Connor Macgregor Reviews...Killing Eve

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There's definitely been episodes where she's been the best thing of the episode, and with Jodie Comer's other body of work, It's amazing how she can bury herself into a character like Villanelle compared to her other roles. So yeah, she's an unpredictable ride, even if there are things that do grate on me from time to time.





2x06 - I Hope You Like Missionary

INTRO: I struggle to remember individual episodes on Killing Eve because the story blurs very much from episode to episode, and therefore nothing truly memorable occurs within each episode. Sad really.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Spoiler" spoilers below
Niko confronts Eve about what really happened in Paris. With new information about Aaron Peel, Villanelle goes undercover as a New Yorker named Billie to befriend Aaron's sister, Amber but there is conflict between Villanelle and Aaron.


THOUGHTS: I struggled with this episode. For one, I'm not used nor do I like the idea of Eve & Villanelle suddenly becoming a team after spending a season and a half hunting each other. It's unrealistic and becomes a somewhat bizarre watch when Eve is suddenly working with the very woman she's trying to capture and put away. The episode then gets very boring and dull to sit through, with no real tense action to go through the episode and make it memorable. The only positive spot was the character of Aaron who becomes much more intimidating and gripping to watch as the story slowly spirals to a conclusion.

RATING: 63% - B





2x07 - Wide Awake

INTRO: Second to last episode of what is a very underwhelming season of Killing Eve. But can these last two episodes up the ante?

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Spoiler" spoilers below
Aaron apologizes to Villanelle and invites her to go to Rome. Villanelle interrogates Niko whilst Eve visits the psychologist. In Rome, Villanelle discovers Aaron's plans but Eve becomes jealous of their relationship.


THOUGHTS: I enjoyed this episode more, in particular in the actor who played Aaron who just got better and better in this episode, and became an alternative threat to Villanelle in the story. The relocation to Rome was also a good new scenery and added tension to the finale. There's a great scene between Eve & Niko which really highlights the destruction and decline of their marriage due to the events of the series.

RATING: 74% - B+





2x08 - You're Mine

INTRO: The Season two finale of Killing Eve may possibly be the best episode of the season, or at least up there among the highlights.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Spoiler" spoilers below
Villanelle discovers Aaron's dark secret and says the 'safe word'. Eve dresses as a cleaner to save Villanelle but she saves Eve instead. Raymond attacks Villanelle but she is saved by Eve, who kills Raymond. Villanelle and Eve escape to some Roman ruins and have an argument. Villanelle reveals that she wanted Eve to kill Raymond and wasn’t in any actual danger. Eve rejects Villanelle’s plan for them to run away together and walks away. Villanelle shoots Eve and leaves.


THOUGHTS: Well this is a solid finale. One with a lot of action, violence and death. Really makes for excellent viewing. The confrontation in the hotel was great, making you quite on edge about what was going to down and who would make it out alive. Characters do die, and turn on each other also. The cliffhanger ending is also good, and leaves you eager for the next season and what the circumstances and fallout will be for the central characters. When I first watched it, I felt it to be quite weak. But upon reflection, I liked how it was a turn around from the season one ending almost, and turning the tide of the character dynamics between Eve & Villanelle.

RATING: 90% - A-





Killing Eve Season Two Retrospective

INTRO: After the long slug, It’s time to do the full season retrospective of Killing Eve. And sadly, it’s going to be a bit of a downer as this season was in many ways a mighty struggle to get through.

VILLANELLE & EVE: I think one of the positives of Season two was further developing the relationship between Villanelle & Eve. Both are more obsessed with each other equally, and therefore the series really zeroes in on their mental state and how are each trying to one up another. Eve is focused on catching Villanelle, whereas Villanelle is developing somewhat of a romantic fondness for Eve. However, the story of the season then takes a twist I was not happy with, which was having the two of them teaming up to take down another killer figure – Aaron Peel. This in turn leads to the cliff-hanger ending of Villanelle shooting Eve. A good ending, yet I felt the partners in crime turn in the middle of the series a bit jarring and odd to watch. I never understood why this was the choice to go with, when Series one was so focused on Eve trying to track down and capture this assassin.

