Killing Eve’s “End of Game” surprised the hell out of me by making me fall head over heels with the character of Villanelle. A little late to the game, you say? I agree. I wasn’t able to see what Eve or anyone else saw in Villanelle until “Are You from Pinner?” and “End of Game” just elevated that to a new level. Villanelle is a woman trying to find her place in a world that sees her as nothing more than a killing machine. And I think Eve might be the only capable of helping. So, without further ado, let’s dive into Killing Eve’s “End of Game.”
Villanelle is My Child Now
Look, I’ve never called Villanelle my own. She’s always been this batshit crazy killer who has this electric personality that draws you in. But I could never get over the fact that she was cold and a killer. Seriously, until “Are You from Pinner?” Eve was my girl and I marked off all the ways that Villanelle was the worst cuz villain who kills all her friends. As messed up as she is herself, Eve was better than Villanelle and aren’t you supposed to not cheer for the bad girl?
Then “End of Game” happened. Now she is my child. And you know what we do with these children when they become ours, right?
WE. PROTECT. THEM.
So, this is me declaring to the world that Villanelle is my child, she can’t do anything wrong, and I will protect her with my life or with my words here at Fangirlish. Why now? Because I can finally see who she is and what she wants in life. Sure, she told Eve what she wanted, seasons ago. But there’s something different between being told that and watching a young woman break down because she’s tired.
Even writing this I’m getting feels for Villanelle. Because no matter how batshit crazy she is, she just wants to be loved. She wants to live a good life, have fun, make memories, and have someone to come home to. Hell, and who wouldn’t want that? Knowing that and seeing Villanelle repeatedly say that she was done, it broke me in a way I’ve never experienced before.
Here we have this young woman, tired of the world crushing her, with no end in sight. She has no prospects besides killing until she ends up like Dasha. And that’s not a world that Villanelle wants to live in. What she wants is to be in power but also be free to do what she wants. And right now, she thinks the only way she’ll get that is by running away with Konstantine. But it’s not; not even close.
What Villanelle needs in Eve. Sure they haven’t seen each other in a while and their last meet up didn’t go so well. But Eve believes in Villanelle. That’s why she didn’t just go on the attack when her moustache husband was almost killed. They’ve changed each other’s lives for the better in many twisted and unexpected ways and Eve would give Villanelle the chance to find that power and freedom.
I’m not quite sure how it’s all going to work out from this POV but together they are stronger. And again, can’t believe that I’m writing this, considering what I’ve written before about Killing Eve, representation, and the twisted bond Eve and Villanelle has. But there are bigger fish to fry, bigger threats looming around the corner, than Villanelle. So, fine. Bring them together, make them work on the same side, and let’s see where things go from there.
Because Villanelle deserves a chance to experience more in her life than what has been forced upon her because she’s a “killer.” She’s a person too. One who has experienced an insurmountable amount of suffering to become who she is now. But change is coming. I can feel it in my bones and I can see it on my screen. Change is coming for Villanelle and I think she’s ready for it.
Eve Knows and That Matters
Loved, loved, loved the fact that Eve put it together that it wasn’t Villanelle who attacked her husband. Any other show would’ve made it that this plot line WAS the point of everything for the rest of the season. But Villanelle hurting her husband just doesn’t make sense and Eve knows that. That matters and really will set the stage for when Villanelle comes to Eve to get out from under The Twelve, which she will. Or I hope she will.
Also, the fact that Eve pinned it all on Dasha still blows my damn mind too. Because if Villanelle didn’t do it, then who else to suspect besides Dasha, who happens to have motive and a reason to want to copy Villanelle as a means of separating them. Eve is just too smart for Dasha’s shit and it shows. It’s the reason why Dasha got rattled, put her stuff away, and left the bowling alley. She knows that everything she planned has gone to shit and Eve knows.
So, no going back home to Mother Russia, Dasha. Eve’s got your card and what do you think will happen once Villanelle is informed of what her mentor has done to Eve’s husband. Not saying that Villanelle cares for the moustache, but Eve is Villanelle’s territory, no one else’s. And if there’s going to be anyone that will kill the moustache, it’s going to be Villanelle. Not Dasha trying to “protect her” which is bullshit because Villanelle can take care of herself.
Special shoutout and kudos to Eve for keeping her head on straight in “End of Game” in general. I would’ve lost it on the vending machine and mourn the loss of that old muffin for days. But Eve is working. She’s doing her best to make the right decisions and find the information that she needs to figure out who The Twelve are, who killed Kenny, and who tried to kill her husband. She’s a driven AF woman and I can’t wait to see how her next reunion with Villanelle will play out, considering what’s happened since the reunion on the bus.
It’s going to be explosive, fun, and totally unexpected. I can guarantee that.
Oh Irina, What Did You Do
I bet when Konstantin started planning his escape to Cuba with Irina, he didn’t think that she would be capable of what she did in this episode. We’re not 100% sure, but we think that Irina killed her mother’s boyfriend. And it wasn’t because he was there at the wrong time. Oh, he was there at the perfect time and she went for her shot when she saw it simply because she didn’t like him, no matter how good his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are. And Konstantin saw it.
As a parent, you worry. I’m not a parent myself but what I know from TV says that they do. Konstantin thought he had to worry about getting his kid out of the country, what they were going to do when they got to their new home, and how he was going to raise such a smart kid. He did not expect or want his kid to end up killing someone at the tender age of 14. But here we are, here that guy is on the ground, and here is Konstantin, at the middle of a crossroads where his decisions could change his danger forever.
Konstantine has finally opened his eyes to the reality of what he does and how it has affected his child over the years. She’s a killer now, just like him. And she thought she could do it, she thought her dad would be proud, because it’s something that her dad does. And if there’s anyone that Irina wants to be like, despite her protests if she saw this, its her dad Konstantine. And this is her saying, “Hey. I’m on your level. Let’s kill people and get out of here!”
We’re hoping, from the bottom of our hearts that something good will happen on Killing Eve, that Konstantin guides her away from this life of killing. Because, let us be clear, there’s no way that he can leave her behind. The authorities or the Twelve will find out; the latter being scarier because Irina is a perfect candidate for making a killer. And Konstantin already saw that happen to one daughter aka Villanelle. He can’t do it again, but he can’t leave her.
Being stuck between a rock and a hard place never hit so hard.
Killing Eve airs Sundays at 9/8c on BBC America.
