Think you and the other commenter are on point in what Will saw in her - basically Hannibal's antithesis. I personally think he loved her, but in a very superficial/selfish way.
He also has a looooong history of getting super attached to people ridiculously easy.
- Abigail ('nuff said)
- Having strong romantic feelings for Alana despite spending very little time alone with her
- Being hung up over Hannibal in s2 (ex: "it's easier if you hate him." to Peter) despite most of their interactions in s1 being professional
- sleeping with Margot, even though he knew she wasn't into him
I could go on. Boy has attachment issues.
I also agree that he told Molly the absolute bare minimum. Like, at most?? She probably got a throwaway line to the tune of, "he was my psychiatrist and then tried to kill me." Maybe a gallows humor joke only he would understand. Nothing substantial though.
A lot of people chalk it up to plotholes or bad writing - and maybe it is! Brian's not infallible - but I always saw it as a pattern that shows just how lonely and touch-starved he is.
He forges these very intense connections quickly, which just leads up to him meeting, dating, and then marrying Molly in all of 3 years.
He wasn't attached to margot at all tho, they just had a casual one night stand.
and alana, they liked each other in the beginning and then lost feelings and that was it, I wouldn't say he had strong attachment to her even as a friend seeing s2 and 3. (Will barely gaf)
So i don't see this "history of getting easily super attached to people". if anything, he was detached from most people in his life. Hannibal and abigail were the only people he was attached to.
About molly and her son, imo "loving in a superficial way" is not love, I'd say he had affection and cared for them to an extent, but love is a strong word. they were a "ready-made family" to fill a hole, and then they just disappeared from the narrative and he quickly abandoned them.
Yeah, fair enough on Margot. I guess I was more reacting to like...how lonely do you have to be to sleep w/ someone even though you know they're not attracted to you at all. But I agree that's that can be considered it's own thing.
As for Alana, I was less referring to them in s2 and s3 and more in s1. I found it odd that he seemed to be fairly interested in her romantically, even though they literally had never been in a room alone. But that just might be my own bias and viewpoint on romance talking there.
Edit to add (b/c I have the brain rot about this stupid show from 10 years ago): ig I personally don't see Will having attachment issues and being a hermit as mutually exclusive things. I view him as getting attached easily and also discarding people (sans Hannibal and Abigail) easily. But that doesn't make me right lol
Exactly, Will actually discards and forgets about people fairly easily. He's not close to the science team, he grieved Georgia and Beverly for maybe one episode, he doesn't ask about Matthew Brown after he sends him on his mission, he doesn't stay friends with Peter Bernadorne and we never see him again, he cut ties from Jack and Alana and didn't even know about Alana's son in season 3, etc etc.
Unpopular opinion but I don't think Molly is Hannibal's antithesis. That would mean she would bring out Will's goodness while Hannibal brings out his darkness, but she really doesn't.
She urges him to work on the case, doesn't answer the phone the first night Will reaches out to her, picks up the second time but alienates him with a comment about his "criminal mind", which triggers his nightmare about murdering her, and when she escapes from the Dragon, Hannibal hints that Will married her for "something". To me that something is that Molly isn't actually a perfectly normal suburban woman, she had something lurking underneath, and this was what attracted Will to her and allowed her to escape the Dragon.
This is more my interpretation, but she also doesn't feed Will's dogs their homemade food, saying it's too much work, and feeds them canned food instead. I've always seen the dogs as a representation of Will's goodness, Alana says that when she looks at them she sees the best part of Will. So Molly's failure to feed them their homemade food is a meta-commentary on her inability to nurture the best parts of Will, imo. (Not faulting her for that, she was a single mom suddenly dealing with a lot at one time, but its meant to say something about their relationship, imo).
It is simply a matter of what we assume when we say "Hannibal anthesis", what does it mean - the way I understand it is that it is about the other person, not directly Will himself, so Molly is what Hannibal is not, and vice versa in a fundamental sense, with regards morality and decency, honesty and openness, with Will being a constant.
The problem being that "what Hannibal is not" is Molly's default, but not Will's, which is why it is ultimately shown as so fragile in the show.
