Seasons 1 and 2 Discussion

[enoughcats]

15 hours ago, stealinghome said:

Congrats to Jodie Comer on her Emmy win tonight!!!

And her heartfelt comments to her parents, back in Liverpool: an apology to them for not bringing them to Hollywood, but she didn't think she'd win.  I can't imagine the excitement there, at about 4am in the morning.

[ruby24]

I want this well deserved Emmy win to lead to her consideration as Catwoman.

[Deejay]

The emmy win was really for Season One plot and acting, but was conferred in Season Two.  

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITIQUE FROM A TRUE FAN: 

1.  First - STOP virtually "fawning" over Sandra Oh's HAIR...as any kine of waaay OVER-DONE compliment: as it's coming across in the SAME "determinedly kind"  manner, as the surreal - and RACIST HYPER-CONCENTRATION on Michelle Obama's ARMS, as seemingly her SOLE physically-attractive asset?!?  Which as such renders it ALMOST AS AN INSULT! Good grief.... Sandra Oh is an attractive Asian woman in her OWN right:  so that if you keep looking to find  the "USUAL" and as such "EXPECTED" Caucasian features in her face, you'll ALWAYS have to look SOMEWHERE ELSE for your "STANDARD-IZED BEAUTY" FIX!!  

2.  Former colleague Bill and Eve had more interpersonal chemistry - as two sentient Human Beings; than do loving husband Nico and Eve. What gives?!?  For example: that scene in Season One, when Bill was helping Eve dress in the bathroom, prefatory to her meeting with the Asian guy (...really FUNNY chap, btw!!) at the restaurant; when Bill suggested she go bra-less.  There was REAL CHEMISTRY there - no so much in an overtly sexual way; but oddly they LOOKED more like a couple - married or otherwise, that were actually "into each other," than do Nico and Eve.  And while I KNOW Nico's (...sad, wet-blanket...) role is to act the "Mis-Treated Husband," the lack of INTIMACY has NOTHING to do with that deliberate distance he's necessarily had to establish.  Problem is though, when he has to "act all DEEPLY LOYAL/LOVING TO HIS WIFE" - like when he admitted he loved her in front of the wimpy Math Teacher/Wannabe Homewrecker...it kinda fell FLAT!  When he replied, I almost had to ASK myself: " WHO does he mean?!"  Then ANSWERED: "Oh! He means his WIFE!"  Weird...

3.  I ain't no psychoanalyst...just plain smart!  So that I know that what made Eve's instinctive cogitations about Villanelle's psychopathic state MORE INTERESTING IN SEASON ONE...was the fact that Eve approached it from a TRUTHFUL, NON-PRETENTIOUS perspective as a FORMER STUDENT of psychology, and NOT some ace PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR!  Season Two's OVER-ANALYTICAL bent therefore, is about as USEFUL as a Gift-Pack of Condoms to a freshly-spayed spouse!

4. I really MISS the Elena character: the fact that we all noticed that she IS A FINE ACTRESS, with an INTERESTING PERSONALITY is almost miraculous...given that her "ROLE" IN SEASON ONE was - basically relegated to: "Make The Necessary Travel Arrangements, Elena!"  AND:  "Go Make A Nice Pot Of Tea, Elena!"  My...GOD!!?!!  It was like watching a bizarre redux of the "HATTIE MACDANIEL" CHARACTER in (...racial attitudes that we ALL presumed were...)  "Gone With The Wind!!"  

To re-state:  I like the series, and want it to continue to succeed - simply because it is perhaps the ONLY TRULY FEMINIST FILM I've seen for a long time.  If EVER - really.  

[Captanne]

So, I accidentally tuned into S2 E1 thinking I had bought S1 E1, out of curiosity.  Wow, okay, I was lost but thought it was kind of cool that a show was daring enough to start with an in media res stabbing.  The child-murder made it very clear what kind of person the blonde is.  The actress playing the MI-6 controller is very typecast so I knew right away what her presence meant.  The husband doesn't fit for me -- he and Sandra Oh didn't have any chemistry at all in this episode.  Because he is already very suspicious of her, I thought the over-supply of vegetables and then the forgotten chicken should have triggered a loving husband to seek psychiatric help for his wife or at least suggest it.  I get the humor of the situation -- I get it.  But I didn't see any chemistry so that lack of normal concerned caring was jarring.  

Otherwise, I enjoyed the episode.  Then I realized my mistake.  So -- my question is, do I go back and get S1 E1 or do I just get S2 E2 and press on?

