On Killing Eve, for assassin Villanelle, it’s infatuation at first sight when she encounters Eve Polastri in the restroom. It’s not long before the MI6 agent and the killer for hire engage in a game of cat and mouse. Their interest in one another goes deeper than adversaries. Villanelle is dangerous, something Eve craves and doesn’t get from her humdrum home life. Villanelle’s feelings for Eve are fueled by admiration, sexual attraction, competition, and a longing for companionship and understanding.
The closer the two women get, the more destructive a force they have on the other’s life. Here are the five worst things Eve did to Villanelle, and the five worst Villanelle did to Eve.
Eve: Trashes Villanelle’s Apartment
When dealing with a psychopath, bad is a relative term. But when it comes to Villanelle and Eve’s relationship, they don’t play by the rules. Eve isn’t employed by MI6 when she goes to Paris. The trip is strictly to satisfy her curiosity. When she sees all that Villanelle has, it’s a harsh reminder of everything Eve has lost, and she decides to destroy everything. She violates Villanelle’s safe space in the same way Villanelle does hers. For Eve, it’s the defining moment when things become personal.
Villanelle: Murders Eve’s Best Friend
After finishing a job in Berlin, Villanelle remains to keep an eye on Eve, who is oblivious to the assassin’s presence. Villanelle’s pre-occupation with Eve causes her to be sloppy and catch Bill’s attention. Villanelle ends him, quickly and brutally, with Eve close enough to see but too far and too late to help.
Villanelle can’t know how tight Bill and Eve are, although it would be obvious to anyone their relationship extends beyond just work colleagues. Villanelle knows her actions cause Eve pain; she includes an apology in Eve’s returned suitcase. It’s brief, almost an afterthought, a peace offering along with everything else. If not in Berlin, she would have struck Bill down eventually, because she’s not willing to share Eve with anyone.
Eve: Stabs Villanelle
When Eve comes face-to-face with Villanelle, Eve admits she is consumed by her. Villanelle takes Eve’s insatiable curiosity as a sign of something deeper: she flatters herself into believing Eve cares for her. There is a chemistry between them, but while Villanelle can recognize it, it’s grey territory for Eve. What does it say about her that she can’t stop obsessing over this woman?
Villanelle has been in this place before, and Eve brings out a vulnerability in her. Eve stabbing Villanelle has an unmistakable sexual feel to it: she’s on top, inserting the knife, twisting it deeper. Eve can’t reconcile her feelings for Villanelle so she resorts to violence. Jodie Comer’s gift for making Villanelle oddly likable and soft at this moment transforms Eve into the cold-blooded killer.
Villanelle: Breaks Into Eve’s House
Eve is fascinated with Villanelle, but she’s terrified when the woman shows up at her house. Villanelle enjoys playing with Eve and testing her. Their interaction is intimate, bordering on predatory. Villanelle smells Eve. It’s only when Villanelle shows no remorse about killing Bill that Eve’s fear gives way to anger. Promising to find what Villanelle cares about and destroy it is an empty threat. Villanelle doesn’t care about anything. Eve’s bravado immediately escapes her when Niko arrives, and she’s terrified all over again. There’s no reason for Villanelle not to kill Eve’s husband other than she’s not ready to cross that line … yet.
Eve: Ignores Villanelle
To Villanelle being ignored is an egregious offense. Eve stabbing her is forgivable because there’s something emotional behind it. But when Eve puts Villanelle on the back burner in favor of “The Ghost,” it is more than Villanelle can bear. Konstantin uses Eve’s apparent boredom with Villanelle as a motivation technique and a way to get her focused. Villanelle’s behavior becomes only more provocative, and the disappointment sends her into a downward spiral.
For the first time, she doesn’t parlay her anger, frustration or disappointment into violence. Her actions become incredibly self-destructive. Villanelle is intoxicated by attention. The desire to give and receive it is the closest thing to love she understands. Of course, Villanelle is never far from Eve’s thoughts, and she craves a way to connect, but “The Ghost” is an intriguing distraction.
Villanelle: Holds Niko Hostage
As Eve continues to distance herself from her old life, Villanelle senses one lingering threat - Niko. She’s inserted herself between them and manipulated Niko with disappointing ease. Instead of trying to pull Eve back from the brink, he folds. By asking for a recipe, she’s staking her claim: she’s painting a portrait of domestic bliss with Eve.
Her motives for killing Gemma are murkier. It could simply be because she finds the woman annoying and has had to control her impulses while working with MI6. The act may have simply amused her. It’s a way to deter Niko from reconciling with his wife. Eve has no idea, and leaving Niko alive doesn’t mean Eve would forgive this trespass against her husband.
Eve: Lures Villanelle Into A Trap
Eve’s obsession with Villanelle makes her blind to the fact that MI6 is using her and her connection to the assassin to lure Villanelle into a trap. There are warnings and red flags, but Eve doesn’t realize that by bringing Villanelle into the fold to be closer to her, she’s setting Villanelle up to take a fall. Konstantin and Carolyn expect Villanelle to trust Eve enough to not see a double cross coming, hedging their bets she’ll get rid of a threat, letting “The Twelve” take her out. Everyone walks away clean, and Villanelle is collateral damage. She’s right to believe Eve wouldn’t betray her purposely, but the outcome is bleak for Villanelle anyway.
Villanelle: Forces Eve To Commit Murder
Villanelle is convinced she and Eve are the same, and the final test is confirming Eve is capable of murder. Villanelle is so determined to bring Eve to the dark side, she risks her own life to do it. It’s not just pulling a trigger either. Eve takes an ax to a man three times. While Eve goes from feeling sick to complete shock, Villanelle can hardly contain her pleasure. Villanelle even refers to Raymond as Eve’s “first.” Eve follows willingly, and she doesn’t comprehend how awful the journey is until it’s too late.
Eve: Leaves Villanelle
As Villanelle is busy planning her happily ever after with Eve, she slips up, and the haze that engulfs Eve is lifted. The adrenaline Villanelle brings into Eve’s life drains from her body. She realizes that no matter how hard she’s tried to understand this woman, Villanelle is impenetrable. She is a psychopath. Eve leaving her is unthinkable. Villanelle loves to collect beautiful things. She’s built Eve up in her mind to be something she isn’t, no matter how hard Villanelle continually tries to coax it out of her. Eve leaves, and her indifference is far worse for Villanelle than love or hate.
Villanelle: Shoots Eve
When Eve turns her back on Villanelle, the assassin reverts to what she knows – violence. Eve is surprisingly fearless during their final confrontation. Eve knows Villanelle is capable of killing her, but she just doesn’t appear to care. She poses no threat after putting her trust in the wrong people and allowing Villanelle to navigate her actions. There’s no payday in it for Villanelle. In that moment, she wants Eve dead. A part of Eve dies long before she’s hit by a bullet. Her association with Villanelle is destroying her life. Now she’ll have a physical scar as well as the emotional ones.