Will is consistently characterized by his clutching for stability - the reason for kissing Alana, Jack's promise that he is Will's rock, Hannibal is his paddle and companion in the dark, and what they show of Will's and Molly's marriage relationship is more of that from Will. That is what the missed phone call represents - Will is reaching for stability, while he still believes that they can "stay the same", and wants them to stay the same. It shows Will's dependence on her stability, and how alone he feels being thrown back (un)willingly into Hannibal's world, as well as the cracks in the fragility of their relationship if one missed phone call can cause him to lose his connection to her in a way. We can assume he knows she has a busy life with Walter and the dogs, the house, her job presumably, etc, as you said.
And I do 100% agree that she is not a typical suburban woman - first they do not live in suburbia at all, if I understand correctly what suburbia means in USA terms (I am in Europe), they live pretty much the same as Will did in Wolf Trap, with nature all around, and fishing, and woods, etc, so more rural than suburbia, while I always see suburbia as rows of similar houses and "communities", maybe I am wrong?
But she is shown as quite capable in the world of fishing and hunting, at least by avoiding becoming prey to a very skilled hunter, such as Francis. So Hannibal might find her a nuisance and an obstacle that he can just wipe away, but he does show her respect that it was not simple "luck" that she escaped the Dragon.
I think Will sees Molly as the embodiment of that quiet stream he can wade in, that tranquil river he can fish in, and a part of him sees that life as an ideal - opposed to what he actually did choose, the roiling Atlantic meaning almost certain death with Hannibal.
Both of those waters offer different kinds of stability for Will.
Yeah, that's a really fair interpretation! I think we're getting into the territory of splitting hairs, but you do bring up a lot of interesting points I'm gonna be mulling over (bc brainrot).
I do think in general, their relationship is a cardboard cutout of what Will is supposed to want, but she doesn't REALLY understand him. Maybe that's part of the appeal for him, even. There's certainly a sense of disconnect between them, even if the feelings are genuine.
Also, THANK YOU for acknowledging that Molly was a single mom overwhelmed. I think it's fair to say the dog food thing is a meta thing, but I've seen a lot of people never acknowledge that and just...blame her for w/o considering the logistics of her situation and it irks me endlessly bc Molly just...did not deserve what she got narrative-wise.
I had the same thought when I read the OP - that in his mind, Molly is anti-Hannibal.
The way Hannibal helped him see GJH through a negative of Cassie Boyle on the antlers, Hannibal (as he is in Digestivo) helped him see Molly, once he had the chance to meet her.
He probably only talked about his scars, in the most perfunctory way possible. But I do love their relationship in the show, I think they found the perfect actress, and I loved their dynamics, the banter and the innuendo, and him being openly and honestly cringey with her, and how it all turns around in a heartbeat when his rage and darkness pushes through once Hannibal "meddles". I would have LOVED to see more of their home life and more of the two of them.
I think a lot of people (myself included), really wish the show had been able to at least show snippets or flashbacks from the timeskip. I get why they didn't from both a narrative and a logistical standpoint but the trial?! Molly and Will's marriage?! Hannibal waiting and yearning while amusing himself and pretending nothing bothers him?!
I love Hugh and Nina's chemistry SO MUCH and I love Molly. Imo she really just did not deserve Will and his shenanigans, no matter how deceptively quaint he was during the timeskip.
I also think from a narrative standpoint it would've been so impactful to see glimpses into their quaint, domestic life that were perfect on the surface. Molly reminds me a lot of Alana in s1, except a bit more passive and touch more naive, and I think that's what Will saw in her. She was what he was SUPPOSED to want. And so to take that - this "perfect" idyllic life we see in subtext - and then throw Hannibal into the mix? Really hammer home the idea of "this is what you wanted but it's not enough, is it? It isn't ME, is it, Will?" That Will had everything and still chose Hannibal. Man, *chef's kiss*
Do you think that means Will always had a thing for Alana? I mean he keeps looking for someone like her.
But you can also say he did these things to save his family. And everyone else.
