Killing Eve: Season 1 - Written Review

Last Friday I started watching Killing Eve on BBC iPlayer. It's now Monday, and I've just finished watching the eighth and final episode of the series. I might have just been a little bit *too* into it.

For those who haven't heard of the series, Killing Eve follows Vilanelle, a young assassin working for a mysterious organisation. Her childish glee extends to both nice clothes, murder and interesting people, and no one's more interesting to Vilanelle than Eve Polastri, an MI5 agent investigating her murders. Eve might have just worked out who Vilanelle is, but needs all the help she can get if she'll have any chance of finding and stopping her.

The series is based upon a novella series by Luke Jennings, and has been developed for television by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, incorporating a very strange, almost whimsical style and black humour. Some may be put-off by the frequent gags, but the show's humorous sensibilities separate it from other thrillers on TV at the moment. Killing Eve tackles its ideas confidently and without caution, whether it be violent murders or exploring the lesbian subtext/definitely text between Eve and Vilanelle. The characters are all quirky, unique individuals and the story unfolds in frequently surprising ways.

I was very surprised by the strong production values in Killing Eve though. The varied locations and inventive camerawork really make the show pop visually, while the music really sets in the show's quirky feel. The series never shies away from the horror and tragedy of the events unfolding, but somehow manages to find humour in these events, feeling tonally bizarre, but almost realistically off-kilter. Real life isn't one distinct tone, and it's something Killing Eve taps into. Despite all of the laughs in the series, there are some genuinely shocking moments, and some of the twists are very surprising.

Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer really propel the show into greatness though, managing to make these characters so believable, despite their eccentric personalities. Eve is a driven woman obsessed with exploring Vilanelle, while Jodie Comer's childlike innocence really adds a sense of charm to the series' psychopathic assassin. The rest of the cast are all equally fantastic though, and everyone completely buys into this strange hyper-realistic world created by Luke Jennings and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Everyone just seems to be having so much fun working on this.

Is Killing Eve perfect though? Not exactly. Once the series moves the action to Moscow it leans further into the thriller elements and away from the quirkiness of earlier episodes, making it ever-so-slightly less engaging. Important character drama is explored, and the series seems to struggle with how exactly to resolve itself. There's a lot of material left open for a second season, but given the way this season develops over the eight episodes, I'm not quite sure where the show goes next. One thing is for certain though: I'll be very interested to see what happens next.

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