‘Killing Eve’ Season 2 Review: This Twisted Treat Remains One of the Best Shows on TV Right Now

TV’s most complicated, twisted relationship returns with Killing Eve season 2. Phoebe Waller-Bridge‘s unclassifiable series comes back strong, roaring out of the gate mere seconds after season 1 concluded, and almost never letting viewers catch their breath. This season, Waller-Bridge has stepped back a bit, with Emerald Fennell stepping in as head writer. Anyone worried that this change-up might alter the show significantly can rest assured, as Killing Eve is better than ever.

A brilliant blend of supremely dark comedy and obsessive character drama, Killing Eve remains one of the best shows on television right now. The writing is what makes Eve so whip-smart and unique, but it’s the lead performances of Sandra Oh, as MI5 agent Eve Polastri, and Jodie Comer, as sociopathic assassin Oksana Astankova, AKA Villanelle, that make the series tick. The nature of the show keeps Oh and Comer apart most of the time, but we’re always waiting, breathlessly, for them to catch up with each other. Oh’s work as the obsessive Eve almost matches our own obsessive watching of the show, while Comer’s unhinged but captivating psycho keeps us coming back for more.

At the end of season 1, Eve finally caught up with Villanelle. The two appeared on the verge of sharing a tender kiss – Villanelle claims she’s in love with Eve, and Eve’s obsession with Villanelle certainly is up for interpretation – right before Eve stabbed Villanelle in the stomach, causing Villanelle to flee. Season 2 wastes no time, picking up during the same scene. Eve thinks she might have wounded Villanelle badly enough to kill her, but Villanelle isn’t so easy to kill. The crafty assassin makes her escape, only to end up in a hospital under an assumed identity.

Eve, meanwhile, appears to be in the throws of severe PTSD from the incident. She returns home, shaken and mentally unbalanced. It’s not long before Eve’s old boss Carolyn Martens (the indispensable Fiona Shaw) comes calling, informing Eve that even thought she fired her last season for her reckless behavior, Eve is needed back at work.

The start of season 2 centers on our two leads trying to find their footing after their near-death confrontation. Eve is heading up a new team with some familiar faces, and soon discovers there’s yet another female assassin out there, one much different than Villanelle. Is Eve an expert at tracking any and every female assassin, or do her skills only apply to Villanelle?

And as for Villanelle herself, her encounter with Eve has knocked her for a loop. She’s hell-bent on catching back up with Eve, and continues to believe Eve loves her. But whether or not that’s going to stop her from killing Eve (hey, that’s the title of the show!) remains a question. Perhaps sensing that the audience had been growing too comfortable with Villanelle and her crimes, the start of season 2 has her committing a murder that’s so shocking and unpleasant that it might push some viewers over the edge. But for the sake of keeping us invested in Villanelle, season 2 also puts her in a situation where she’s in potential danger. After convincing a seemingly normal man to take her into his home, it slowly becomes apparent this “normal” guy is anything but. The first tip-off is probably the fact that his house is full of creepy dolls.

The writing and direction of Killing Eve remains impeccable – one sequence, in which Eve frantically tries to cook a meal after returning home from stabbing Villanelle, is both hilarious and unsettling with its crash-cuts and tonal mix of comedy and terror – it’s the performances that continue to drive the show. Oh and Comer are phenomenal, with each actress bringing their own specific styles – Oh balances inner turmoil with outward excitement, while Comer finds the perfect way to blend her character’s psychotic tendencies with a touch of something deeper lurking underneath. We know it’s only a matter of time before these two come face to face again. What a treat that’ll be.

Killing Eve season 2 premieres Sunday, April 7 at 8pm/7c on BBCA and AMC.

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