much to believe Hannibal could ever love him and when he realized he was wrong he hated himself for completely failing him.
When Hannibal says he didn't want his rare gift moments later, he immediately responds "Didn't I?" further confirming that he DID want it and that all of this has been an incredibly painful miscommunication due to a severe lack of trust.
And before anyone says it, yes, Will does react when Hannibal kills Abigail. But please remember, he forgives him shortly after in Primavera - or as I call it, Mizumono 2: The Pardoning. (It's a working title, we're still kicking some names around.)
In conclusion, Will was firmly Team Hannibal whether he fully admitted it to himself or not. I don't think he decided on the phone, I just think the whole situation leading up to the call forced him to act and commit sooner than he expected to/was ready to.
By the way, I'm NOT sticking up for Will. I still stand by my Will-blaming tweets that were prescheduled for tonight before I had this realization XD Will deceived Hannibal and BROKE his heart. This was way deeper than revenge. He lifted him up and then destroyed him.
Hannibal GAVE HIM a ticket out, a chance to take it all back, but Will wanted more time, and that was his selfish, deadly mistake. I now THINK he WAS going to make everything okay, eventually, but he took way too long to commit, and literally, everyone got hurt because of it.