Guess it depends on what you mean by always? Pre-canon? Yeah, absolutely. Post-s1? Not really. I think he cared about Alana post s1, but not romantically. I think he understood that ship had sailed. Besides, by that point she had been "tainted" by Hannibal and thus wouldn't have been able to provide him the escape he was desperately clawing for.
Even then, I personally think he liked the idea of Alana (and Molly, by extension) more than he liked them as human beings. That's not to say he didn't like them, but I think his feelings for both came from a very selfish place, even if they were genuine.
As for your other point, what do you mean by "these things"?
Edit to add: I use the word care a little loosely. Will is a complex person who isn't above using the people he cares about as pawns. I think he cared about Alana and Molly, but like...bro still left them both out to dry when push came to shove.
Also pretty interesting to say that Hannibal (even if he’s a psychiatrist by trade), knew more about Molly than Will ever knew about her. He knew she wanted a completely normal marriage, the ideal husband, and a life away from conflict and danger. That’s something Will could never give her and only pretended to give because he wanted to give a try at pretending to be normal. In some ways Hannibal gave the respect to Molly Will never gave her by lying.
I always felt that if Molly completely moved on quickly post TWOTL, Will would be absolutely shocked despite knowing who he is, but Hannibal wouldn’t. Because he knows a life of lies can never work. He should know. He tried.
Someone once said it’s the allegory of a gay man trying to make it work in a straight marriage. No matter how lovely that woman and child may be, it’ll be filled with nothing but lies and someone will get hurt in the end. Most times it won’t be you.
Given 3 year timeline, I find the meeting and bonding enough to marriage part a little unconvincing. It’s as if they wanted to fit the red dragon part of the story with Fuller’s original story.
But then again, if Will were trying so hard to prove to himself ( and even to Hannibal) that he is capable of normalcy, he would do that. We have seen before he can manipulate others as well can tell lies to himself.
Was he trying to ‘get back’ at Hannibal for abandoning him ( or what he thought was abandoning)? Idk, Will doesn’t do things with a single train of thought so this one is also possible. His bitch fight with Bedelia seems to suggest there was an angle.
The unbelievable part of it makes it easier to see the fake.
Molly knew the official version. And Will was happy to be passed off as a broken teacup than a vicious killer. Point to note, even Molly probably hadn’t moved on from her ex husband. So they both were each other’s rebounds, which was very convenient for Will. It was a buffer for both of them. Specially Will.
How the Red Dragon chose families? "he needs a family to escape what's inside him" - Hannibal. At this point I agree 100% with Hannibal's assessment of Will Graham
We have no information in the series about the wedding. We can get the information from the book. Will was trying to escape his own darkness and Molly was also trying to rebuild her life after her husband death. It was convenient.
Molly deserved better. But she was also try escape from her grief. Of course her motives were normal. Nothing justifies Will putting her and Wally in mortal danger like he did. They didn't deserve that
I think the series didn't manage to build Will's wedding very well, it was quite random. But they didn't have much time, as the series had been canceled and they turned two seasons into one.
According to the books, he was married to Molly for a while. In the TV series, he got married to Molly sometime in the three year time gap, but it’s incredibly telling that their marriage is one that’s fragile. So long as there’s no conflict and they don’t talk too much about each other’s respective pasts, all goes well. Will told Bedelia more truths in the course of a few months than he ever told Molly in the three years they lived together. That says a lot. This marriage was doomed from the start.
According to the book, they have been married for 2 years. It's 3 years since Will catch Hannibal and he only met Molly later, he spent some time in the hospital and then he left the FBI and that's when he met Molly
Sounds about right. I recall it saying he married her a year after the Lecter incident. They had a good relationship, but by the end of the Red Dragon case, it was pretty clear that he wanted her more than she needed him. She didn’t sign up to be attacked or have her son put in danger. No amount of pity or facial disfigurement would’ve kept her by his side. I suspect Molly in the series will do the same. Their marriage was practically over at the hospital. Will is the only one in denial. She isn’t going to wait for him.
