BBC America's Killing Eve - Episode 3.05 "Are You From Pinner?"
Villanelle returns home to Mother Russia to try to find her family. Perhaps a new connection to her roots will give her back what's been missing in her life.
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.
"Are You From Pinner?" was written by Suzanne Heathcote and directed by Shannon Murphy
Villanelle has been yearning for something more lately. Killing once filled her life with excitement and joy. She can still execute those jobs with a stylish flare. However, she became entangled with Eve in a sexually intense affair. That altered her perspective. She never felt those intense feelings before. She remained just as dark and toxic throughout that dynamic though. They simultaneously wanted to love and kill each other. Villanelle couldn't get Eve to become just like her. She thought she had killed her in Rome. That wasn't the case. Seeing her again brought back all of these feelings. They aren't healthy for her. She tries to find something new to fill that void she clearly feels in her life. She has questions about her family. She prioritized getting a promotion within the Twelve this season. That appears to be something she is actually going to get. Dasha will ensure that because it may be the only way she can leave this organization for good. It's a position Villanelle feels she needs to obtain in order to feel like there has been some progress in her life. She couldn't move on from Eve simply by getting married to someone new. That wasn't beneficial in the slightest. Yearning for family and understanding her upbringing could provide valuable focus for her. She is tentative when interacting with them in Russia as well. She knows exactly where to find her mother and brother. They have a new extended family too. Villanelle has a step brother and a half-brother now. She sees a difficult portrait of what this family can be. She has memories of her family before she was given away and her death was faked. She has a picture of who her mother and father were. She has held onto that view for a long time. This is the first time she is interacting with Tatiana again. It's a shock to learn that Villanelle is still alive. This family can peacefully be reunited. That should be a joyous celebration. However, Villanelle sees that the character failings are the same as they have ever been. She likes her young half-brother Bor'ka right away. He simply wants to earn the money to see Elton John in concert. That is all that he cares about. Villanelle could easily give him the money. He wants to earn it though. When he fails, Tatiana tells him just how stupid he was for believing he had any chance at actually winning. In that moment, Villanelle sees things clearly. This family unit has always been dysfunctional. Of course, she projects a sense of grandiosity to the proceedings as well. She believes that her feelings and reactions are more valid than anyone else's. Her brother Pytor feels the burden to stay at home and take care of his mother. Villanelle doesn't agree with that. She doesn't want him to live a confined life for some obligation he feels he must obey. But he is able to show her a good time in this small town. She actually has fun during the local festival. She fits in and belongs. It's wonderful. And yet, it still ends in despair because of the darkness that seemingly follows Villanelle around everywhere she goes. She wants her mother to admit that she inherited all of these killer traits from her. Tatiana was scared of what she might do and that is why she abandoned her in the first place. The family was peaceful and happy before Villanelle showed up. And now, Bor'ka and Pytor are the only survivors after Villanelle causes the house to explode. She feels an urgency to do so because her family doesn't match what she believes she deserves in the world. Because Tatiana doesn't give her that satisfaction and clarity, Villanelle automatically believes she has to kill her. That is a horrifying way to view the world and what each person is entitled to have. Villanelle has lived a life of luxury and isolation. She is excellent in her profession. But she is also singing and dancing to herself on the train ride home to a life that will be just as empty as it has always been. She is a killer. That may be all that she is. She yearns for more. She thought she had that with Eve. She thought she had that with her family. She allows some to have their freedom. She condemns others. She feels the duty to make those decisions. She shouldn't and that will only cause her to spiral further into the despair of her increasingly erratic life.
