“Killing Eve”: A Retrospective
On April 10, the 4-season, 32-episode run of Killing Eve came to an end. The Emmy-winning BBC America series was based on a series of electronic novellas and starred Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer as an MI-5 agent and assassin, respectively, who developed a mutual obsession with one another. The series won widespread acclaim early on for audaciously and cleverly upending the spy genre and boldly incorporating black comedy, feminism, and queerness.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the series was how each season had a different female head writer. Phoebe Waller-Bridge helmed the 1st season shortly before she picked up 3 Emmys for the 2nd season of Fleabag. Emerald Fennell took over for the 2nd season and subsequently won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Promising Young Woman. The somewhat less acclaimed third and fourth seasons were helmed by Suzanne Heathcoate and Laura Neal, respectively. This revolving door of talented women ensured that a show that delved deep into female criminality, sociopathy, and desire always retained a fresh female perspective.
Throughout its run, Killing Eve defied expectations at nearly every turn. When you expected it to ratchet up the drama, it presented the most macabre of humor. When you expected it to become romantic, sudden tragedy would strike. Sure, there were some of the conspiracies and shocking betrayals you expect from…
