'Killing Eve' Season 3 Episode 3 Review: Villanelle's return to Eve's life couldn't have been more ceremonious
Spoilers for Season 3 Episode 3: 'Meetings have Biscuits'
The inevitable has occurred: Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) finally kissed Villanelle (Jodie Comer). After three excruciatingly painful years of waiting, as the time to celebrate and rejoice finally arrives, it's worth noting that this wasn't exactly how we had expected the cat-and-mouse duo to cave in to that magnetic tension. You know, the "can't live with them, can't live without them" kind. But VillanEve have never quite submitted to the concept of normal or conventional; so even with a kiss that can be largely categorized as a befuddled peck on the lips out of the blue, TV's hottest power-packed lesbian couple wins us over with Villanelle's grand entrance and Eve's spontaneity.
Shaking things up like the power-hungry assassin aching for control and love she is, Villanelle's entry back into Eve's life is every bit as outrageous, yet ceremonious as it can get. She sneaks up on Eve when the former MI agent least expects it and their fiery passion explodes into punches and a confused kiss, only to be followed by a terrifyingly orchestrated murder scene — all for Eve. And in every millisecond of this comic comeback, Comer breathes a rattling menace into her on-screen assassin — something that only leaves viewers a little tortured and very teased with what's yet to come.
When we meet Villanelle in the third episode of Season 3, she is still frolicking in the summery ambiance of Barcelona, murdering innocent curators of pianos and their baby's nanny before running off with the baby because that's somehow fun. She tags the baby along during brunch with Dasha, and even though she tries to deflect all of Dasha's warnings about her needing to make it up to The 12, her distraction and constant dodging hints how she has indeed come unraveled. It's only convenient, and most opportune that her next assignment is in London of all places, and even though Villanelle claims she isn't quite ready and all of this is too soon, ardent viewers will unanimously chant it's about f****g time, lady, please seek out the woman of your dreams!
Speaking of Villanelle's dream woman, Eve is seen brainstorming for the most part with Carolyn Martens (Fiona Shaw), her new understudy Mo, and Kenny's boss; their strongest lead being a bank account Kenny was digging into as part of his investigation into The 12. While Oh reflects Eve's frenzied desperation at trying to relay how dangerous just knowing about the organization can be, Shaw's precision in Carolyn's prismatic moments — be it showcasing grief amid a hangover, or overwhelming shock as a facade — take the whole cake. There's your signature British banter and an American's culture shock abundantly sprinkled throughout the writing, which earns its biggest nod for the way it glides Villanelle into Eve's life on a casual workday bus ride, with Eve's reaction being a screaming fit throwing punches.
Of course, she is no match for Villanelle, so Eve does what anybody in her situation would do: she attacks Villanelle with the trojan horse the Russian assassin wasn't quite prepared for — a kiss. It's odd and quite out of place in every single way, but such is VillanEve as a couple. They do not conform; they just randomly pop up next to each other and try to hurt each other in the worst ways which end up being genuinely wholesome. But that's not all. Earlier in the episode, Villanelle can be seen recording her voice into a toy bear, and what begins with "I should have shot you in the head" ends with "I can't stop thinking about you."
While one can credit this as the reason behind Villanelle showing up in broad daylight the psychopath would like to claim otherwise. She tells Eve she isn't back for her, and the next thing we know, she is knocking on Carolyn's passenger seat window pane with a gun aimed at the MI6 agent's head.
Villanelle's London job was to finish the banker linked to the account Kenny was digging into, so naturally, when Carolyn is on a stakeout to ambush the senile, sickly man, Villanelle decides to remind them just who the boss is. It takes one shot — one bullet fired from Villanelle dressed as a traffic cop. The bullet grazed through Carolyn's forehead and strikes the banker sitting right behind, finishing two jobs within the span of seconds. And if that doesn't leave one terrified and rattled, Villanelle's pursuit of discovering her childhood surely will.
There has always been a childlike essence to Villanelle, probably a result of never knowing her roots. Comer paints these tantrums with vibrance, just the way she turns everything dark and brooding in moments Villanelle is trying to be intimidating. Spending time with a random baby only makes her obsessed with her childhood further — something that hints that we might finally get to know about her backstory in episodes to come. Suzanne Heathcote, if not better, is definitely a worthy successor to Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Emerald Fennell for what she's doing with the third season. So for now, in Heathcote we trust while reveling in the glory of the reunion that was the bus ride and count our blessings with the long-awaited kiss.
'Killing Eve' Season 3 airs on Sundays at 9 pm only on BBC America.