OTHER MAIN CHARACTERS: I’ll start with Niko, who I find extremely annoying despite having little to no evidence as to why. I think its his facial look, which is very 70s and very cheesy to look at. Something of a sleazy 70s porn star, a look I can’t imagine ever scoring with young people or anyone today. I never really sympathised with him at all, nor with Eve’s eagerness to keep the marriage going.

A surprise to me was to see Konstantin return, when it was assumed that he died at the end of season one. He as always was an entertaining and mysterious character, playing both sides of the coin as he does. Kenny also returns to the second series as he continues to assist Eve in her pursuit for Villanelle. Carolyn also continues on, with Fiona Shaw giving great performances as she goes. The new characters to the series unfortunately don’t make near the same impact as the existing ones and therefore become pretty boring overall. The slightly exception maybe Henry Lloyd-Hughes’s performance as Aaron Peel, which is quite creepy and intimidating at times.

STORY: It’s a duller plot than Season one, with a lacking sense of suspense and more self-indulgent than before. The slight bright spark is the subplot with Aaron Peel, and his creepy performance as noted earlier. However the series pacing and overall excitement fades quickly and Season two becomes a real chore to watch. Never the less, the finale is entertaining and leaves you intrigued for the next season.

LOCATIONS: Much like the last season, Killing Eve loves to utilize both British & International locations to further the story. Whether it’s the streets of Paris, or the high-end restaurants of Rome, it showcases the best of Europe very well. The finale in particular uses Rome to great effect, making the finale more exciting and special in the process.

CONCLUSION: Killing Eve Season Two sadly lacks the unique special charm that the first season brought to screen, with flat new characters and story turns that failed to strengthen the story in any way.

RATING - 76% - B+





3x01 - Slowly Slowly Catchy Monkey

INTRO: We now move into Season three, and with that comes a new showrunner in the helm. Given my issues with Season Two, I can say Season Three is almost a very different story that takes the central characters into new territory, whilst also maintaining the central conflict with the story. Whilst also, giving us new big twists going forward.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Spoiler" spoilers below
Six months after the events in Rome, Villanelle has settled down in Spain and is about to be married. Her wedding is interrupted by the arrival of former assassin Dasha, who trained her. Dasha asks Villanelle to return to working for the Twelve, and Villanelle asks to be promoted to the role of "Keeper" in return, which would make her more powerful than both Dasha and Konstantin. To prove her loyalty, Villanelle is tasked with killing a local political agitator. Meanwhile, Eve has left MI6 and is now working at a Korean restaurant in New Malden as she tries to adjust to civilian life. She is supported by Kenny, who has also quit MI6 and now works as an investigative journalist independently investigating the Twelve. Eve agrees to meet Kenny for after-work drinks, but finds his office deserted. She discovers Kenny's dead body outside, having been thrown from the roof by an unknown assailant.


THOUGHTS: To start off, I liked the positioning of Eve & Villanelle, especially Eve. It was very realistic to go into hiding after almost dying on an assignment. Her life is rock bottom and she has no drive to change that. I like some of the new additions this time around such as Dasha who has such character and personality compared to the attempted new additions in Season Two. Obviously the big thing to take away from this episode is the ending and how it sets up the mystery for the rest of the season. It was certainly a surprise and for a character to go that suddenly and to have it be brutal also. It's a good start and one that gets me going.

RATING: 80% - B+





3x02 - Management Sucks

INTRO: Following the twist of the season opener, Season Three goes into next gear with this episode.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Spoiler" spoilers below
Eve gets drunk at Kenny's funeral when she learns his death was declared a suicide. She tries to access his phone, but is blocked by the password. Kenny's boss Jamie contacts her and offers to unlock the phone in exchange for her co-operation in investigating Kenny's death. Carolyn approaches Eve separately, frustrated that she cannot investigate Kenny's death since she has been put on bereavement leave. She shares a theory that Villanelle is active again, and while Eve initially resists, she agrees to help Carolyn. The two are unaware that Konstantin is eavesdropping on them. Meanwhile, Villanelle is assigned to mentor Felix, a promising young assassin. They infiltrate a childrens' birthday party to kill their target, but Felix diverges from the plan and Villanelle kills him. She returns home to find Konstantin waiting for her, and he informs her that Eve has survived.


