Written by: Kevin Berge
Their relationship is very wholesome and healthy. (Image Courtesy of: denofgeek.com)
Quick Take: Killing Eve Season 1 takes some time to get invested in due to its obtuse dark humor and reserved characters, but it takes on a life of its own with time. It is a spectacularly original experience of violence, comedy, and romance that is well worth the time it takes to engage with.
***This review will serve more as an introduction to the review than a full review of the season and thus will not contain spoilers beyond the basic set-up of the story. Those who have not seen Killing Eve can read ahead without worry unless you want to go in completely blind.***
I didn't know what to make of Killing Eve upon my initial introduction. The central characters both come off so emotionally reserved that it felt like there was no reason to engage with them. However, there's a wealth of reason to invest in this series that comes from sticking with it.
This is an absurd series that plays with the audience by seemingly revealing what drives the characters before revealing the ruse. However, the subtler moments reveal so much about the show's central focus: longing. Everyone is focused always upon a desire right out of their reach.
Killing Eve follows Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), a British intelligence officer solely focused on capturing the elusive Villanelle (Jodie Comer). While everyone seems convinced that Eve is putting together pieces that do not exist, she pushes closer to the truth and a violent psychopath, who finds her fascination with Eve.
This crime thriller is not outwardly humorous. It's a violent cat-and-mouse spy chase between a keen mind and a cunning manipulator. However, every episode is dripping with a mix of black comedy and satire that drives the series forward.
This brings together the show in a way that makes it stand out. Creator and lead writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) brings a noticeable edge of British dry humor to the series that is able to impart to the rest of the episodes writers.
The violence of the series also stands out, taking pleasure in the most bloody and gruesome moments. Villanelle's sadistic pleasure is highlighted by the camera in so many moments that it often feels like the series is from her perspective, but this is a show guided by the eyes of both main women.
I didn't know what to make of Killing Eve upon my initial introduction. The central characters both come off so emotionally reserved that it felt like there was no reason to engage with them. However, there's a wealth of reason to invest in this series that comes from sticking with it.
This is an absurd series that plays with the audience by seemingly revealing what drives the characters before revealing the ruse. However, the subtler moments reveal so much about the show's central focus: longing. Everyone is focused always upon a desire right out of their reach.
Killing Eve follows Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), a British intelligence officer solely focused on capturing the elusive Villanelle (Jodie Comer). While everyone seems convinced that Eve is putting together pieces that do not exist, she pushes closer to the truth and a violent psychopath, who finds her fascination with Eve.
This crime thriller is not outwardly humorous. It's a violent cat-and-mouse spy chase between a keen mind and a cunning manipulator. However, every episode is dripping with a mix of black comedy and satire that drives the series forward.
This brings together the show in a way that makes it stand out. Creator and lead writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) brings a noticeable edge of British dry humor to the series that is able to impart to the rest of the episodes writers.
The violence of the series also stands out, taking pleasure in the most bloody and gruesome moments. Villanelle's sadistic pleasure is highlighted by the camera in so many moments that it often feels like the series is from her perspective, but this is a show guided by the eyes of both main women.
They only try to stab each other every other episode and try to shoot each other in the other ones. Very health relationship! (Image Courtesy of: variety.com)
Sandra Oh (Grey's Anatomy) feels perfectly cast as Eve, a smart but ultimately bumbling spy, who can always find the next lead but rarely execute on it as well as she would like. She makes Eve feel completely clueless at moments then far ahead of everyone else in the next.
That said, the heart of this series is Jodie Comer (Thirteen). Her effortless flair gives Villanelle an intensely engaging spark that is hard to ignore. She captures the character's constantly shifting skills and motivations in a way that drives the show along.
The two have fantastic chemistry in a way that is not at all conventional. They work well off each other while their characters seem completely unable to understand their own connection. It's hard to predict what will ever come next.
By the time it ended its mere eight episode first season, I was invested in anything that could come next, and I had no idea where it would go. The show has a way of feeling just comfortable enough that nothing is shocking but everything is impactful.
I am glad that I stuck with Killing Eve after initial hesitation. The arc of the season works so well that I cannot truly pick out a bad episode. The second hooked me, and the episode five is an absolute blast that starts strong and never stops. However, they come together as more of a miniseries than an episodic series.
I can't wait to explore more and watch these characters continue to remain intrinsically linked in a conflict that only grows more complicated by the episode. However, I do worry that this is a story that can only stretch so far before it loses its focus, which was perhaps why its first season was so short.
That said, the heart of this series is Jodie Comer (Thirteen). Her effortless flair gives Villanelle an intensely engaging spark that is hard to ignore. She captures the character's constantly shifting skills and motivations in a way that drives the show along.
The two have fantastic chemistry in a way that is not at all conventional. They work well off each other while their characters seem completely unable to understand their own connection. It's hard to predict what will ever come next.
By the time it ended its mere eight episode first season, I was invested in anything that could come next, and I had no idea where it would go. The show has a way of feeling just comfortable enough that nothing is shocking but everything is impactful.
I am glad that I stuck with Killing Eve after initial hesitation. The arc of the season works so well that I cannot truly pick out a bad episode. The second hooked me, and the episode five is an absolute blast that starts strong and never stops. However, they come together as more of a miniseries than an episodic series.
I can't wait to explore more and watch these characters continue to remain intrinsically linked in a conflict that only grows more complicated by the episode. However, I do worry that this is a story that can only stretch so far before it loses its focus, which was perhaps why its first season was so short.