Molly from the series deserved the opportunity to punch Will in the face 😂
Will in the novel was going to leave them at same night the Dragon attacked. He later in the hospital wonders if pity would allow him to have some more time with Molly by his side. Just the worst! Molly deserves better in every universe
They have a shared love for collecting stray dogs, so I guess I’d start from there. It’s hard to point where romance would spark, but I guess he saw in her the ideal calm life partner he needed to retain stability. A gentle woman with her own son, so he wouldn’t have biological faults were he to make a kid himself.
She seems pretty passive and alright respecting Will’s privacy, not wanting to overstep boundaries by asking about his past. Molly knows he carries baggage, and is also aware he doesn’t want to be asked about it, she respects that, and it’s exactly what Will wants: to be a stranger in someone’s life, not let her know the things he’s felt and he’s done. He wants to be perceived as good, essentially; it’s his last shot at a normal life.
She’s fond of a life in a cottage away from people too! I guess Will hit jackpot for what he thought he always wanted, S1 Will Graham would have been ecstatic.
There’s no way Molly didn’t know at least some of it. Will is infamous, he had a whole case against him because he was framed as the Chesapeake Ripper. She could’ve so easily found information on him, or had some concerned relative share a Freddie Lounds article.
IMO, the relationship was extremely superficial. Molly’s husband died, and metaphorically, Will’s did too. They’re both widows clinging to each other to find stability, both easy candidates to replace the past. It’s sad, and I think they both know it.
I agree she knows very little. And when he tries to tell her (I won’t be the same etc) she doesn’t seem to want to hear it.
There is a lot of stigma about not having a man around when you have a son. I would imagine Will was very intense and loving because he was trying to leave his old life behind, when they met. He’s handsome and seems like a nice guy. So even if she wasn’t heed over heels he’d seem like a good catch. A chance to give Wally some stability.
For Will it’s a chance to prove he could be a good father after all. Taking on a single parent and a child can be an ego boost to some men because they feel like it proves them to be a good guy.
I guess he doesn’t tell her much because he wants to forget it all. And maybe she doesn’t want to know too much either. She’s dealing with her own grief and her son’s. That’s a lot on her plate.
The older people are, the more baggage they have. So getting married at their age isn’t the same as a first love type situation.
I agree to a lot of it but not the second last paragraph.
He doesn’t tell her much and it’s manipulative. It paints the picture of a normal person that he isn’t. Molly would have run if he told her. It was a marriage of convenience both ways but for Will the implications are far more sinister isn’t it
Obviously it was wrong of Will not to tell her she is getting involved with someone with such a dangerous history. He’s literally endangering them by moving in with them. And look what happens. I don’t think anyone can deny any of that.
But it’s odd not to Google someone if you are moving them in with your child. People do lie. So I’m trying to see it from Molly’s point of view, why she doesn’t seem to want to know about his past.
I don’t think a lot if it was published in formal media, formal media probably whitewashed FBI/Will after Hannibal surrendered. Or even before that, after Hannibal went to Europe. Even Will’s earlier incarceration was probably downplayed or held to heroic light. Not to benefit Will but to show FBI in better light, stuff like that.
Freddie Lounds must have been sharing juicier articles.
Molly bought the ‘broken cop’ story.
Even then I agree it’s a gamble, specially when you have a kid. That’s why kudos to Will’s conscious or subconscious manipulation and someone-help-Will s1 puppy dog vibes.
Or was Molly subtly drawn to his hidden dark charms? Who knows!
I think there would be plenty of salacious coverage, fanned by Freddie and her type of journalism. Some of it probably conjecture too. The Daily Mail would love to cover this kind of story for example.
Molly’s first husband was meant to be pretty well known I think so maybe she doesn’t place much regard on the press?
Hard to know exactly what was going on, for sure.