THOUGHTS: The fallout of Kenny's death sees a lot of different reactions, as well as the mystery that will brew for the story onwards. The comedy of this episode comes from Villanelle mentoring Felix, which really doesn't last long. However this leads to her finding out about Eve's survival and this changes her mood and makes her less comedic as a result. This episode is fine, but lacking in suspense and the comedy a bit too forced and uneventful, making this episode more forgetful if anything.

RATING: 62% - B





3x03 - Meetings Have Biscuits

INTRO: Here is episode three of season three. It features stuffed toys and a lot of cynical lines of dialogue. Really nothing else to add.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Spoilers" spoilers below
Eve finds that Kenny had been looking into financial records and that a bank account in Geneva, used by the Chinese diplomat Villanelle killed in season 1, has suddenly become active again. Carolyn engineers a meeting with Henrik, a Swiss banker and her former flame, to find out who manages the account. The trail leads to Charles Kruger, a former Russian agent who disappeared at the end of the Cold War. Eve suspects that Kruger is the accountant for the Twelve. Villanelle tracks her down on a bus and the two briefly fight; Villanelle gains the upper hand, but Eve surprises her by kissing her before headbutting her. Eve realises that Villanelle's presence in London is no coincidence and believes she is planning to kill Carolyn. She tries to warn Carolyn as she visits Kruger, but she is too late. Disguised as a police officer, Villanelle kills Kruger. Eve returns to her apartment to find a stuffed toy reciting a recorded message from Villanelle.


THOUGHTS: Eve now is starting to really get more involved in the mystery, teaming up with freelance journalists in a bid to solve this case, all the while MI6 & The Twelve continue to send spies and moles everywhere and anywhere. Villanelle returns to London in a bid to take down a Twelve traitor, which leads to a somewhat intense climax where Villanelle does battle with Eve on a bus, as well as chase down Carolyn in a car. Good action sequences, and stop the episode from being a complete bore. But aside from that, it remains little noteworthy and does little to progress the story on.

RATING: 77% - B+





3x04 - Still Got It

INTRO: A different layout for this episode, and one that opts to shake things up for once.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Spoiler" spoilers below
Eve finds a connection between a murder committed by Villanelle and another death in 1974, and is disturbed by the delivery of a birthday cake sent by Villanelle. Konstantin tracks down Kruger's widow and convinces her to send him a file that Kruger had set aside as an insurance policy. He travels to Barcelona and gives Villanelle information on her family, promising her more if she kills Kruger's widow. Meanwhile, Niko leaves England for Poland to manage his PTSD. Eve repeatedly tries to get in contact with him, but receives no response. Dasha is approached by an agent of the Twelve who orders her to make sure Villanelle remains focused. She follows Niko to Poland and steals his phone, using it to lure Eve to his farmhouse. Dasha stabs Niko in front of Eve, but remains hidden from view. She leaves a message to make Eve think Villanelle is responsible as Villanelle arrives at her hometown in Russia.


THOUGHTS: I did indeed like the layout of this episode, and felt like splitting it up via character allowed a certain freshness that sparked life here and there for once. Perhaps because I'd seen this somewhat in other shows that it was a format I'd grown fond of. We learn a bit more about Niko's upbringing and life in his home country, which while nice still makes me kind of find the character a bit grating and annoying. I also really enjoyed Villanelle's insight into finding out more about her family, and ends with her going to her hometown in Russia, setting up the next episode in the process. Lastly is the somewhat end twist that involves Eve & Niko which was a surprise, but left unresolved for a while.

RATING: 70% - B





3x05 - Are You From Primer?

