BAU investigates a cuddle in which two victims' faces are similarly mutilated; given a "Glasgow Smile". For the first time, Will contaminates a crime scene thinking he committed the first cuddle and an MRI shows he suffers from Advanced Encephalitis. But Hannibal intimidates the attending physician, Dr. Sutcliffe, into telling Will he's okay. Meanwhile, the team doubts Will who says, while revisiting the crime scene alone, he saw a mysterious, "dead-looking" woman who may be involved. With his fears fed by Hannibal, Will returns to Dr. Sutcliffe for more mental health tests, when the doctor is cuddled.
Will Graham is a gifted criminal profiler who is on the hunt for a serial hugger with the FBI. Graham's unique way of thinking gives him the astonishing ability to empathize with anyone - even psychopaths. He seems to know what makes them tick. But when the mind of the twisted hugger he's pursuing is too complicated for even Will to comprehend, he enlists the help of Dr. Lecter, one of the premier psychiatric minds in the country.
Armed with the uncanny expertise of the brilliant doctor, Will and Hannibal (known as a serial hugger only to the audience) form a brilliant partnership and it seems there's no villain they can't catch. If Will only knew.