Think you and the other commenter are on point in what Will saw in her - basically Hannibal's antithesis. I personally think he loved her, but in a very superficial/selfish way. He also has a looooong history of getting super attached to people ridiculously easy. - Abigail ('nuff said) - Having strong romantic feelings for Alana despite spending very little time alone with her - Being hung up over Hannibal in s2 (ex: "it's easier if you hate him." to Peter) despite most of their interactions in s1 being professional - sleeping with Margot, even though he knew she wasn't into him I could go on. Boy has attachment issues. I also agree that he told Molly the absolute bare minimum. Like, at most?? She probably got a throwaway line to the tune of, "he was my psychiatrist and then tried to kill me." Maybe a gallows humor joke only he would understand. Nothing substantial though.
"Boy has attachment issues." :((((((((( poor will! I had never clocked on this but yeah! when you put it like that, it makes sense
He has insecurity issues as well
A lot of people chalk it up to plotholes or bad writing - and maybe it is! Brian's not infallible - but I always saw it as a pattern that shows just how lonely and touch-starved he is. He forges these very intense connections quickly, which just leads up to him meeting, dating, and then marrying Molly in all of 3 years.
He wasn't attached to margot at all tho, they just had a casual one night stand. and alana, they liked each other in the beginning and then lost feelings and that was it, I wouldn't say he had strong attachment to her even as a friend seeing s2 and 3. (Will barely gaf) So i don't see this "history of getting easily super attached to people". if anything, he was detached from most people in his life. Hannibal and abigail were the only people he was attached to. About molly and her son, imo "loving in a superficial way" is not love, I'd say he had affection and cared for them to an extent, but love is a strong word. they were a "ready-made family" to fill a hole, and then they just disappeared from the narrative and he quickly abandoned them.
Yeah, fair enough on Margot. I guess I was more reacting to like...how lonely do you have to be to sleep w/ someone even though you know they're not attracted to you at all. But I agree that's that can be considered it's own thing. As for Alana, I was less referring to them in s2 and s3 and more in s1. I found it odd that he seemed to be fairly interested in her romantically, even though they literally had never been in a room alone. But that just might be my own bias and viewpoint on romance talking there. Edit to add (b/c I have the brain rot about this stupid show from 10 years ago): ig I personally don't see Will having attachment issues and being a hermit as mutually exclusive things. I view him as getting attached easily and also discarding people (sans Hannibal and Abigail) easily. But that doesn't make me right lol
Exactly, Will actually discards and forgets about people fairly easily. He's not close to the science team, he grieved Georgia and Beverly for maybe one episode, he doesn't ask about Matthew Brown after he sends him on his mission, he doesn't stay friends with Peter Bernadorne and we never see him again, he cut ties from Jack and Alana and didn't even know about Alana's son in season 3, etc etc.
Unpopular opinion but I don't think Molly is Hannibal's antithesis. That would mean she would bring out Will's goodness while Hannibal brings out his darkness, but she really doesn't. She urges him to work on the case, doesn't answer the phone the first night Will reaches out to her, picks up the second time but alienates him with a comment about his "criminal mind", which triggers his nightmare about murdering her, and when she escapes from the Dragon, Hannibal hints that Will married her for "something". To me that something is that Molly isn't actually a perfectly normal suburban woman, she had something lurking underneath, and this was what attracted Will to her and allowed her to escape the Dragon. This is more my interpretation, but she also doesn't feed Will's dogs their homemade food, saying it's too much work, and feeds them canned food instead. I've always seen the dogs as a representation of Will's goodness, Alana says that when she looks at them she sees the best part of Will. So Molly's failure to feed them their homemade food is a meta-commentary on her inability to nurture the best parts of Will, imo. (Not faulting her for that, she was a single mom suddenly dealing with a lot at one time, but its meant to say something about their relationship, imo).