Edited October 9, 2019 by Captanne

[Hiyo]

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The actress playing the MI-6 controller is very typecast so I knew right away what her presence meant. 

Keep your eye on that one...

Quote

So -- my question is, do I go back and get S1 E1 or do I just get S2 E2 and press on?

Honestly, either will work. Though watching S1 at some point will at least give you a better understanding how all of the characters relate to one another better.

[enoughcats]

1 minute ago, Hiyo said:

Honestly, either will work. Though watching S1 at some point will at least give you a better understanding how all of the characters relate to one another better.

I binge/rewatched S2 three days ago and found that it gave me nightmares on the rewatch as well.  I f'luv the show and the characters.  But one episode a day is about all my subconscious can handle. The first episode of season 2 may be my favorite and is firmly in my mind.   

[Hiyo]

Lol I watched both seasons over the span of one week,...

[Irlandesa]

It probably doesn't matter for watching.  I did S2 of Deadwood before S2 and it made sense and I think this would be similar.  Serialized but not impossibly so to watch out of order. But S1 of Killing Eve was better IMO.  

[NutMeg]

Agree on season 1 being better, although I did enjoy season 2 too. Lucky people who still haven't watched season 1!

[stealinghome]

Yeah, I would rewind to Season 1 first simply because I think it's a stronger season!

[Hiyo]

Casting news for Season 3. Should be interesting...

https://ew.com/tv/2019/11/07/killing-eve-season-3-cast-game-of-thrones-harry-potter/

[stealinghome]

Gemma Whelan is HILARIOUS in Gentleman Jack, but that is...a LOT of actors to add to the S3 cast.

[Ceindreadh]

On 11/12/2019 at 1:28 PM, stealinghome said:

Gemma Whelan is HILARIOUS in Gentleman Jack, but that is...a LOT of actors to add to the S3 cast.

True, but how many of them are going to be regular characters and how many are going to be just one episode appearances?

[slf]

On 11/11/2019 at 11:19 PM, Hiyo said:

Casting news for Season 3. Should be interesting...

https://ew.com/tv/2019/11/07/killing-eve-season-3-cast-game-of-thrones-harry-potter/

I got super excited by this headline and the possibility of Natalie Dormer being on Killing Eve. But Gemma Whelan is always welcome so I'm not too disappointed to be wrong.

[Hiyo]

Quote

True, but how many of them are going to be regular characters and how many are going to be just one episode appearances?

I imagine the majority could be one or two episode characters.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Golden Globe nominations!

Best Television Series – Drama
Jodie Comer: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

[Hiyo]

Was hoping Sandra and Fiona would get some GG love too, but oh well. Congrats to the show and to Jodie.

Edited December 10, 2019 by Hiyo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Critics' Choice Award nomination!

Best Actress in a Drama Series – Jodie Comer

[Hiyo]

And a SAG Award nomination as well for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series...

[Valny]

I'm loving that Jodie is getting all this awards love. I think Sandra is great too of course but I love that it's just Jodiie's turn now because there was that year that Oh was nominated for everything and Comer's name could not be found which PISSED me off.  

 

[dubbel zout]

I like that Oh was recognized (not saying you don't), because the flashier role—and that's definitely Villanelle—is often the only one people reward. What's too bad is that only one of them can win at a time.

[leighdear]

4 episodes in (I haven't read the above posts) and I'm bored with Villanelle......the hot pink shirt & gigantic skirt is just a re-run of last season's pink ballgown.  Tripping the Instagram girl in the bar is just a replay of S1E1 pushing the little girl's ice cream in her lap.   

The outrageous, attention-seeking clothes are as annoying as the constant, moody, euro-emo stupid music.  A single Roxette song has been worth hearing. 

Thank goodness we have "The Ghost" to look for or I'd have abandoned the series. 

The season 1 magic seems to have evaporated. 

[leighdear]

Done and disappointed.  Both Oh & Comer are so one-note, I won't be back for season 3.  Constantin came back, so of course Eve will be back, despite the "shocking" ending.  

Season 1 was great, so I'll just pretend that's the only one that exists.  

[leighdear]

On 10/27/2019 at 1:29 PM, Sarah Heart said:

I love Sandra Oh, but this season finished for me, when she had sex with Hugo, with Villanelle, in her ear. I loved the " not quite sure attraction" they had, but that scene was a cop out. So I stopped watching,  and the third season can carry on without me.