INTRO: We take a break from normal proceedings and follow Villanelle as she returns to her family out in Russia.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Spoilers" spoilers below
Villanelle's return to her family home in Russia is met with surprise and suspicion from her extended family. She bonds with her reclusive brother Pyotr and her Elton John-obsessed half-brother Bor'ka, and reunites with her mother Tatiana. She settles into family life and for a time enjoys herself. Things come to a head when the family visit the local Harvest Festival; Bor'ka enters a cooking competition, but does not win. He confides in Villanelle that Tatiana shamed him for embarrassing her afterwards. Villanelle confronts Tatiana over her abandoning Villanelle at an orphanage as a child. Tatiana demands she leave before claiming that Villanelle's father, whom she adored, was in fact afraid of her. Heartbroken, Villanelle kills Tatiana before blowing up the house, sparing only Bor'ka and Pyotr. Villanelle leaves money for Bor'ka to buy tickets to an Elton John show and escapes aboard a train, where she starts crying and dancing in her seat to the music on her headphones.


THOUGHTS: So I do like this episode. It's nice to learn more about Villanelle and her background, and how she got so involved in the darker side of life. Her mother has this brilliant manipulative web that controls all her family, and has a hook in a way on Villanelle herself. But similar problems emerge that I've held in the beginning. I find it unrealistic how they all speak very good English, where as in real life, no Russian family would be this good at the language that far remote in the country. So it still grates me that they just waltz by without acknowledging it. So annoying and so boring also.

RATING: 80% - B+





3x06 - End Of Game

INTRO: End Of Game takes things back to a certain normality and we find out certain outcomes of various scenarios over certain episodes.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Spoilers" spoilers below
Villanelle is promoted to Keeper by Hélène, an agent of the Twelve, and ordered to kill a Romanian politician. Disappointed and frustrated that the work is no different, she approaches Konstantin and asks to join his plan to run away. Konstantin is reluctant because his daughter Irina hates her. Villanelle helps Irina cut classes and bonds with her over their shared dislike of their mothers. Konstantin is reassigned to investigate Kruger's death by Paul, who is unaware that he is responsible. Carolyn continues her investigation into Kenny's death and is shocked to learn that Kenny believed Konstantin was his father. Meanwhile, Niko survives his stabbing and rejects Eve. Eve deduces that Villanelle did not stab him because she was busy killing Kruger's widow, and learns of Dasha's role in Villanelle's training. She visits Dasha in Barcelona, who taunts her; Eve is unfazed and tells Dasha she knows Dasha stabbed Niko. Dasha returns to her apartment where she finds an injured Villanelle. Villanelle admits that she wants to escape the life of a killer for hire. Konstantin prepares to flee with Irina, but is horrified when she drives a car to run over her step-father.


THOUGHTS: So Niko isn't actually dead, which really annoyed me when I first watched and I wanted him gone. But never the less, the episode was decent enough and more focus on Dasha, Konstantin, and Villanelle being put into a new role. We see Villanelle now getting irritated and questioning her role within The Twelve, wanting more responsibility and power in this web of murder. Eve is also alone and rejected by Niko, and shifts her focus on the case, determined to uncover the truth behind Kenny's death. With Konstantin, his daughter now starts to go out of control and ends the episode doing something rather psychotic which puts her in a whole host of trouble.

RATING: 74% - B+





3x07 - Beautiful Monster

INTRO: Things escalate in this second to last episode as Eve continues in her quest to solve Kenny's murder and confront Villanelle once and for all.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Spoilers" spoilers below
Villanelle meets with Hélène over her commitment to the job. Villanelle asks for another assignment instead. She and Dasha travel to Aberdeen to kill an American businessman at a golf resort. Villanelle constantly antagonises Dasha even as they lure the American into the woods. Villanelle hits Dasha over the head with a golf club and leaves her for dead. Eve tracks Villanelle's credit card to Aberdeen and finds Dasha semi-conscious in the woods. Dasha admits to stabbing Niko and Eve is tempted to kill her by standing on her chest. Carolyn's aide, Mo, discovers something connecting Paul to the Twelve but he is killed by Rhian, an assassin for the Twelve. Meanwhile, Konstantin is frustrated by his inability to get Irina released from prison. He returns to England and is called by Villanelle to pick her up after she attacks Dasha. As they prepare to board a train, he begins having a heart attack. Villanelle promises to come back for him, but she abandons him instead and he is found by Eve. He wakes up and recovers in hospital and finds Dasha in the bed next to him.


