Hannibal Episode 1.03 Potage

In a flashback, Abigail Hobbs is hunting with her father Garret Jacob, the murderer killed by Will Graham. It's clear Abigail is traumatized when she shoots a deer, but her father reassures her they're not committing murder if they use every part of the animal. He hands her a knife and explains how to cut the animal; she reluctantly slices into the beast's sternum. Later on, Alana Bloom visits Will Graham's house with news: Abigail Hobbs has awoken from her coma.

Jack wants Will to visit Abigail and question her about her involvement in Garret Jacob Hobb's murders. But Alana knows, as a psychiatrist, the first person Abigail opens up to can't be someone who was there when the crime happened. Will killed Abigail's father. It will be better if Alana reaches out to her first. But when Alana visits Abigail in the hospital, she's taken aback by Abigail's seemingly unscathed demeanor following her terrifying injury.

In his office, Jack Crawford speaks to Alana and Dr. Lecter about Abigail Hobbs. Jack is up against the clock and needs to start providing answers to the families of victims. He knows Abigail has a treasure trove of information that could wrap the case up once and for all. Alana works to protect Abigail from the investigators. If they interrogate her too soon, she won't open up. But Alana does concede Abigail was acting suspicious when they talked. Against Alana's wishes, Jack demands Will talk to Abigail.

Back in Abigail's room, Freddie Lounds has somehow found a way in, and she's interviewing the poor girl. Before their conversation gets out of hand, Will Graham and Hannibal burst in and order her to leave. Abigail seems to remember Will as the man who killed her father. This haunts Will. Will opens up to Abigail and explains his nightmares surrounding the traumatic event. They bond over their shared pain. Outside, Freddie tries to offer a bogus apology to Will, and when his emotions get the best of him, he tells her "it's not very smart to piss off a guy who thinks about killing people for a living."

Will's impassioned remark becomes headline material for Freddie's next blog post, much to Jack's dismay. Nevertheless, the article wasn't about Abigail, so the group considers it a victory. More importantly, Abigail wants to return home, but there are conflicting opinions on whether that would be healthy for the still recovering girl. On Hannibal's suggestion, Jack approves of bringing Abigail home - after all, it serves his own agenda of wrapping up the case. Elsewhere, Freddie Lounds continues to involve herself in the case by telling Nick Boyles, the enraged brother of the copycat killer's victim, about Abigail's recent awakening. There is an unsettling fire in his eyes.

Abigail's return home is immediately disrupted by the word "Cannibals" vandalized on her front door and garage. Alana, Will and Hannibal follow Abigail inside as she retraces her memories of the crime scene. When they get to the kitchen, Will and Alana ask Abigail about that final phone call she answered before her father died. Hannibal watches from a distance, silent. Abigail does not remember the voice on the other end, presumably that of the copycat killer. For Hannibal's sake, it's better that way.

Abigail's friend Marissa stops by to see her after noticing the group pull in. The two girls walk out back behind the Hobb's residence and talk about the accident. The town is horrified by the incident, and many think Abigail played a role in the murders. Marissa doesn't think she had anything to do with it, however. Suddenly, Nick Boyles, the brother of the final victim, comes out of the woods and begins harassing Abigail. Marissa scares him away when she hits him with a rock, as Will and Hannibal rush to Abigail's aid.

Continuing the investigation, Abigail walks Hannibal, Alana and Will through her father's rustic cabin. Abigail recounts the now revealing ways in which he handled the breakdown of the deer he killed. The parallels to his cannibalism are frightening. Suddenly, a drop of blood plops onto Abigail's forehead from above. The group looks up and notices a large collection of blood on the ceiling. Rushing upstairs, Will finds Abigail's friend Marissa, dead, impaled on a rack of antlers. They need ERT immediately.

The loss of her friend is a huge setback for Abigail's psyche. Outside the cabin, she's clearly shaken up. Back inside, Will and Hannibal examine the body. Jack enters, incredulous that another girl has died under their watch. Will thinks whoever did this was the same person who killed the girl in the field - the copycat killer. And, in light of his connection to both victims, Nick Boyles is the lead suspect. He was the first victim's brother and had the altercation with Marissa outside of the Hobb's residence the day before.

Jack orders Abigail out of Minnesota. When they return to the Hobb's house to collect Abigail's things, Marissa's hysterical mother confronts the investigative team. She's convinced Abigail had something to do with it. Inside, Abigail is distraught. Remembering the words of her father, "none of it will go to waste," Abigail remembers all the seemingly innocuous things he'd made in their house. She rips the pillow in her hand open with a knife, and out falls human hair. Before she can scream, Nick Boyles startles her. He somehow got into the house.

Nick assures Abigail he's not going to hurt her and also says he didn't kill Marissa. Abigail doesn't believe him and makes a run for the door. Nick grabs Abigail and presses her against the wall, trying to calm her down so he can explain himself. Abigail panics and sticks the knife in her hand right into Nick's sternum. Methodically, almost instinctively, Abigail pulls it down and guts him. Nick falls to the floor, dead. Abigail is horrified - she killed him exactly as her father had shown her with the deer.

Alana is upstairs and calls down to Abigail. But when Hannibal notices a stunned Abigail walking up the steps with blood covering her hands, he moves into action and knocks Alana out against the wall before she can see anything incriminating. Without an ounce of panic, Hannibal asks Abigail to show him what she's done. The body is butchered, and Hannibal knows she'll never convince someone it was self-defense. The narrative that will most assuredly play out - if anyone finds out about Abigail's crime - is that she was an accessory to all the previous murders. Abigail is horrified. She's ruined her life. But, without thinking twice, Hannibal offers to help her hide the body.

Alana wakes up and doesn't remember anything. Jack informs her of what happened, recalling an incorrect narrative dictated to him by Hannibal. Nick Boyles attacked Abigail and then knocked out Dr. Lecter and Alana. Nick escaped before anyone could find him, but Jack promises Alana they'll soon bring him to justice. In his office, Dr. Lecter speaks with Abigail. She is clearly distraught by her murder. Abigail finally realizes Hannibal was the one who called her house. She fears he is a serial killer. He deflects her assertion but promises he'll keep her secret. In turn, Abigail promises the same.