In this season, I kept seeing Dr. Cristina Yang, kick-ass heart surgeon Of Seattle Grace hospital (Don't know if you watch Grey's Anatomy").  Especially when she was asking why pregnant Jess was the best person to go to Amsterdam, and Carolyn pointed out how experienced she was.  Subtext was Eve was barely trained & getting too big for her britches.  After that, I couldn't unsee Cristina.  

[Automne]

OT, but for those who’ve seen Rise of Skywalker 

Spoiler

Did you peep Jodie Comer as Rey’s mother?

 

[SlovakPrincess]

Finally binge watched Season 2.  

Overall, getting very impatient watching Eve constantly get manipulated and act naive and flustered.  I mean, Eve is supposed to be smart, so why is she constantly looking for signs of real humanity in Villanelle?   And why does she act like it's a surprise when Carolyn does something shady -- I mean, c'mon.  It's an intelligence agency, trying to outwit shady people and institutions, and Carolyn is not above doing something unethical if she's decided it's for the greater good.  None of this should surprise Eve.  Carolyn snapping "don't be twee" to Eve in the season finale cracked me up.  And of course Kenny knew, Eve, he was trying to warn you!!

What was striking to me is that Carolyn and Constantin are the real, intelligent, ruthless professionals here -- while Eve and Villanelle keep getting distracted by themselves and their obsession with each other and can't see the big picture.  Constantin actually feels badly for Villanelle, it seems, but he has a realistic view of the fact that she can never feel sincere affection for another person -- and his ultimate priorities are protecting his family and himself.  And Carolyn is gonna do what she thinks has to be done, and if Eve is going to act this naive, of course she's going to end up a pawn.  

Hugo was pompous and annoying, but I still felt badly for what happened to him.  Gemma was annoying, but yikes, she did not deserve that either!  And poor Niko is going to be messed up for life.  

I have  no doubt Eve will be back next season, and I predict a time jump of at least a year or two.  Here's hoping Eve gets some intelligence and spark back!   (No criticism of Sandra Oh here - I particularly enjoyed her acting in the scene where she pretends to be the concierge at the hotel ... and one of the hit men randomly starts asking her out.  I LOL'ed and her reactions were perfect.)

[Cranberry]

Killing Eve Renewed for Season 4 Before Season 3 Even Begins

“How could we not have massive confidence in Killing Eve?” Sarah Barnett, president of AMC Networks Entertainment Group and AMC Studios, said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “It has won big in every major award show and is the highest growing show on U.S. television for six years.”

[chaifan]

4 minutes ago, Cranberry said:

Killing Eve Renewed for Season 4 Before Season 3 Even Begins

“How could we not have massive confidence in Killing Eve?” Sarah Barnett, president of AMC Networks Entertainment Group and AMC Studios, said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “It has won big in every major award show and is the highest growing show on U.S. television for six years.”

Yeah!  So now can we please get separate threads for each episode?  Please, mods! 

[Hiyo]

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What was striking to me is that Carolyn and Constantin are the real, intelligent, ruthless professionals here -- while Eve and Villanelle keep getting distracted by themselves and their obsession with each other and can't see the big picture.

I chalk that up to C&C just being older, making them much more seasoned and experienced. I wouldn't be surprised if they too had their moments when they were younger...

Also, too bad for the show and Jodie at the Golden Globes.

[Lunula]

I just binged both seasons over the course of a weekend and I will admit, I was completely enthralled by S1 and found S2 lacking. 

In particular, I was annoyed at the lost opportunity with the Ghost character - thusly named because of her complete non-presence. Yet she was that easy to find and catch? And then we get this incredibly contrived non-sensical plot device of pretending to put a hit on Eve to hire Villanelle to get Ghost to talk, and they don't let us see how she does it? That was so weak. I was actually surprised since the writing had been so strong to get that lameness. So Eve's first tactic is to put a hit on herself to get an opportunity to talk to Villanelle so that they can hire her to scare Ghost? Really? Ugh. Considering how obsessed they are with one another, there was no easier/safer/more realistic way to do that? 

Then we have another lame, non-sensical plot device of hiring Villanelle again to infiltrate Aaron's world? Again, it made zero sense at all. These people are the most highly trained operatives in Great Britain, yet they have to hire a serial killer and rogue assassin to help them? Again. Really?

I was willing to suspend belief a lot for this show, all in the name of twisted, campy fun - but that was stupid. 

Here's hoping they give Villanelle a purpose again in S3 and S4. 

[Hiyo]

I seem to be in the minority, as I really enjoyed season 2 overall.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Killing Eve will return in April!

