Want to bingewatch ‘Killing Eve’? Here’s your handy beginners guide
Killing Eve is one of those rare perfect shows that it seems like everyone is talking about, usually loudly and insisting that you have to watch it. With all of us locked away in quarantine, you’re probably not going to get a better time to check out the phenomenon than right now.
Killing Eve will more than deliver, we promise. But if you’re still a little iffy on getting into the series (and there are so many to watch now), then here’s our beginners’ guide for Killing Eve. Here are the main characters, the creative team, and more for you to check out.
What is Killing Eve about?
Killing Eve, per the BBC America website, is described as a “story of two women, bound by a mutual obsession and one brutal act: Eve, an MI6 operative, and Villanelle, the beautiful, psychopathic assassin that she has been tasked to find.”
Killing Eve is based on the Villanelle novel series by Luke Jennings. Each of the show’s three seasons has featured a different female showrunner. Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) was in charge of season one. Emerald Fennell (Call the Midwife) was in charge of season two. In its third season, Suzanne Heathcote (Fear the Walking Dead) took over show running duties.
Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy) stars as MI6 operative Eve Polastri with Jodie Comer (My Mad Fat Diary) as Villanelle. The series also stars Fiona Shaw (Harry Potter franchise), Kim Bodnia (The Bridge), Owen McDonnell (Single-Handed), and Sean Delaney.
So Eve and Villanelle are together?
Eve and Villanelle are the literal definition of “it’s complicated”. What makes Killing Eve an interesting piece of spy fiction is that it takes the homoerotic tension between the two characters and, well, makes it the centerpiece. Sure there is political intrigue and spy stuff, but it’s not the main focus on the narrative.
Eve and Villanelle are people obsessed with each other, but they are also deeply fleshed out as well. Villanelle does horrible things, but you still like here. Eve has her own complications to handle. The spy narrative takes a backseat to the character drama between the pair and how they can’t seem to let the other go, for better or for worse.
It’s an introspective series, focusing on two multi-faceted and flawed women who can’t seem to let the other go. So, um, they’re kind of together? But it’s probably not a good thing, see Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) in Hannibal for the male example of what’s going on here.
Killing Eve is the show with the sick costumes, right?
Killing Eve has some of the best fashion in the history of television and we will not hear a word against it. Villanelle is considered to be a “style icon” by many and they are not wrong. The iconic pink tulle dress from season one of Killing Eve alone has caused many a red carpet moment in the years since the series debut.
So, you know, if the spy stuff doesn’t capture your attention, then maybe the fashion will. It is pretty sick. We’re not gonna lie about that.
How many episodes are there?
Killing Eve has two complete seasons with eight episodes each for a total of 16 episodes. It airs on Sundays at 9/8c on both BBC America and AMC in the US for its third season, which also will consist of eight episodes.
If you want to stream the first two seasons, then they’re available on Hulu.
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