TV Review: Killing Eve Is Ending Season 3 On A Lovely Note
I am convinced, this season, that Eve (played by the fabulous Sandra Oh) has Stockholm Syndrome. Her connection of love to the woman who has destroyed her life, including shooting her, is fascinating to watch because Villanelle (played marvelously and memorably by Jodie Comer) is a charm. Yet, she has killed a LOT of people, enjoyed it, and did so, at times, with no motive beyond the fact that she is a good killer. As the season concludes on BBC, this Sunday at 9, the audience, like Eve and Villanelle, are left wondering whether she could be a good person.
From visiting her family to protecting Eve, in her own right, this season has been about “goodifying” Villanelle or, at least, making us wonder if she could have been “saved.” When it comes to villains, the “nature vs nurture” argument will always pop up because we ask ourselves whether someone can inherently be evil or if enough bad choices can make them so. In its season finale, Killing Eve seemingly concludes that it is both. Eve and Villanelle have monsters, but the latter’s darkness was both seen and exacerbated by the people around her like, the insufferable Konstantin (Kim Bodnia). The result has made audiences feel for a character that, again, is likable but nevertheless horrible.
Sneak Peek: Are You Leading or Am I? | Killing Eve Sundays at 9pm | BBC America & AMC
Comer’s performance is so stellar, especially in the finale. Her ability to add emotional nuance to a character that is seemingly emotionless is, in part, why we love Villanelle. She appears free; does, says, and takes what she wants, unbothered by costs, because she could, literally, take on the world and win. Yet, Villanelle’s attraction to Eve is that she fights her darkness and, in that, she observes Eve to be liberated. Eve fights her darkness to have some semblance of a life or, at least, bond with people, which is why Oh’s performance is both empowering and heartbreaking. She is constantly being broken down only to stand up and find another way to mend. #fierce
Killing Eve 3×08 Promo “Are You Leading or Am I?” (HD) Season Finale | Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer series
Comer and Oh’s dynamic is like watching Batman and The Joker date. It is hard not to absorb the chemistry between Eve and Villanelle, especially if they have a tango scene together. Still, Villanelle wonders if it was or could ever be possible for her to be happy when she has so many sins. Honestly, who has a happy ending as a serial killer? Moreover, who wants them to have one? This question permeates throughout the season and, especially in the finale, as the audience, like Eve, struggle to quit Villanelle. She is the flame and we are the moths, which is why their “potential romance” will have everyone feeling an inevitable burn.
