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I love a lot about “Killing Eve”: its black sense of humor, Villanelle’s (Jodie Comer) stunning wardrobe and home decor, the sporadic hints about Carolyn’s (Fiona Shaw) amazing personal life (she’s had affairs with many Cold War operatives, and she fences!), its globe-trotting action. But what tickles me most about Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s stylish spy dramedy is that, like her other hit show, “Fleabag,” its women characters are messy. The contradict themselves, make bad decisions, only want what they can’t have, and occasionally act like real assholes. Refreshingly, neither they nor the show apologize for it.
Eve (Sandra Oh), Villanelle, and Carolyn are all extremely frustrating characters, and in my opinion, that’s why they’re beloved. So often, creators and artists confuse representation and inclusion with portraying women and people of color as flawless and morally upstanding. Really, good representation is about striving to make art that reflects our world, and obviously, the world is full of people who are good, bad, and everything in between.
And even though only one of them makes her living as an assassin, Eve, Villanelle, and Carolyn all very much fall somewhere in between good and bad — especially in the new season.
In its third outing, showrun by Suzanne Heathcote, Villanelle is focusing on climbing The Twelve’s corporate ladder — or, in other words, she wants to be the one ordering the hits instead of the one carrying them out. But she also wants to carry them out. Meanwhile, Eve is laying low and trying to put her life back together. She’s working at a restaurant, nursing the wounds Villanelle inflicted upon her during last season’s finale, and trying to forget how exciting things were when she was working as a spy. Of course, it’s only a matter of time before the enemies/soul mates are thrown back on their collision course because… it’s “Killing Eve.”
As you can imagine Villanelle isn’t exactly a natural at management or delegation, which makes for some instantly-iconic scenes. Eve’s life becomes more and more fragmented: she wants the love and stability her marriage and a normal job provide her, but also craves the drama and passion of chasing Villanelle. And, after suffering a personal blow, the ever-placid Carolyn tries very hard not to come undone. She doubles down on her stiff-upper-lip-ness and somehow becomes even more eccentric — and manages to alienate everyone around her.
Suffice to say, the ladies of “Killing Eve” are as messy as ever this season. They’re still charming, annoying, chilling, and selfish — and incredibly fun to watch.
Season 3 of “Killing Eve” premieres Sunday, April 12, at 9 p.m. EST on BBC America and AMC.
https://youtu.be/uJCxUaClpzE
