Killing Eve (Season Four)

As has been the way with this show, every season has a different writer, and while that had issues as we have to get to know the slightly different take this brings to the characters each time, it also serves to round them out them as we see different aspects of them as we understand them in different contexts in a way that the same writer would not achieve, probably not even attempt. It helps that each of the writers, possibly with input from the actors, gives us a take that is completely believable at their core.

In season four, perhaps because they know it’s the last season, takes a long hard look at transitions. By their very nature, transitions have an ending as well as, sometimes at least, a new beginning.

We have Carolyn transitioning from MI6 power player to revenge-driven defector. Villanelle turns her back on killing and becomes born-again. Eve seems to be turning into Villanelle, shooting people, killing them even, and all. Even Konstantin had found his happy place, not quite where we’d thought he was going at the end of s3, but he appears to be genuinely happy, at least until The Twelve pulls him back in. Some of these take better than others… all of them have their delightful moments though.

People often talk about queer baiting in Killing Eve. I suspect that’s because the show teases us about the relationship between Eve and Villanelle. Villanelle's obsession with Eve is sexual and possibly loving. (Martin, the psychiatrist at Broadmoor would say as psychopath she’s not truly capable of love.) Eve's is harder to say, I think because it’s layered and it’s changed over the seasons. However, I think it’s fair to say, even though the show doesn’t use labels, by the end of season four, they’re both some flavour of queer. Is it queer baiting if two queer characters don’t pursue the relationship you want? Villanelle certainly kisses, and mostly has sex with, a lot of women over the course of the series.

I’m conflicted about this season. It didn’t pick up from the end of season three where I expected and that jarred me, but once I’d bought into their interpretation of that I found the idea that Eve and Villanelle were at different stages of being exes and handling it in incredibly ways, which is what we were given, to be well handled. In typical Killing Eve fashion it had moments that were true to life, moments that were hilarious, moments that made me want to cringe. It was glorious and messy, vibrant and felt real.

Weaving around this, we had complications like Yusuf, who I was prepared to hate but somehow ended up grudgingly admiring, Pam, whose interactions with Hélène and then Konstanin were mostly a delight.

The finale gives us the most complicated part of the whole show. Suddenly they need each other, badly enough to overcome their reservations simultaneously. (Not supremely well written, IMO, but I guess it had to be done.) Then they got together. It was surprisingly soft and romantic. It set every fucking alarm bell ringing. Then the penultimate scene did half the job as [spoilers].

Goddess, I’m so conflicted about that. I will write again, once I’ve calmed down and my feelings have resolved a bit more. [Spoiler’s] betrayal of Eve and Villanelle felt right. Sad, rather than shocking. But entirely in character. But the actual outcome of that betrayal, feels half-arsed? We were promised something operatic. While there are other choices, in the context of Killing Eve that either meant they both died, or love conquered all. We got option meh.

I don’t think it’s terrible. It’s not part of Bury Your Gays (anyone who says it is, needs to go and read the definition of the trope and tell me how they died because of their sexuality). It’s just poor. I suspect it might not be what they wanted because of Covid, but it’s a shame. And after I’d grown to really enjoy this season, it was a let down.

I will, sometime, binge all four seasons of Killing Eve. I love the different looks we’ve had at these characters, the way their relationship has gone through so much. I can live with a weak last five minutes.

Bechdel Test: Pass. Almost everyone we see is a woman, they rarely talk about men. (As a side note, with the exception of Konstantin, who is constantly told what to do by the woman around him, even the one’s he’s meant to be telling what to do, have we ever seen a show where the men have so many positions of power and so little actual ability?)

Ko Test: Pass. Unlike previous seasons, Even is not carrying the candle alone in every episode, Pam is along for the ride too, and in some episodes we’re in Cuba as well.

Russo Test: Pass. Villanelle and Hélène both definitely carry a torch for the ladies. Carolin’s “sexy gay spy” dad and (some of) his lovers appear. I don’t know how Eve labels herself, but she seems to be gay for both Hélène and Villanelle, so “straight” isn’t really an option if she’s honest.