Liam Hoofe reviews the third episode of Killing Eve season 4…
After what it is fair to say were a fairly boring opening two episodes, Killing Eve season 4 finally kicked into gear at the end of the third episode with a great twist that sets us up for the show’s final run.
‘A Rainbow in Beige Boots’ ended with Villanelle in cuffs thanks to Eve finally making the decision to hand her in. The moment came after the end of another fairly exposition-heavy episode, but it finally gives us a moment that can help set this scene on the right track for its finale.
Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh are the undisputed stars of this show, and the less time they spend focusing on other stuff, the better. Seeing them come together is always a highlight, and the tension between the two in the final scene was enough to give the series the bolt of energy it was looking for. The implications of Villanelle’s arrest are much more interesting at this stage of the show, with the former assassin having no real way out of the situation she finds herself in. It raises a lot of questions for the final run-in and it promises some fireworks.
Villanelle spent a lot of this episode in therapy with Adeel Akhtar’s Martin. This provided some amusing scenes, with Villanelle trying to come to terms with her true nature. The Scorpion and the Frog reference could have been heavy-handed elsewhere but it worked nicely here. This felt like the Villanelle we have all got to know and love, with the opening two episodes and her quest for redemption feeling forced and ultimately, a little pointless.
Elsewhere, the Twelve has got a new assassin in the shape of the po-faced mortician, Pam. After killing her brother in this episode, it looks like she is set to go rogue and cause some serious problems for both Eve and the Twelve. Speaking of the Twelve, they continue to be one of the least interesting aspects of the show. Eve and Caroline are both attempting to close in on the network, but the whole mysterious organisation shtick feels very tired. Giving us an antagonist in Pam should help to liven things up a little bit.
Killing Eve season four looks as though it could have finally turned things up a notch with ‘A Rainbow in Beige Boots’. While a lot of the episode still suffered from the issues that have plagued the last season and a half, it ended with a bang that will hopefully put us on the right course for an exciting and redeeming finale.
Liam Hoofe