Shipping Confessions: Hannigram (Hannibal tv series)

I have no clue why I haven't talked about this ship sooner since I ship it very hard. It is one of those ships that me, and other shippers, think should be canon. Behind the scenes, Bryan Fuller has stated it's canon but not in a sexual sense. For me, I ship it with sex included.

The ship is from the show Hannibal which is about Will Graham solving crimes and his relationship to the cannibal Hannibal Lecter. The series is extremely well done in every aspect. Including casting choices and visuals.

The ship I will be talking about today is Hannigram (aka between Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham). It is one of those ships that is so twisted it is a joy for me but not something I'd support in real life.

Will Graham is an FBI agent who is extremely empathetic. It is his gift and his curse. He fears that because he can understand killers so well that he will become a killer. In the Second Season you get a glimpse of Will going dark.

Will also has things to occupy him outside of the workplace. This includes fishing and his endless collection of stray dogs. We only learn the name of one of his dogs over the course of two seasons (Winston) which makes writing fanfiction about his dogs hard.* The only times we see him fly fishing are in his 'dream palace'. His love of fishing was also one of the reasons he was falsely accused and arrested for Hannibal's murders.

Will is a very kind man and he only does his job because he wants to help people. Even if that includes endangering his psyche on a daily basis.

Hannibal Lecter is on the other end of the spectrum from Will. Hannibal has a moral code so he's not a complete monster, but he is still not a little angel either. The first thing Hannibal cares about is himself. If anyone gets in his way or threatens him, he will kill them. Even if he loves them or considers them a dear friend. The Season 2 finale made that clear.

Hannibal is very good at playing people and making them look at one thing while he does something completely different. He makes people think he's there for them only to betray them later. Again, Hannibal does have a code so he doesn't do things just to be cruel. He does things to survive which are cruel.

Hannibal is, of course, a cannibal. But he doesn't kill just to kill. He prefers to 'eat the rude', but he is also able to eat those who get in his way. Over the course of the series, so far, he has made human flesh look very appetizing. His cooking, like the rest of his interests, is very prim and proper. He doesn't just prepare a meal, he prepares a show.

Hannibal is attracted to Will because he sees a kinship in him. Hannibal knows that Will is one of the few people that would ever truly understand him. Hannibal is lonely and wishes for friendship even while he is really horrible at making friends. Because of his perverted idea of friendship, he isn't good at a real relationship.

So Hannibal and Will's relationship is already on rocky ground because Hannibal isn't honest nor does he treat Will fairly. Hannibal's thoughts is that he is opening up Will to his true potential. Another of the nicknames for this ship is 'Murder Husbands' which sums up how Hannibal wants the relationship to go.

While Hannibal is cruel, he does have a kind side. In Season 2, when Will knows what Hannibal is, things get a little more flirty. For lack of a better word. They get very close to each other and even in the Season 2 finale you can see that both are sorry for the ways things had to be. But Hannigram, at the end of the day, isn't a stable relationship at all.

Will does like Hannibal even though he knows that the cannibal isn't good for him. He warns the killer in the Season 2 finale that Jack is coming so that Hannibal can make his escape. Even while Will is pretending to be Hannibal's friend, there is a part of him that loves the man.

One scene that occurs in Season 1 is very sexually charged with Hannibal coming forward and Will going back against a ladder. In Season 2 Will says he wants to kill Hannibal with his hands and the cannibal seems a little turned on at the thought.

If you don't ship Hannigram because you're disturbed by it, I totally understand. It is not a happy ship and if you're one of the people that only ship ships that you would in real life, I can totally understand you not shipping this. But if you're a fellow Hannigram shipper, you have nothing to be ashamed of.

What will I talk about next Shipping Confessions? From the show Elementary I'll show you the best detective and his protege.

*= Someone on Facebook has told me that we do know the name of one other of Will's dogs: Buster.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shipping Confessions Table of Contents