The series is based on characters and elements appearing in Thomas Harris' novels Red Dragon and Hannibal, with focus on the relationship between FBI special investigator Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), a forensic psychiatrist destined to become Graham's most cunning enemy.
The episode revolves around the events after the massacre at Lecter's house and reveals the fate of what happened to Will Graham, Jack Crawford and Alana Bloom.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 1.46 million household viewers and gained a 0.4/1 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
After Mason shows his disfigured face, he tells Chilton that he is putting a $1 million bounty worldwide for any information on Lecter's (Mads Mikkelsen) whereabouts.
When he recovers and returns home, Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) visits Graham to question him about the night at Lecter's house.
[2] The second season episode, "Yakimono", had Frederick Chilton shot in the face and no explanation of what happened later or his character's fate.
[2] In January 2015, Glenn Fleshler was announced to play Cordell, "the personal doctor to a disfigured Mason Verger, quiet, very intelligent, and definitely creepy.
"[4] In December 2014, it was announced that Michael Pitt chose not to return to play Mason Verger, being replaced by Joe Anderson.
[7] With these ratings, Hannibal ranked third on its timeslot and tenth for the night in the 18-49 demographics, behind Aquarius, Rookie Blue, Mistresses, The Astronaut Wives Club, Boom!, Wayward Pines, Under the Dome, Dateline NBC, and Big Brother.
That aside, this was a really cool, layered episode that gave us our biggest information dump yet this season in a compelling, nuanced manner.
Oh, and we met yet another well-crafted, creepy character, in the form of Mason's physical therapist, Cordell – a guy who doesn't blink at his boss calmly telling him to make arrangements to have another man eaten alive.
But in catching up with Hannibal's many victims from season 2, it has a clarity and sense of purpose that the series occasionally ignores in favor of putting its audience into a dream state right along with Will.
"[11] Mark Rozeman of Paste gave the episode a 9.5 out of 10 and wrote, "Despite how much I enjoyed the experimental entries earlier this season, 'Aperitivo' provides a welcome relief from that structure, again proving that Hannibal knows exactly when to pivot its approach to avoid becoming stale.
"[15] Chuck Bowen of Slant Magazine wrote, "The title of last night's episode of Hannibal, 'Aperitivo', is a reference to an alcoholic drink served at the beginning of a meal to stimulate the appetite.
Correspondingly, the episode functions as a tone-setter and palette cleanser, sketching in the events that immediately transpired in the wake of the titular character's rampage at the end of the last season.
Even if we are treated to some of the most intimately gruesome images of the series thus far, without Hannibal around, the dread factor (and my heart rate) stays considerably lower.
"[18] Emma Dibdin of Digital Spy wrote, "So now, after this episode which must be the most Hannibal-light in Hannibal history, the stage is set for an extraordinarily bloody showdown in Italy.
"[20] Britt Hayes of ScreenCrush wrote, "The end of the episode adds further complexity to Will's mental state: while he's still enamored with his 'friend' and needs to reunite with Hannibal in order to reconcile his confused feelings, he remains morally clear.