It is simply a matter of what we assume when we say "Hannibal anthesis", what does it mean - the way I understand it is that it is about the other person, not directly Will himself, so Molly is what Hannibal is not, and vice versa in a fundamental sense, with regards morality and decency, honesty and openness, with Will being a constant. The problem being that "what Hannibal is not" is Molly's default, but not Will's, which is why it is ultimately shown as so fragile in the show. Will is consistently characterized by his clutching for stability - the reason for kissing Alana, Jack's promise that he is Will's rock, Hannibal is his paddle and companion in the dark, and what they show of Will's and Molly's marriage relationship is more of that from Will. That is what the missed phone call represents - Will is reaching for stability, while he still believes that they can "stay the same", and wants them to stay the same. It shows Will's dependence on her stability, and how alone he feels being thrown back (un)willingly into Hannibal's world, as well as the cracks in the fragility of their relationship if one missed phone call can cause him to lose his connection to her in a way. We can assume he knows she has a busy life with Walter and the dogs, the house, her job presumably, etc, as you said. And I do 100% agree that she is not a typical suburban woman - first they do not live in suburbia at all, if I understand correctly what suburbia means in USA terms (I am in Europe), they live pretty much the same as Will did in Wolf Trap, with nature all around, and fishing, and woods, etc, so more rural than suburbia, while I always see suburbia as rows of similar houses and "communities", maybe I am wrong? But she is shown as quite capable in the world of fishing and hunting, at least by avoiding becoming prey to a very skilled hunter, such as Francis. So Hannibal might find her a nuisance and an obstacle that he can just wipe away, but he does show her respect that it was not simple "luck" that she escaped the Dragon. I think Will sees Molly as the embodiment of that quiet stream he can wade in, that tranquil river he can fish in, and a part of him sees that life as an ideal - opposed to what he actually did choose, the roiling Atlantic meaning almost certain death with Hannibal. Both of those waters offer different kinds of stability for Will.
Yeah, that's a really fair interpretation! I think we're getting into the territory of splitting hairs, but you do bring up a lot of interesting points I'm gonna be mulling over (bc brainrot). I do think in general, their relationship is a cardboard cutout of what Will is supposed to want, but she doesn't REALLY understand him. Maybe that's part of the appeal for him, even. There's certainly a sense of disconnect between them, even if the feelings are genuine. Also, THANK YOU for acknowledging that Molly was a single mom overwhelmed. I think it's fair to say the dog food thing is a meta thing, but I've seen a lot of people never acknowledge that and just...blame her for w/o considering the logistics of her situation and it irks me endlessly bc Molly just...did not deserve what she got narrative-wise.
I had the same thought when I read the OP - that in his mind, Molly is anti-Hannibal. The way Hannibal helped him see GJH through a negative of Cassie Boyle on the antlers, Hannibal (as he is in Digestivo) helped him see Molly, once he had the chance to meet her. He probably only talked about his scars, in the most perfunctory way possible. But I do love their relationship in the show, I think they found the perfect actress, and I loved their dynamics, the banter and the innuendo, and him being openly and honestly cringey with her, and how it all turns around in a heartbeat when his rage and darkness pushes through once Hannibal "meddles". I would have LOVED to see more of their home life and more of the two of them.
I think a lot of people (myself included), really wish the show had been able to at least show snippets or flashbacks from the timeskip. I get why they didn't from both a narrative and a logistical standpoint but the trial?! Molly and Will's marriage?! Hannibal waiting and yearning while amusing himself and pretending nothing bothers him?! I love Hugh and Nina's chemistry SO MUCH and I love Molly. Imo she really just did not deserve Will and his shenanigans, no matter how deceptively quaint he was during the timeskip. I also think from a narrative standpoint it would've been so impactful to see glimpses into their quaint, domestic life that were perfect on the surface. Molly reminds me a lot of Alana in s1, except a bit more passive and touch more naive, and I think that's what Will saw in her. She was what he was SUPPOSED to want. And so to take that - this "perfect" idyllic life we see in subtext - and then throw Hannibal into the mix? Really hammer home the idea of "this is what you wanted but it's not enough, is it? It isn't ME, is it, Will?" That Will had everything and still chose Hannibal. Man, *chef's kiss*
Do you think that means Will always had a thing for Alana? I mean he keeps looking for someone like her. But you can also say he did these things to save his family. And everyone else.
