Killing Eve uses a plethora of exciting motifs to create an entirely new spy series. By placing a tribe of women at the forefront of the narrative, the show is able to push away from the standard conventions built by characters such as James Bond and Ethan Hunt and offer fans something more inclusive. Throughout the show, Eve and Villanelle continue to cross paths, each time accumulating a deeper sense of tension and desire. As such, fans are often left on the edge of their seats, wondering whether the pair will fall in love or lead to each other’s demise.

Despite the show’s immense fan following, the fourth season received quite a lot of criticism. In the end, Carolyn Martens orders the assassination of Villanelle, leaving Eve unable to say a proper goodbye. But fans are still curious as to whether this is really the end for Killing Eve or whether a fifth season is still on the table.

What’s Killing Eve About?

Awards for Killing Eve

BAFTA TV Award for Best Leading Actress: Jodie Comer (2019)
BAFTA TV Award for Outstanding Drama Series (2019)
Critics Choice Awards for Best Actress in a Drama Series: Sandra Oh (2019)
Peabody Awards (2019)
American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Drama Series for Commercial Television (2020)

After becoming bored with her role in MI5, Eve Polastri decides to take matters into her own hands and lead an investigation into a recent witness. Unfortunately, her superiors do not approve of her antics, and she is quickly dismissed from her job. But Eve does not stay down for long as she is recruited by the elusive Carolyn Martens, head of the Russian Division of MI6. As such, Eve becomes obsessed with the demands of her secretive role and quickly becomes intertwined with a criminal mastermind known as Villanelle.

The show introduces audiences to The Twelve, a deeply secretive and isolated organization that recruits killers like Villanelle. But, as time goes on, both Eve and Villanelle learn that this group is not exactly what it seems and are often required to collaborate in order to get to the bottom of things. However, these women are not sidekicks or even friends. Villanelle is hell-bent on killing her partner, but whenever she gets close enough, the sensuality of their relationship often pulls her away.

Teeming with twists and turns, it’s evident that Killing Eve is not your average cat-and-mouse chase. Each woman is pushed to their absolute limit, and audiences are not sure where this story will lead them next. In turn, the show managed to gain a ton of acclaim and was regarded as one of the best shows on television during its run.

Why Did Killing Eve Take Off?

Season
Rotten Tomatoes Score

1
96%

2
92%

3
80%

4
53%

Though Killing Eve may not be regarded as the original spy drama, it certainly made its mark on screens across the US and the UK. One of the most appealing things about this show is its incredible cast, all of which managed to give their characters a unique sense of vitality and humor. Villanelle, portrayed by Jodie Comer, uses a collection of accents throughout the show, each of which is more convincing than the next. Despite having a strong Liverpudlian accent, Comer adopted a seamless Russian accent for the show and also gave Villanelle a few other alter egos, such as a Scottish hotel concierge as well as a Spanish delivery driver. Sandra Oh also found international success through Killing Eve, allowing her to push away from the typecasting of her most popular role, Christina Yang. Her American heritage doesn’t stop her from running the streets of London and allows her to give Eve Polastri the backstory she deserves.

Fans of Fleabag will notice that Phoebe Waller-Bridge was the Head Writer throughout the first season, giving the show a keen sense of British charm and wit. Killing Eve also welcomes a series of other well-known writers, including Saltburn’s Emerald Fennell and Suzanne Heathcote, who is best recognized for her work on Fear of The Walking Dead. Despite their differences in style and experience, these writers were able to work as a unit, creating a show that was filled with strong and cohesive characters and narratives.

Killing Eve was also praised for its LGBTQ+ representation both on-screen and off-screen. The relationship between Eve and Villanelle is undoubtedly very sexual and ties in very well with the overarching theme of obsession and love. Thus, audiences have the prime opportunity to follow a love story that does not adhere to any of the usual themes they have seen before. A lot of the cast also identify as Queer, including Fiona Shaw, who plays Carolyn Martens. Though she is straight in the show, placing a lesbian woman in the middle of a prime-time drama series highlights the show’s ambition to place diverse actors in the spotlight.

Did the Changes From the Book Hinder Killing Eve?

Title
Publication Date

“Codename Villanelle”
29th June 2017

“Killing Eve: No Tomorrow”
25th October 2018

“Killing Eve: Die for Me”
9th April 2020

Although Killing Eve feels like a completely unique and fresh concept, it is actually an adaptation of Luke Jennings’ book series. Jennings originally published a collection of short novellas online in an e-book format. These quickly gained a lot of attention, and he finally published the first Killing Eve story in 2017. Though there are four seasons of the TV show, Jennings manages to describe the lore of Eve and Villanelle in three short books, leading many fans to wonder how far the show strayed away from its source material. One of the main differences between the show and the book series is the number of male characters. Jennings does not include Carolyn Martens, and the original MI6 division is made up entirely of men. However, it could be argued that Jennings was looking to create a more accurate representation of the British Secret Service rather than erase the influence of women entirely.

Jennings also places a keen focus on the nuances of the Secret Service, especially the use of weapons and conspiracies. This gives the books an added sense of detail and world-building that may have been neglected throughout the show. Yet, these themes can easily be misinterpreted within the medium of television, so the writers may have felt it was best to replace these motifs with something else, such as using characters like Konstantin to express how these organizations complete their covert tasks.

One thing both mediums can agree on is the intimate relationship between Villanelle and Eve. Yet, the book shows this relationship in much more detail than its counterpart, expressing the pair having sex and living together in harmony countless times throughout the series. The TV show is often denounced for Queerbaiting these characters, which goes against a lot of the books’ major themes. Though it could be argued that the TV writers were eager to create a slow-burn relationship between the pair, fans suggest that their lack of intimacy is due to fear of backlash and that it would be safer for Eve and Villanelle to kill each other rather than fall in love.

Will There Be a Killing Eve Season 5?

Fiona Shaw requested that her character speak in an Irish accent, but producers declined her suggestion.
Over 100 women auditioned to play Villanelle before Jodie Comer secured the role.
27 characters were killed in Season 1 alone.
Multiple endings were explored for the show, such as Eve and Villanelle driving off a cliff like in the hit film Thelma and Louise.
The show was renewed for a second season before the first had even aired.

It’s clear that everyone can’t be happy, but fans are still waiting in anticipation for more Killing Eve content. Though showrunners have clearly stated that they have no plans to release any more episodes, there is talk of a spin-off series. Allegedly, this series would focus more on Carolyn Martens and her work in MI6 as well as her early life. These concepts were touched upon throughout Season 4, so it only makes sense for the franchise to delve deeper into her personal and professional life.

Although Killing Eve did not hit every nail on the head, especially in its final season, it still managed to defy genres and collect a multitude of awards. Plus, Oh and Comer are now considered to be household names across the Atlantic, leading them to enjoy a number of lucrative opportunities. Thus, it seems that whatever the show has in store next, fans will be waiting with open arms.