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 Graham and Lecter's progress into their therapy and their personal effects as Randall Tier's corpse is found in a museum.
Meanwhile, Margot Verger (Katharine Isabelle) learns of a new plan from her brother Mason (Michael Pitt), while Freddie Lounds (Lara Jean Chorostecki) attempts to find more about Graham and Lecter.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 2.28 million household viewers and gained a 0.9/4 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
BAU investigates a murder found at the museum, where Tier's body has been mutilated and its part were displayed over a saber-tooth exhibition.
During therapy, Lecter tells Margot that she hasn't killed her brother Mason because she still loves him despite his abuse.
Mason takes her to the barn and shows her that he is working with specially bred pigs on a maze, hoping that the animals will eat people.
Lounds approaches Bloom on the campus, noting that there is a pattern between Lecter's patients dying and even suggests that he and Graham are killing.
When Bloom reveals the theory that Lounds told her, Lecter puts on his plastic suit and waits at her apartment to kill her.
[2] Later, Michael Pitt joined the series to play Mason, "an unstable wealthy patient of Dr. Hannibal Lecter who begins a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with the deadly serial killer.
[6] With these ratings, Hannibal ranked third on its timeslot and ninth for the night in the 18-49 demographics, behind Kitchen Nightmares, Unforgettable, Dateline NBC, Hawaii Five-0, Grimm, Blue Bloods, 20/20, and Shark Tank.
And yet, earlier in the hour, Freddie brought up Abigail to Will, saying that even if she gave up the story she was pursuing about Hannibal in fact being the Ripper, she would 'never let that go.'
Club gave the episode a "B" and wrote, "In the kaiseki meal that the second season follows, naka-choko is a palate cleanser.
"[9] Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "Watching 'Naka-Choko' felt a bit like attending a performance by a great magician.
Even if you go in knowing it's fake, and determined to find the truth behind the illusions, you're damned if you can actually identify how the trick works.
"[12] Nick McHatton of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 3.6 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Mason Verger's introduction makes one hope that Hannibal will be killing him off quickly, so he must be doing something right.