 

Edited January 17, 2020 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

First look at S3

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S3 promo:

 

[enoughcats]

If looks could kill on the cover of Vogue Jodie Comer's upcoming April cover of British Vogue would keep her working as an assassin. 

Some great photos, worth tolerating the Daily Mail ads to get the thing to open.

[Cranberry]

Full trailer and new premiere date: April 12, two weeks easier than promised!

 

[Valny]

1 hour ago, Cranberry said:

Full trailer and new premiere date: April 12, two weeks easier than promised!

 

I am so glad KE was already filmed and ready to go, unlike so many other shows that got corona'd.  We need the little things in life more than ever to keep us happy.

[Ms Blue Jay]

On Instagram, I asked for them to release the show early.  (I'm not taking credit.  I'm sure I wasn't the only one.) I think they really listened to the fans.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Eve:

Villanelle:

 

[BingeyKohan]

I love this show and am thrilled it's coming back so soon. HOWEVER I will never forgive them for retconning that note for Eve slipped under the prison-cell door in S1 to have been about the Alexander Peele drama. That made zero sense.

[stealinghome]

I just rewatched the S2 finale in preparation for the show coming back tonight, and can't believe I missed (or think I missed) the symbolism of Villanelle leading Eve into the deep, dark labyrinths after she manipulates Eve into killing Raymond, only for Eve to be like "no this way" (against Villanelle's instructions) and batter her way up into the sunlight and abandoned ruins. Not very subtle there!

Jodie Comer's faces and reaction shots absolutely make this show. Villanelle's reaction to Eve battering down that door is still hilarious a year later.

I do still love that both Eve and Villanelle knew instinctively that the other wouldn't leave them in the lurch despite their handlers trying to convince them otherwise--that is the depiction of their bond at its best. OTOH, V shooting Eve and walking stylishly away still has the potential to really have screwed the pooch plot-wise...the writers for S3 will need to pull some real deft wizardry to make V and Eve teaming up again at all believable. Villanelle-Konstantin is still a low-key MVP relationship for the show, because he's the only other person aside from Eve that brings out the more interesting facets of V's personality (I hesitate to say humanize her because it's not really the right term, but something like that). Carolyn is still a stone cold manipulator, but a super interesting one. Didn't miss Niko one whit in the S2 finale and hope he's not back for S3 (I'm sure I'll be disappointed though); last season he was a drag and symptomatic of the fact that the show had no idea what to do with Eve's character arc. The biggest thing S3 needs is a solid, clear character arc for Eve that isn't a repeat of S1 (which S2 largely was). The show is centered on Eve and her internal world. There needs to be a clear roadmap for her character for the show to be at all cohesive.

Speaking of cohesion, as a measure of how disjointed last season was, I realized when I began the episode that I had totally forgotten about Aaron Peele and the whole "weaponizing data" plotline and that Villanelle had killed him. I vaguely remember being disappointed by how the Ghost plotline went out with a whimper, but had totally blanked on Aaron and his whole psychopath drama. Here's hoping this season's writers do better on the plot side, that the team around Eve is more compelling this season, and that The Twelve plot comes back as more than just lip service. This show also needs a tight focus for the "work" stuff or it really flounders. That's probably the second biggest thing S3 needs.

S1 ends with Eve stabbing Villanelle and Villanelle running away; S2 ends with Villanelle shooting Eve and walking away. Will S3 end with Eve and Villanelle trying to kill each other and lying there bleeding out together even as Villanelle tries to claw her way away again???

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I love this show and am thrilled it's coming back so soon. HOWEVER I will never forgive them for retconning that note for Eve slipped under the prison-cell door in S1 to have been about the Alexander Peele drama. That made zero sense.

Word. That was a big disappointment for me (and made no sense on multiple different levels). They also never explored--and now probably never will--Carolyn and Villanelle's actual first face-to-face meeting: in the jail cell in Russia, when Villanelle was still "undercover."

Edited April 12, 2020 by stealinghome

[Ms Blue Jay]

In the episode thread for S03E01 I see a lot of posts that say "The issues with S2".  Can someone comment on what those were?  I see that stealinghome has written about this a bit above my post.

[Ailianna]

On 4/12/2020 at 1:23 PM, stealinghome said:

S1 ends with Eve stabbing Villanelle and Villanelle running away; S2 ends with Villanelle shooting Eve and walking away. Will S3 end with Eve and Villanelle trying to kill each other and lying there bleeding out together even as Villanelle tries to claw her way away again???

S1 ended with Eve running away, didn't it?  S2 started with Villanelle running out of the building and looking for help, which got us the great hospital storyline.

