The highly anticipated “Killing Eve” season three finished on Monday night to a series of mixed reviews.
Warning, spoilers ahead.
From the very first episode with the surprise death of favourite character Kenny, the show has tried desperately to keep the momentum of the first series.
There have been several interesting plot twists and fast-paced action throughout the season but the story arc falls flat toward the end. Many viewers have been disappointed with a lacklustre season. The finale leaves assassin Villanelle facing down an existential crisis about her future: also leaving the season to nothing more than an unsubstantial story line.
Much like the sixth book in Harry Potter, this season of “Killing Eve” feels like a filler for what is to come in season four.
Who is Villanelle now that she has given up murder-for-hire? What will Eve do and can she give up Villanelle for good? What will happen to the twelve now that Paul is dead and Constantin has left?
All promising questions that will remain unanswered for now, much to the frustration of a dedicated audience.
Season three also introduced us to Dasha, a former assassin and mentor to Villanelle. A formidable and unyielding character that then dies quietly in a hospital bed. The death seems much too anticlimactic for such a volatile character. It continues the recent trend of killing off characters to further weak plot points.
Or in Dasha’s case, just to kill her. Even Eve’s estranged husband Nico was stabbed in the neck with a pitchfork, revealed to be alive and then never spoken about again. Many of the characters in this season have proven to be forgettable.
However much of the original charm of the show has been lost now that Villanelle refuses to kill. With only one explosive death in the final episode the quirky brilliance of Villanelle has been lost in a vanilla character arc.
All of this being said, the show is still carried by the performance of Jodie Comer (Villanelle) and Sandra Oh (Eve).
Both leading women give depth to their problematic characters and manage to pull off a script that seems to be lacking in interest. If anything Comer and Oh seem to be the only thing keeping this season afloat.
Fiona Shaw CBE remains as cool and as intimidating as ever playing Carolyn Martens. Her performance as a grieving mother trying to solve the murder of her son is nuanced and brilliant. But even her character seems lost behind a script with little direction.
The costume design also should be commended as Villanelle’s outfits continue to impress. While much of Villanelle’s character has become murky her costumes continue to delight. One saving grace in a rapidly sinking ship.
But the stellar performances of the leads and the beautiful fashion can not take away from the fact that season three was kind of boring.
It is starting to become apparent that the show will never quite live up to the glory of season one.
Featured image: Den of Geeks
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