We (specifically Nicole and Shefali) love Killing Eve. You love Killing Eve—which is why you’re here. Let’s all love Killing Eve together.
(If you have not yet started watching this incredible show, we have a whole argument as to why you should.)
Here are 10 reasons we love this show, and 4 books you should pick up that’ll scratch that Killing Eve-itch in between episodes!
- Nicole: EMMY AWARD WINNER SANDRA FUCKING OH. The year was 2001, and 14-year-old me fell in love with a little movie called The Princess Diaries. Sandra Oh’s Vice Principal Gupta, with limited screen time, managed to deliver one of the funniest one-sided phone conversations I have ever seen: “Gupta. Mmhm. Mmhm. Mmhm.” *slams phone* “The Queen is coming.” MASTERFUL! You can’t teach that kind of comedic timing! Sandra’s delivery slayed me week in and week out throughout her entire stint on Grey’s Anatomy. (You know you’ve used the “Somebody sedate me!” GIF more than once.) But it wasn’t until Killing Eve that I think Sandra found a role that was perfectly suited to her range. She plays Eve Polastri, the titular character, who finds herself in a cat and mouse game with the elusive yet intoxicating Villanelle. Throughout Oh’s performance, she gives us both drama and comedy in a way only she can…and she keeps us coming back for more.
- Shefali: I’m falling over myself to applaud this show because there are women in front of and behind the camera doing an absolutely killer job (yes, I went there). I’ll wax poetic about the head writer a bit more later on, but to see a show with not one but two female leads, one of them a WOC no less, in the (male-dominated) suspense-thriller-spy genre no less, with female characters doing as they dang well please, and never running around to serve the male gaze no less—why, it brings me to tears. Thank you, women of Killing Eve.
- Nicole: Representation. As a queer woman who loves* (*is borderline obsessed with) television, I’m very invested in seeking out and supporting media that portrays queer love, queer relationships, and queer characters in a positive light. To me, that doesn’t mean they’re always the heroes, but fully fleshed out characters whose queerness is important, yet does not completely define who they are. Each and every ad and promo featuring Eve and Villanelle got my queer heart racing with excitement. Would the show actually go there?! If it does, will the duo leave us heartbroken?! Their relationship is one of mutual obsession, and while Villanelle is openly bisexual, Eve’s sexuality has not yet been confirmed (but I mean, their CHEMISTRY!). Killing Eve could have fallen into queerbaiting territory, but instead they gave us a beautiful journey culminating in a Season 1 finale scene where the two confess their feelings for each other in a way that is somehow both clear and ambiguous at the same time.
- Shefali: I’m really just here to echo Nicole’s first point because, um, Sandra Oh is everything! And don’t you forget it. From her work in indie selects like Sideways and Meditation Park, to her role in The Princess Diaries (Nicole is right, Sandy Oh will always be my Vice Principal), it’s been clear for years that Sandra Oh had depths of potential that just needed the right role. And now we have Eve Polastri, hero, worker, trying to save the world—but also just crazy and obsessive enough that she’d cut herself with a knife just to understand how one of Villanelle’s victims bled out. I cannot wait to watch Sandra Oh continue to grow into this amazing role!
- Nicole: Multifaceted storytelling. Killing Eve masterfully gives us a spy drama mixed with a comedy mixed with ultimately a love story! And none of those very distinct genres gets the shaft from the actors or writers.
- Shefali: I love how fucking weird Villanelle is. Sure, she kills people, but her energy is 100% about doing what she desires—and watching her be fickle and impulsive is kind of liberating in its own way?! Sure, she’s not a *good* person, but she’s a woman who does what she wants—and that is empowering to watch. (Maybe I need to be more fickle is the lesson here?!)
- Nicole: Jodie Comer’s portrayal of Villanelle—I completely agree with Shefali on this one, and so much of Villanelle’s appeal is due to Jodie Comer’s brilliant performance. Somehow she manages to make Villanelle a relatable and, dare I say, lovable psychopath! Pay attention to her eyes the next time you watch. It’s WILD how talented Jodie is.
- Shefali: I’ve only known Phoebe Mary Waller-Bridge (the main writer behind Killing Eve) as that British actress from Crashing (a fantastic show, only one season long, met its untimely death, available on Netflix, apparently also written by Waller-Bridge, which makes so much sense!!!)—but she has made this beautifully hilarious character (Vilanelle, and for that matter, Eve too!) that I love.
- Nicole: Locations! They say “location is everything,” and that applies to Killing Eve in spades. In Season 1, we were treated to scenes filmed in Tuscany, Paris, Berlin, Romania, Cheshunt, Turville, and London. I don’t know about you, but my wanderlust hit crisis mode every time a new location appeared on-screen!
- Shefali: Low-key, Killing Eve has some great side-almost-main characters that I want more of. More Carolyn Martens—she is my obvious go-to (and not just because she’s played by Aunt Petunia, guys), but I’m also back here quietly rooting for this Kenny–Elena romance, which I know can only be gloriously awkward and earnest. Maybe we’ll get it in Season 2?via GIPHY
This post was originally published on GetLiterary.com.