BBC America's 'Killing Eve' is fiercely fresh and you should watch it

Warning: contains spoilers for all three seasons of Killing Eve.

For me and many others, binge-watching new shows is a temporary escape from the mundanity of lockdown life. It draws us into a world that consumes us for a week or two and then leaves us ruminating on it until we find the next big thing.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Killing Eve has been one of those shows for me. It is unlike any other spy drama I have really seen before, and the originality and appeal of the two central characters made it difficult to stop watching.

When highly-intelligent, deskbound MI5 agent Eve Polastri (portrayed by Sandra Oh) is pulled into a covert investigation of a foreign assassination, she is tasked with tracking down prolific Russian assassin Villanelle. The determined Polastri springs at the opportunity of a more interesting and active job that eventually bleeds into her lifestyle, leaving disastrous consequences. As Eve becomes more obsessed with finding Villanelle, we witness the gradual decay of her previously healthy relationship with husband Niko - until Eve’s once normal life is just a memory.

Oksana Astankova, professional name Villanelle, brings a distinct flare to her kills. The controversial glamorisation of serial killers is something we have seen plenty of on T.V, but it is difficult not to be captivated by this imaginative, morbidly witty, and all round fascinating character. Villanelle is stylistic and infectious, occasionally mirroring Andrew Scott’s Moriarty in her eccentric facial expressions and mannerisms. Within the first few episodes of the first season it becomes clear that Villanelle is not just one character, but the master of a subset of characters. She flawlessly switches from a strong Russian accent to that of a quintessential English woman in a matter of seconds. Villanelle has expensive taste, and her lavish outfits, ranging from intricately patterned suits to bright floral dresses, underpin the boldness and charisma of this extraordinary antagonist. Her malleability enables her to stand out in a crowd whilst simultaneously blending in, and it is clear that she dresses for nobody but herself. In direct contrast, Eve’s style feels thrown together at the last minute, mirroring the character’s chaotic and flustered manner. On the surface, the awkward Eve and polished Villanelle couldn’t be more different, and this contrast is what makes the dynamic between the two so strangely alluring. They are foils to one another, even in the clothes they wear.

Or so it seems.

As the story progresses, the two form an unlikely partnership and the disturbing similarities between them are gradually uncovered.

Why are we so drawn to murderous, psychotic characters - and even more, why do we root for them even when we know of their violence? What makes Villanelle, portrayed excellently by Jodie Comer, so enticing?

Alex De Large, protagonist of Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange, also exudes a similar disturbing allure, which he uses to charm himself into the houses of innocent strangers. We end up rooting for him despite seeing his horrific crimes for ourselves, in a similar way to how we find ourselves sympathising with Villanelle. Although the similarities are clear, Killing Eve is enticing in a weirdly refreshing way. The show breaks new ground through its depiction of an unconventional female psychopath, and Villanelle deviates from the traditional femme fatale; she is independent. As Jodie Comer herself says - the mass killer doesn’t just use her seduction, she uses her wit and feigned humanity to get through to her victims. When seduction doesn’t work, that’s no problem, she can just tap into her many other skills to carry out a murder that is more imaginative than the last.

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“What did he do to you? Tell me.”

“Ok, but can we get one thing clear before we go on with this?”

“Yes.”

“Is that a sweater attached to a shirt?”

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Despite the whole mass killer situation - Villanelle has certain qualities that make her a little more human and even relatable. Her perpetual boredom, disgust at having to wear a pair of crocs, and the fact that she messes up from time to time all make her relatable. Some of her actions manifest the more impulsive and audacious side that every one of us has, and this is immediately clear from the opening scene in which Villanelle nonchalantly flicks a bowl of ice cream onto a child. This scene is both shocking and simultaneously amusing because Villanelle can get away with it while we most certainly couldn’t.

The gradual humanisation of Villanelle’s character throughout the three seasons demonstrates that maybe psychopaths are capable of change. These are the humanising qualities that compel viewers to watch the show and become invested in Villanelle’s character.

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“The only thing that makes you interesting is me.”

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Throughout the series, Villanelle illuminates the darker side of Eve, highlighting psychopathic tendencies that were once deeply repressed. Eve leaves a colleague lying in a pool of his own blood to save Villanelle, she allows her marriage to deteriorate, and is ultimately unfaithful to her husband. Eve’s autonomy is endangered, but she had a choice all along, yet she can’t seem to stay away - because life is far less boring now. For Eve, Villanelle provides a 'new normal'. In the season two finale, Eve, shaking and sweating, brutally murders a man using an axe as she is under the impression that Villanelle is in trouble. Villanelle uses this to manipulate Eve into thinking they are alike, in a desperate and ultimately futile attempt to establish a connection.

After watching a couple of interviews of Jodie Comer talking about her character on Killing Eve, I felt increasingly unsettled because it was difficult not to imagine that this was Villanelle speaking, and fooling everyone with her flawless Merseyside accent. Villanelle is so good that you can’t help but imagine that Jodie Comer is another one of her infinite personalities. Each disguise is a reminder of Villanelle’s job, and a reminder of how harrowing and disturbed she actually is.

However, shifting from the rabid cruelty that Villanelle displays in seasons one and two, Villanelle displays a more vulnerable side in season three. This can be clearly seen during a brief interaction she has with the baby of one of her victims. She asks Konstantin:

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“Do you think people smiled with joy when they saw my little face?”

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Villanelle somehow can’t grasp what it is about babies that makes everyone love them so much. She starts to contemplate what kind of baby she was, and this reveals a twisted innocence to the character that we hadn’t previously seen before. The encounter with the baby prompts Villanelle’s desire to trace back her roots and locate the remainder of her family in Russia, and it is in this particular episode that we most clearly witness Villanelle’s desire for connection and love - especially during those moments where she pleads for acceptance from her mother. Villanelle desperately tries to dig up loose memories to find the roots of the "darkness" inside of her, because after all, our memories give us the responses that make us human.

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“I’ve killed a lot of people.”

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When Villanelle confesses this to her mother, she is met with a blank response, a look that seems to say “That’s your problem.” In complete contrast, when Villanelle admits this to Eve in the season three finale, Eve provides a sign of her acceptance. She responds to the confession with a gentle “I know”, and Villanelle’s sigh of relief that follows this proves that Eve has given her the acknowledgement and validation she so desperately longed for.

Throughout season three, Villanelle’s perspective widens. Her kills start to lack the ingenuity and stealth they once had, and following her return to her family home, she softens.

Although season three definitely appears to lose sight of its central relationship, the series ultimately returns to the primary focus of the show in the finale, as the duo peer over London Bridge. One season before, Villanelle's view of love was marked by an assertion of power and authority, and the evolution of Villanelle’s character prompts us to question whether psychopaths are actually capable of love. If Villanelle was really willing to part ways with Eve during the season three finale if that is what Eve wanted, does this mean that our cold blooded killer always had the capacity for some sort of love and just needed to find it?

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“Now what?”

“Now we walk, and we never look back.”

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Killing Eve brings a unique freshness to the genres of spy and crime drama, and for that reason I will be talking about it for a while, probably until season four is released. Now is a better time than ever to binge watch this show. Have you got anywhere else to be?