BBC America's Killing Eve - Episode 3.03 "Meetings Have Biscuits"
Villanelle agrees to a job which will take her back to London. Carolyn's Moscow contacts come in use when Eve and the Bitter Pill team unravel a potential lead to The Twelve. Konstantin finds himself under pressure from all sides.
In 2019, the television industry aired 532 scripted shows across numerous outlets. The way people consume content now is different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, it's less necessary to provide ample coverage of each episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site provides shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of BBC America's Killing Eve.
"Meetings Have Biscuits" was written by Laura Neal and directed by Miranda Bowen
The drama is always at its most combustible and electric when Eve and Villanelle are together. A tremendous magnetism exists whenever Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer share the screen that simply doesn't exist elsewhere in the narrative. After three seasons though, the series has to come up with increasingly more perfunctory reasons why they would continue to cross paths. That comes from Eve and Villanelle still being alive. They haven't succeeded in killing each other just yet. That forever remains an impulse for them. When Eve sees Villanelle on the bus, her first instinct is to attack. She instinctively understands that she doesn't have the strength and skills to take down this assassin. However, it's the only rational response upon coming face to face with the woman who nearly killed her in Rome. Villanelle makes this approach mostly as a power move. She wants to prove to the world that she has conquered her demons and emerged even more triumphant. She is desperate for others to perceive her as such. She has to be dominant over both Eve and Konstantin. She has to exert her power and prove to others just how lucky they are to survive an encounter with her. Eve definitely pushes back and forces Villanelle to have unexpected reactions. They do kiss here. It's a tease that the sexual energy is still present. Eve uses it as a tactic to disarm her opponent and distract from the lethal fate that may come for her. Eve is still recovering from her gunshot wound as well. Villanelle has recovered. She is more deadly and capable than ever before. But Eve and her team are investigating The Twelve as a whole instead of the one assassin they send out to do their most difficult kills. Villanelle sees herself as in that position of power. She is vying for more. She knows that she may not be respected in this profession. People may casually dismiss her because she is so erratic. She kills her trainee. She abducts a baby. She got too close to Eve. Villanelle wants a promotion. She believes arming herself with information is the best way to prove her worth to the mysterious individuals at the top of this organization. But every action she takes has consequences for others. She doesn't care for the accountants of the operation. However, Konstantin had a close bond with the person who realized six million dollars has been taken from an account. The Twelve may have its own structural problems at the moment. That is the thread the narrative is now pulling. Villanelle is just a complication that comes from such an investigation. She is no longer the priority for Eve and Carolyn. They are searching for answers about what happened to Kenny while also finally figuring out what The Twelve actually want. At this point in time, they remain too cryptic. There has to be more dimension within this adversary. Every pursuit closer to the truth though ends in tragedy. Carolyn's life almost ends here. She continues to play off the expected beat of being okay despite everything happening to her. Loved ones do want to comfort her and care for her throughout these tragedies. But Eve and Carolyn may end up as isolated individuals whose compulsive devotion to the job alienates people who want to get close. Niko leaves the treatment facility without telling Eve. He doesn't want that connection again even though Eve insists she is still his wife. Meanwhile, Carolyn just wants to put on a brave face and Villanelle wants to know about where she came from. These details can easily create a more personal and character driven narrative. One that isn't built entirely out of elaborate kills and shocking twists. However, those are still the moments where the audience and the characters get the most excited. As such, it is a delicate balance that has lately proven to work in some moments and been painfully boring in others. That is unfortunate but it's also the consequence of the show trying to maintain a certain premise for as long as possible without offering the kinds of twist that dramatically alter what it is capable of doing at any given moment. Right now, Villanelle still continues to exist as an unnerving figure whose presence is meant to be intimidating no matter what. That remains effective but has become more one note. Meanwhile, Eve still dives headfirst into this investigation despite all that she has endured and put others through. She does so to honor her friend but that rationalization may not be enough to save her in a life where her guard is down knowing she may be living on borrowed time anyway.
