#and NO this isn’t implying hannibal saw mischa in a romantic light

[bluemoonscape]

I’ve seen takes before by Hannigram deniers along with the usual “they’re just friends” stuff that “I saw it as a fucked up father/son relationship”

Which. No. It’s obviously romantic. It’s been portrayed as romantic and confirmed as romantic by the creators. This wouldn’t be a discussion if one of them was a woman. But while it is NOT a father/son relationship, there is something inherently paternal about it.

The show itself gives us this idea if you’re looking; the parallels between Hannibal’s love for Mischa and his love for Will, the parallels between Hannibal’s gentleness with Abigail and with Will (the scenes where Hannibal is sitting next to Abigail’s hospital bed and then later Will’s bed make me think of this), it’s all pointing to this layer in Will and Hannibal’s relationship. Hannibal sees Will as his equal while also seeing him in something of that paternal light. There’s a post I saw recently drawing parallels between Hannibal carrying Will through the snow, saving him, and Hannibal unable to save Mischa in the snow as a child. Will is his chance to heal himself from old wounds. Will makes him human in a way nobody has since Mischa. He brings out those loving, protective feelings in him that he’d thought long buried.

It’s not a father/son relationship. That’s not the core of their dynamic, that isn’t what defines it. But Hannibal’s desire to shape, care for, and protect Will reads as very paternal when considering the obvious connections made between Will and Mischa and their respective relationships with Hannibal.