[stealinghome]

2 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

In the episode thread for S03E01 I see a lot of posts that say "The issues with S2".  Can someone comment on what those were?  I see that stealinghome has written about this a bit above my post.

Let me preface this by saying that it's possible S2 works better as a binge watch than in weekly format, and also that partially S2 suffered from probably unfairly high expectations after S1 of this show was phenomenal. That said, I think a lot of posters last spring felt like the show didn't know what it was doing with Eve's characterization/just repeated her S1 arc and that the work plots were a hot mess. The Ghost was built up hugely (and actually had a lot of potential) and then went out like a punk after like two episodes, then Aaron Peel wasn't compelling and that plot also seemed to kind of really go...nowhere. Effectively dropping The Twelve/all the dangling plot threads S1 left for S2 did the show no favors. Personally, I also think the show rushed teaming Eve and Villanelle up and then didn't really know what they wanted to do once that happened, so started to flounder. For me, S2's saving grace was Villanelle--she was more interesting in S2 than in S1 I thought, as we delved more into her psyche--and the consistently strong performances.

10 minutes ago, Ailianna said:

S1 ended with Eve running away, didn't it?  S2 started with Villanelle running out of the building and looking for help, which got us the great hospital storyline.

No--at the very end of S1, Eve stabs Villanelle in V's apartment and goes to the kitchen to try to find something to staunch the bleeding. V fires some shots at her to make her stay in place, and when Eve looks out again Villanelle is gone. That is why S2 picks up with V stumbling out of the building and bleeding her guts out, lol.

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, stealinghome said:

Let me preface this by saying that it's possible S2 works better as a binge watch than in weekly format, (snipped)

Hey @stealinghome I really appreciate your explanation!

I think I was lucky that I got to binge S1 and S2.  I did so very feverishly and was addicted.  I didn't have the same disappointment that others may have had waiting week to week.

It's similar to the show The Killing - I read that online people were just so angry with the showrunner - and rightly so - because the show kind of pretended that they'd wrap up who did The Killing by the S1 finale and then they didn't!  But I watched S1/S2 knowing that going in and I really liked those seasons.

I appreciate your thoughts!

1 hour ago, stealinghome said:

 For me, S2's saving grace was Villanelle--she was more interesting in S2 than in S1 I thought, as we delved more into her psyche--and the consistently strong performances.

I agree with this.

I'm having a hard time even placing those villains you mention (my memory is awful!) but there is a Killing Eve wiki that really helps!

Edited April 14, 2020 by Ms Blue Jay

[nameless slob]

4 hours ago, stealinghome said:

Let me preface this by saying that...

Perfect analysis, stealinghome. Exactly everything that went wrong with season 2. I would also add the fact Phoebe was not so involved in the second season as a bad move. 

[dubbel zout]

14 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

the show kind of pretended that they'd wrap up who did The Killing by the S1 finale and then they didn't! 

"Kind of"? The whole ad campaign was "Who killed Rosie Larsen?" And then Veena Sud had the nerve to insist she never was going to resolve things in the first season. Ugh, that whole thing still enrages me. (Obviously, heh.)

I didn't hate season 2, but I think it did suffer in comparison to the first. And frankly, I don't think even Waller-Bridge could have overcome the high expectations. This type of show has a shelf life, since the cat-and-mouse stuff gets ridiculous after too long. You could argue it's already gotten there. How many times can Eve and Villanelle injure each other before someone dies? 

All that said, I love that the show has two female protagonists, with other good female characters involved. That alone keeps me watching, mostly because Oh and Comer are so fantastic. I don't really care about the Twelve or any of that nonsense. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

"Kind of"? The whole ad campaign was "Who killed Rosie Larsen?" And then Veena Sud had the nerve to insist she never was going to resolve things in the first season. Ugh, that whole thing still enrages me. (Obviously, heh.)

I did not mean to downplay it.  I did not watch the show in real time, so I didn't have any of that annoyance, like I said, and it's been aaaaaaaaaaages since I've read up on it.

I am on the fans' side of things 100%.

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

That alone keeps me watching, mostly because Oh and Comer are so fantastic. I don't really care about the Twelve or any of that nonsense. 

Same.

[Prower]

S01E03 I guess we have another case of bury your (almost) gays and maybe out of the closet, into the fire here, boys and girls. It's annoying. It also was heavily foreshadowed, but I thought it might be too on the nose. But nope...

 

Edited April 17, 2020 by Prower

[Prower]

The ending of season 1 was dumb. That is all.