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.
Graham has a therapy session with Bedelia Du Maurier (Gillian Anderson), explaining that he is starting to imagine himself committing the murders by "The Tooth Fairy".
Lecter talks with Crawford (Laurence Fishburne), deeming Graham as the "Lamb of God" and that his "wrath" should be of concern to them.
Graham wants to make a meeting with Freddie Lounds (Lara Jean Chorostecki) where he will provoke the killer out of hiding by talking badly about him but they feel he needs someone with him.
The team uses Graham and Chilton for an interview with Lounds, where they claim that "The Tooth Fairy" is a "vicious, perverted, sexual failure" and a product of incest.
However, Dolarhyde states he will now understand his pain, revealing his abnormally sharp teeth and bites Chilton's lips.
[1] In July 2015, NBC announced that the twelfth episode of the season would be titled "The Number of the Beast Is 666", with co-executive producer Jeff Vlaming, Angela Lamanna, series creator Bryan Fuller, and executive producer Steve Lightfoot writing the episode and Navarro directing.
Club gave the episode an "A−" and wrote, "While Francis Dolarhyde becomes, Will Graham actively works against these evil impulses.
"[9] Becca Nadler of IndieWire gave the episode an "A" and wrote, "Unsurprisingly, Will isn't taking the attack on his family particularly well.
"[11] Keith Staskiewicz of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "Chilton manages to tell Will and Jack that he saw a blind, black woman named Reba at his house.
"[12] Chuck Bowen of Slant Magazine wrote, "'The Number of the Beast Is 666' finds Will and Jack turning desperate as Francis remains at large, with their only pipeline to the killer embodied by an increasingly contemptuous, puckish Hannibal.
Said desperation is predominantly embodied by three conversations, duets as always, that serve to heavily foreshadow whatever awaits us next week in Hannibal's season, perhaps series, finale.
"[15] Robin Harry of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Remember that crate of Emmys I was talking about?
This week, we needed another full crate for Raúl Esparza, who was beyond incredible as Frederick Chilton found himself in a... well... sticky situation.
There have been more-than-subtextual references to more-than-friendship between them all along, but it's still startling to have it spelled out so fully in the opening moments of 'The Number of the Beast is 666', where the Brides of Hannibal get into some real talk.
"[17] Adam Lehrer of Forbes wrote, "With only one episode left, 'The Number of the Beast is 666' finds Hannibal the series asking itself what are its primary motives and themes?
"[18] Britt Hayes of ScreenCrush wrote, "Mads Mikkelsen is having the absolute best time of his life relishing his role as Hannibal Lecter with devilish smirks and arrogant monologues.