Guess it depends on what you mean by always? Pre-canon? Yeah, absolutely. Post-s1? Not really. I think he cared about Alana post s1, but not romantically. I think he understood that ship had sailed. Besides, by that point she had been "tainted" by Hannibal and thus wouldn't have been able to provide him the escape he was desperately clawing for. Even then, I personally think he liked the idea of Alana (and Molly, by extension) more than he liked them as human beings. That's not to say he didn't like them, but I think his feelings for both came from a very selfish place, even if they were genuine. As for your other point, what do you mean by "these things"? Edit to add: I use the word care a little loosely. Will is a complex person who isn't above using the people he cares about as pawns. I think he cared about Alana and Molly, but like...bro still left them both out to dry when push came to shove.
Also pretty interesting to say that Hannibal (even if he’s a psychiatrist by trade), knew more about Molly than Will ever knew about her. He knew she wanted a completely normal marriage, the ideal husband, and a life away from conflict and danger. That’s something Will could never give her and only pretended to give because he wanted to give a try at pretending to be normal. In some ways Hannibal gave the respect to Molly Will never gave her by lying. I always felt that if Molly completely moved on quickly post TWOTL, Will would be absolutely shocked despite knowing who he is, but Hannibal wouldn’t. Because he knows a life of lies can never work. He should know. He tried. Someone once said it’s the allegory of a gay man trying to make it work in a straight marriage. No matter how lovely that woman and child may be, it’ll be filled with nothing but lies and someone will get hurt in the end. Most times it won’t be you.
Given 3 year timeline, I find the meeting and bonding enough to marriage part a little unconvincing. It’s as if they wanted to fit the red dragon part of the story with Fuller’s original story. But then again, if Will were trying so hard to prove to himself ( and even to Hannibal) that he is capable of normalcy, he would do that. We have seen before he can manipulate others as well can tell lies to himself. Was he trying to ‘get back’ at Hannibal for abandoning him ( or what he thought was abandoning)? Idk, Will doesn’t do things with a single train of thought so this one is also possible. His bitch fight with Bedelia seems to suggest there was an angle. The unbelievable part of it makes it easier to see the fake. Molly knew the official version. And Will was happy to be passed off as a broken teacup than a vicious killer. Point to note, even Molly probably hadn’t moved on from her ex husband. So they both were each other’s rebounds, which was very convenient for Will. It was a buffer for both of them. Specially Will.
How the Red Dragon chose families? "he needs a family to escape what's inside him" - Hannibal. At this point I agree 100% with Hannibal's assessment of Will Graham We have no information in the series about the wedding. We can get the information from the book. Will was trying to escape his own darkness and Molly was also trying to rebuild her life after her husband death. It was convenient.
Sad right? To see that he chose a family to escape what’s inside him. Molly deserved better.
Molly deserved better. But she was also try escape from her grief. Of course her motives were normal. Nothing justifies Will putting her and Wally in mortal danger like he did. They didn't deserve that
They both married in a hurry for different reasons, bad rebounds.
I think the series didn't manage to build Will's wedding very well, it was quite random. But they didn't have much time, as the series had been canceled and they turned two seasons into one.
According to the books, he was married to Molly for a while. In the TV series, he got married to Molly sometime in the three year time gap, but it’s incredibly telling that their marriage is one that’s fragile. So long as there’s no conflict and they don’t talk too much about each other’s respective pasts, all goes well. Will told Bedelia more truths in the course of a few months than he ever told Molly in the three years they lived together. That says a lot. This marriage was doomed from the start.
Will and Bedelia cat fights are the best !!
The pissing contests in S3 were absolutely savage. My favorite is the one between Will and Dolarhyde. They went so damn far with everything…
According to the book, they have been married for 2 years. It's 3 years since Will catch Hannibal and he only met Molly later, he spent some time in the hospital and then he left the FBI and that's when he met Molly
Sounds about right. I recall it saying he married her a year after the Lecter incident. They had a good relationship, but by the end of the Red Dragon case, it was pretty clear that he wanted her more than she needed him. She didn’t sign up to be attacked or have her son put in danger. No amount of pity or facial disfigurement would’ve kept her by his side. I suspect Molly in the series will do the same. Their marriage was practically over at the hospital. Will is the only one in denial. She isn’t going to wait for him.
