“Admit it, Eve. You wish I was here.”
THE KISS!!!
This was a fantastic instalment of Killing Eve. The shock and grief of Kenny’s (Sean Delaney) murder is developing into a coherent motivator to develop plot and character for both Carolyn (Fiona Shaw) and Eve (Sandra Oh). The characterizations of how the characters we know have changed and some of the newer ones we’ve been introduced to are gelling together quite well, especially for Mo (Raj Bajaj) and Dasha (Harriet Walter). This episode’s final sequence also benefits immensely from the immediate sense of dread established at the end of the season opener. The murder of Kenny suddenly made it all the more plausible that the show would potentially do the full gamble – even if part of us knew that it was unlikely that Carolyn or Mo would go out just yet. That the tension still works is a testament to how well Killing Eve is evolving in its third season.
Killing Eve‘s new characters are settling into this stylish and bizarre landscape beautifully. Geraldine (Gemma Whelan) is not a one-note character but rather a complex, calming anchor that Carolyn needs in her life right now, no matter how much she may not want to admit that. Carolyn may not be a fan of people but being around someone who is so empathetic keeps her from losing ground and her role in the world around her. Mo is coming into his own nicely. He’s a little naïve, but there is clearly something that Carolyn sees in him to bring him on board. The assassination that takes place right behind him jolts him into realizing the truth of what Eve was telling him just earlier: this work is dangerous.
When Villanelle (Jodie Comer) is assigned a target in London, she hesitates at first. London is forever mixed with Eve in her mind and the news of her “former foe,” as she puts it, surviving her bullet leaves her a confused mess. She’s irritated, she’s thrilled, and she is intoxicated by the news. Going to London means sorting herself out in the midst of all of these turbulent emotions but she goes anyway, the desire for Eve overcoming everything else. She’s nervous – the confidence that she was introduced with in the pilot giving way to a shaky reassurance that she has everything under control.
The most notable development, of course, is that Eve and Villanelle come face to face once again. The setting is delightfully mundane – a bus that is happily not too crowded. Eve looks up and sees Vilanelle in a baggy gray suit and for a moment, it seems that it was just a bit of a mistake, a mirage. There’s a surreal quality heightened by the nature of the scene being on public transit. The fight is more hilarious than dramatic, which is possibly what the series was going for – but the kiss was everything. It’s been a couple dozen episodes of building sexual and intellectual attraction and here it’s sealed, suddenly, satisfying. The moment pauses for just the right amount of time and then suddenly we’re off again, Eve and Villanelle left pondering that moment, gripped by its tight, bright lips.
Notes:
+ The opening sequence is a perfect balancing of horror and dark humour.
+ I can’t get over the baby in the bin.
+ Mo can join me in the tub anytime.
+ “That is literally the most parenting this household has ever seen.”
+ “You don’t set up an account in Geneva for transparency.” Mo spilling the tea. Read The Panama Papers and The Laundromat.
+ “Do you have any idea what happens to people who are protected by MI6?”
+ “There are plenty of people, like a certain group of monks in China and Emily Brontë, who rarely had human contact.”
Relatable Content:
+ Loud gummy chewers are the worst.
+ “Do you want to know what I’m about to tell you? No? Well, I’m gonna tell you anyway.”
+ Yes, Villanelle, I have also wanted to “smell like a Roman centurion who’s coming across an old foe”
+ “And don’t talk about Stalin. He’s strictly third date!” I have never laughed harder at a line on this show and Gemma Whelan’s delivery was perfect. I also felt that she was speaking directly to me – “Akash, don’t tell the guy you’re on a date with that you thought that young Joseph Stalin was hot!”
+ Carolyn’s reaction to being stood up: “Don’t worry. I’ll have him killed.”
+ “There’s nothing I enjoy more than some salacious financial gossip.”
+ Carolyn having a massive hangover and calling in sick. (“The official line is ‘migraine.’”)
Outfits (3):
+ That polka dot and golden skirt number? Lord – the little design with the tie on top is so good.
+ Carolyn’s stakeout coat. It’s like a winter landscape pattern – but on a coat! How does she do it?!
+ Red looks good on you, Carolyn!