THOUGHTS: This is much more fun of an episode, with good use of locations and many twists in the story that have been hinted at throughout the season. I like the use of Scotland, in particular with all the action at the train station and golf course. Eve is finally embracing her more darker side after being tempted for so long in this story, and I think its a testament to how much Villanelle has had an effect on her. Also all the stuff in London is good too, with The Twelve closing in and trying to cover as much tracks as possible in order to prevent a major leak.

RATING: 90% - A-





3x08 - Are You Leading Or Am I?

INTRO: The finale of Season Three is strong, yet is a very different cliff hanger which is much more played down and ominous.

SUMMARY:
WARNING: "Spoilers" spoilers below
Villanelle approaches Carolyn and offers to become an informant for MI6; Carolyn rejects her when she cannot provide any information. Villanelle then approaches Eve and asks her to retrieve a package Konstantin had hidden to aid his escape. Their meeting is interrupted by the arrival of Rhian, who summons Villanelle to meet Hélène. Villanelle kills Rhian and goes back to meet Eve. Konstantin checks himself out of hospital and argues with Dasha over their handling of Villanelle. The stress causes Dasha to die of a heart attack. Konstantin reaches Eve before Villanelle does when Paul calls him and demands to see him. They arrive at Paul's house to find Carolyn holding him at gunpoint and Villanelle joins them. Having seen a video of Kenny and Konstantin on the day Kenny died, Carolyn demands an explanation from Konstantin. He claims that he tried to recruit Kenny into the Twelve to save him, but Kenny got scared and fell to his death. Carolyn is tempted to shoot him, but spares him and kills Paul. She concludes that she will never be able to stop the Twelve. Eve and Villanelle leave together and admit they bring out the worst in each other, but are nevertheless drawn together. They make a pact to walk away and never see each other again, but the two stop walking and look back at each other.


THOUGHTS: I like this finale well, though I think Season two's was somewhat more superior. The kenny subplot is somewhat wrapped on, though not completely. It'll be interesting to see how this continues. Dasha's run also comes to a somewhat abrupt ending, which caught me by surprise. Carolyn's somewhat cynical and darker persona really comes out here, and it's quite sad but brilliant acting by Fiona Shaw. The final sequence with Eve & Villanelle is good, but it really doesn't add anything new. Just confirms what we already knew as viewers, and leaves them both hanging for the next season.

RATING: 88% - A-



Do you really expect an English speaking production made primarily for an English speaking market to have long passages of dialogue in other languages which would require subtitles? If so, why?



I shouldn't really, but I can't help it. I watch a lot of foreign language content and they tend to make more of an effort to implement english speaking scenes when mixing with english speaking characters, or when in an english speaking setting within the story. It would just be more realistic if it happened here, rather than making some daft excuse that Villanelle doesn't like speaking her own native language, despite it being quite well known how patriotic Russians are of their culture and language.

Dunno, just a nitpick for me.



I shouldn't really, but I can't help it. I watch a lot of foreign language content and they tend to make more of an effort to implement english speaking scenes when mixing with english speaking characters, or when in an english speaking setting within the story
I get that. However, I'd put forward the argument that A) more non-English speaking countries (especially European) have an educated population with English as an additional language (from which the acting/art communities are often from) and English is often a common 2nd or 3rd language which people can communicate by and, B) with the increase in non-English language TV watching there's an eye to selling to predominantly English speaking countries more now, that it's unrealistic to expect predominantly English productions for predominantly English speaking viewers to have fluent non-English speaking actors for roles. Also, in turn, this would mean an increased use of subtitles which are hated worldwide and will drastically cut the number of viewers prepared to give that programme a chance.

Dunno, just a nitpick for me.
I get that and it's fine. I wasn't trying to pick an argument or persuade you of something to the contrary. if anything, I suppose I was hoping that you didn't understand why it had to be like that so I might be able to explain the reason and, in doing so, increase your enjoyment or, at least, lessen the negative impact it has on your viewing.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
I just started this show, think I'm on episode 3 of season 2.

The wife really likes it, I think it's pretty good.
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