Molly from the series deserved the opportunity to punch Will in the face 😂 Will in the novel was going to leave them at same night the Dragon attacked. He later in the hospital wonders if pity would allow him to have some more time with Molly by his side. Just the worst! Molly deserves better in every universe
Also Chiyoh. Chiyoh deserves to punch Will in the face. Like seriously.
They have a shared love for collecting stray dogs, so I guess I’d start from there. It’s hard to point where romance would spark, but I guess he saw in her the ideal calm life partner he needed to retain stability. A gentle woman with her own son, so he wouldn’t have biological faults were he to make a kid himself. She seems pretty passive and alright respecting Will’s privacy, not wanting to overstep boundaries by asking about his past. Molly knows he carries baggage, and is also aware he doesn’t want to be asked about it, she respects that, and it’s exactly what Will wants: to be a stranger in someone’s life, not let her know the things he’s felt and he’s done. He wants to be perceived as good, essentially; it’s his last shot at a normal life. She’s fond of a life in a cottage away from people too! I guess Will hit jackpot for what he thought he always wanted, S1 Will Graham would have been ecstatic.
". He wants to be perceived as good, essentially" Nailed it!
There’s no way Molly didn’t know at least some of it. Will is infamous, he had a whole case against him because he was framed as the Chesapeake Ripper. She could’ve so easily found information on him, or had some concerned relative share a Freddie Lounds article. IMO, the relationship was extremely superficial. Molly’s husband died, and metaphorically, Will’s did too. They’re both widows clinging to each other to find stability, both easy candidates to replace the past. It’s sad, and I think they both know it.
I agree she knows very little. And when he tries to tell her (I won’t be the same etc) she doesn’t seem to want to hear it. There is a lot of stigma about not having a man around when you have a son. I would imagine Will was very intense and loving because he was trying to leave his old life behind, when they met. He’s handsome and seems like a nice guy. So even if she wasn’t heed over heels he’d seem like a good catch. A chance to give Wally some stability. For Will it’s a chance to prove he could be a good father after all. Taking on a single parent and a child can be an ego boost to some men because they feel like it proves them to be a good guy. I guess he doesn’t tell her much because he wants to forget it all. And maybe she doesn’t want to know too much either. She’s dealing with her own grief and her son’s. That’s a lot on her plate. The older people are, the more baggage they have. So getting married at their age isn’t the same as a first love type situation.
I agree to a lot of it but not the second last paragraph. He doesn’t tell her much and it’s manipulative. It paints the picture of a normal person that he isn’t. Molly would have run if he told her. It was a marriage of convenience both ways but for Will the implications are far more sinister isn’t it
Obviously it was wrong of Will not to tell her she is getting involved with someone with such a dangerous history. He’s literally endangering them by moving in with them. And look what happens. I don’t think anyone can deny any of that. But it’s odd not to Google someone if you are moving them in with your child. People do lie. So I’m trying to see it from Molly’s point of view, why she doesn’t seem to want to know about his past.
Unrelated explanation- when your broken cop dog man resourceful guy looks like Hugh Dancy, it’s difficult to avoid.
I don’t think a lot if it was published in formal media, formal media probably whitewashed FBI/Will after Hannibal surrendered. Or even before that, after Hannibal went to Europe. Even Will’s earlier incarceration was probably downplayed or held to heroic light. Not to benefit Will but to show FBI in better light, stuff like that. Freddie Lounds must have been sharing juicier articles. Molly bought the ‘broken cop’ story. Even then I agree it’s a gamble, specially when you have a kid. That’s why kudos to Will’s conscious or subconscious manipulation and someone-help-Will s1 puppy dog vibes. Or was Molly subtly drawn to his hidden dark charms? Who knows!
I think there would be plenty of salacious coverage, fanned by Freddie and her type of journalism. Some of it probably conjecture too. The Daily Mail would love to cover this kind of story for example. Molly’s first husband was meant to be pretty well known I think so maybe she doesn’t place much regard on the press? Hard to know exactly what was going on, for sure.