‘Killing Eve’ Review: Allegiances Become More Baffling in a Packed Penultimate Episode
[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers from “Killing Eve” Episode 7, “I Don’t Want to Be Free.”]
“Killing Eve” only has one episode left this season, not that you’d know by what goes down in Sunday’s episode. In the loaded installment, allegiances shift to the point where viewers have no idea whom to trust anymore, and the international assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer) manages to not only break out prison, but also add to her body count, and make one very dangerous enemy.
In the process, much is revealed about the interiority of the comely killer, while her pursuer Eve (Sandra Oh) is still gathering information. One big breakthrough, however, could give her leverage in next week’s finale.
Unraveling Eve
Eve’s frustration levels are reaching an all-time high, but at least her investigation yields some fruit this week. When she finally meets with Anne (Susan Lynch), who appears to have been Villanelle’s first significant lover, Eve obtains a passport with an alias that the assassin must have left there in case of an emergency.
Eve also learns more about Anne’s relationship with Villanelle, which must have been quite intense, since it inspired the killer’s inaugural murder and castration. Supposedly, she did so because she felt that Anne was sticking with her husband because of his male anatomy. When Anne points out that Eve is Villanelle’s type, it’s frightening to think what the killer would do to Eve’s husband Niko (Owen McDonnell).
Speaking of, Eve leaves messages begging for Niko to call her. She appears to have regrets about how she left their relationship, but this also feels so desperate that she may just be holding onto the one bit of normalcy in her life. Otherwise, her obsession with Villanelle could completely overtake her.
Also, with the help of Kenny (Sean Delaney), Eve gets her hands on some really raunchy letters exchanged between his mom Carolyn (Fiona Shaw) and Russian handler Konstantin (Kim Bodnia). These could be handy to trade, but they also hint at Carolyn’s previous life, which seems suspect considering what we learn about her below.
Opposing Eve: Villanelle
Meanwhile, the audience learns that the killer formerly known as Oksana has repeated certain patterns. When she had killed Anne’s husband, she celebrated by dancing around a room filled with a big cake and balloons. This sounds similar to the tableau Villanelle had set up for Konstantin in Berlin when she gave him a threatening birthday gift. It’s the actions of a kid who is used to amusing herself.
Villanelle’s relationship with Konstantin also reveals her more childlike side that seems confused by what they’re meant to be to each other. When she surprises him at his house, she seems almost jealous of the affection that he has for his daughter. She’s also tearing up and conflicted at having to take him out. He appears to pick up on this and praises her for her fortitude while relying on her sentimentality to mar her judgment. Although she’s been assigned to kill him, he out-maneuvers her, and in the end gets away. He’s probably the person who knows her the best and therefore could be a very dangerous enemy to have out there.
But Villanelle could have a new ally as well. When Kenny and Eve examine the prison footage, they discover that the day that Villanelle arrived in prison, she met with none other than Carolyn. What has Eve gotten herself into?
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Killing Everyone Except Eve
Konstantin was not kidding about Villanelle’s strength or her scrappiness. When she takes down Inga by biting her neck, it’s the most gruesome and intimidating way we’ve seen her kill anyone. Her shooting the annoying new handler Anton (Andrew Byron) later on is anticlimactic in comparison.
The most poignant death, however, occurs when the prison truck transporting Villanelle and Agniya (Zhenya Leverett) is attacked to effect their escape. While our dear assassin is elated with the carnage and being liberated, her prison pal is uncertain what to do now.
“Run, you’re free,” Villanelle tells her. But Agniya is frightened. “I don’t want to be free. I would rather di-“ she says, never completing her sentence as she’s shot in the back of her head.
Agniya fears freedom because that means facing responsibility again. In a way, Villanelle’s actions with Konstantin echoes this fear. As a father figure, he has kept her in check, but as she is poised to kill him, she knows that afterward, she would be without his guidance and comfort. She had that with Anne before, and with Konstantin. Eve very well could be next.
Quoting “Eve”
Konstantin, coming home to his child’s blanket fort: “Looks beautiful, sausage.”
Villanelle, hiding in the fort: “You’ve never called me sausage before.”
Villanelle: “My understanding of solitary confinement is that it is solitary”
Villanelle: “Why would they want me to kill you?”
Konstantin: “They wanted me to leave you in prison. I was trying to help the British get you out, and they found out.”
Villanelle: “Why would they want me in there? I’m amazing.”
Eve: “What’s a butterfly bead?”
Kenny: “I decided not to Google that.”
Eve: “Are you okay about this?”
Kenny: “About her being dodgy or about her being filthy?”
Eve: “Both.”
Kenny: “I’m not entirely surprised by either, to be honest.”
Grade: B
”Killing Eve” airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on BBC America.
