TV Review: ‘Killing Eve’ Concludes a Dynamic First Season

It’s rare to find a show that is clicking on all cylinders from the first scene. Few series find their confidence until sometime late in the first season. Yet showrunner Phoebe Waller-Bridge seems to be an exception to that rule. In 2016, her two series “Fleabag” and “Crashing” were near perfection. Waller-Bridge has quickly established herself as one of the great showrunners, and “Killing Eve” proves it once again. However, “Killing Eve” reaches heights that her other shows never could. It might be the very best show on television right now.

“Killing Eve” follows an MI-5 agent, Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) who believes that a young woman has been responsible for a series of assassinations. She begins an investigation without ever getting approval. Meanwhile, the actual assassin, Villanelle (Jodie Comer) is spinning her tires as she enters a quarter-life crisis. The two stories come crashing together as Villanelle kills a man Eve put in witness protection. This initiates a dangerous cat and mouse game, as the two women circle each other.

The real power of the story comes from three aspects. First, the writing is simply phenomenal. The way the story is structured and the characters are written is near perfection. The characters realized almost immediately, paving the way for the actors to really commit to their character actions. There is never a doubt that Eve will put the hunt for Villanelle above all else. Villanelle is a sociopath, which really opens what she’s capable of doing. Yet because Villanelle will always be curious, always be selfish, her choices never feel out of character. Even side characters, like David Haig’s Bill, are dangerously consistent in how they operate. It’s a benefit to know how smart characters are throughout, and how quickly they can turn the tables on each other. This show builds its foundation from its writing, elevating what it can become.

This leads to the 2nd piece of brilliance from the show. The cast is simply outstanding. Whenever you have television veterans giving career-best performances, you’re in for a treat. Sandra Oh is fantastic, imbuing all of her likability into Eve, while still making her a workaholic. It’s as if her “Grey’s Anatomy” character had 20% more personality, but remained as razor sharp. She’s the eternal optimist, yet fanaticizes about the darkest topics. Comer is eccentric, dangerous, and charming throughout. No matter how deranged and violent an act she commits, you still find your way to root for her. She’s Walter White if he was a teenage girl obsessed with fashion.

Pairing Oh with Jodie Comer results in a special relationship unseen on TV since “Hannibal” left the air in 2015. When the two interact, we get a residual sexuality that stems from intelligence, violence, and curiosity. Comer and Oh are both marvelous, delivering two of the best performances of the year. The series rolls on their relationship but also draws every other actor into their vortex. Fiona Shaw is brilliant as the cold MI-6 legend. Kim Bodnia finds ways to be funny and caring as Konstantin. The assembled team of Elena (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), Kenny (Sean Delaney) and Bill (Haig) are stellar. It’s a deep cast that offers brilliant and funny moments across the board.

Finally, the direction of the season is excellent. While no director takes total control over the series, each builds a strong visual palette. The group consists of Jon East, Damon Thomas, and Harry Bradbeer. Together, they build suspense from scene to scene, and episode to episode. They pick up and thread storylines incredible well, creating small moments that pay off over the course of the series. Their shared vision helps to complete the package.

“Killing Eve” is an excellent series that offers one of the best first seasons for any show this year. It’s without a doubt the best new show of the 2017-2018 season and should be an interesting series to return to. While a lot is asked of its two leads, both Oh and Comer are both awards worthy. Hopefully, this will mean we get more Phoebe Waller-Bridge in all versions of media. If this show was on AMC or HBO, this would be considered one of the very best shows on TV. Even without that publicity, the show makes a real run for the title.

What do you think? Is “Killing Eve” the best new show of 2018? Let us hear your opinions in the comments below!

“Killing Eve” airs on BBC America. You can rent/stream the show through Amazon and other digital providers.

GRADE: (★★★★)

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