Killing Eve isn’t easy that
Yes, the hit thriller’s back – and here its stars reveal how unwelcome visitors, a delve into Villanelle’s past and a fateful meeting will take it up a notch
There’s a brutal but cleanly executed murder, a breathtaking surprise... and several wry jokes. The third series of Killing Eve starts in typical fashion – the magic formula that’s made this classy, violent and darkly funny thriller one of the most highly acclaimed TV shows ever.
Over the past two series we’ve seen intriguing Russian contract killer Villanelle (played by Jodie Comer) obsess over British Intelligence agent Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), in turn creating obsession within her nemesis as they oscillate between capturing each other, killing each other and falling in love with each other.
But at the end of the last series (stop here if you plan to watch it on catch-up), having encouraged Eve to kill before confessing her love, Villanelle’s inner psychopath came out and she shot the woman she was infatuated with, leaving her for dead. Some people never change – especially Villanelle.
The new series begins six months on, with Villanelle apparently retired from the game, living in Barcelona and about to marry for the first time. Yet even as she makes her wedding speech, Eve is still on her m i nd. ‘When we met, I’d just had a really bad break-up,’ she says. ‘When I think about my ex today, I realise I’m so much happier now she’s dead.’
But then she notices an unwelcome guest, and within seconds there’s a brawl and we’re off on another whirl of stylised assassinations, glamorous locations and enviable designer chic.
‘When we pick up, it seems Villanelle is trying to lead a normal life,’ says Jodie, 27, who’s picked up a BAFTA and an Emmy for her performance. ‘She’s trying to convince herself that she’s feeling what everyday people feel. But she gets an unexpected visit from someone in her past who shakes things up.’
That visit is from Dasha (Harriet Walter), Villanelle’s first teacher in the art of murder. In a dream role for Harriet, Dasha is like a slightly less unhinged version of Villanelle, a chilling murderess who takes great pride in the beauty of her work but who also teaches children gymnastics on the side.
She approaches Villanelle because her old bosses – the mysterious international crime syndicate The Twelve – desperately want her back in the fold. Villanelle agrees, only if she can have more power and move higher up in the organisation than her former handler Konstantin (Kim Bodnia). Inevitably that brings these two – who have another love/hate relationship – back into contact.
‘We delve into Villanelle’s past, the loneliness she feels and what family actually means to her,’ says Jodie. ‘It’s like seeing her in a whole different world, with a new insight. Who are her family – blood and not blood? She’s drawn to Konstantin because he’s the closest thing she has to family. There’s a really interesting new dynamic to them in this series.’
Fans will not be surprised to learn
‘Murdering people is an art form for Villanelle’
Villanelle didn’t kill Eve. She’s back, but very much changed. ‘She’s in a place of trauma and trying to heal,’ says Sandra, 48, who won a Golden Globe for her role. ‘She’s back to her roots, to safety. It’s a place we’ve never seen her in before. But she’s also in a place of strength, though it might not look it. For the first time, she has to take care of herself.’
Her marriage to teacher
Niko (Owen McDonnell) is over and he’s had a breakdown, not only over their break-up, prompted by Eve’s obsession with Villanelle, but also because Villanelle killed his new girlfriend. It’s not surprising he’s in a dark place and he’ll likely be dragged into more.
Eve’s in hiding as the series begins, but something horrific forces her to come into the open and resume the chase. ‘She’s had so much loss,’ says Sandra. ‘Her life is consumed by chaos – you’ll see what happens when someone is pushed to an extreme.’
The show was created by Phoebe
Waller-Bridge, based on the Codename Villanelle books by Luke Jennings. This series (a fourth has been confirmed), while still co-produced by Phoebe, has been written by Suzanne Heathcote, taking over from series two’s writer Emerald Fennell.
While the series centres on the Eve/Villanelle axis, for many fans the star turn comes from Fiona Shaw as Eve’s inscrutable boss Carolyn, who never lets her love for her son Kenny (Sean Delaney), Eve’s colleague, get in the way of her work. This series will see her confronting feelings she would have never expected, and a new boss, Paul, played by Steve Pemberton.
‘Suzanne’s writing is almost like playwriting,’ says Fiona, 61, who won a BAFTA for the role. ‘It makes this series deeper than our previous ones. We all got involved with each other in a much more complicated way. Konstantin and Carolyn have some very interesting scenes. They are the two adults of the series and have a more sophisticated and ambiguous relationship. They have this strange intimacy which is also slightly hostile. It’s full of nooks and crannies and mountains and troughs.’
Also, for the first time, Villanelle and Carolyn finally meet. ‘Everyone is being tested in different ways in this series,’ says Jodie. ‘A couple of characters come to a point of realisation at the end. They’re all on their own trajectories but their worlds collide. It’ll really reel people in to know I have a scene with Fiona at last!
‘You should stick around for that alone. I’ve been fighting to get a scene with Fiona since day one, so it was a glorious thing to shoot.’
■ Killing Eve, RTÉ One, Tuesday at 10.15pm.