Once the episode of Westworld you’re half watching while scrolling through your phone ends, Google “BBC America Killing Eve”. Click the first result.
If you are like me, you do not have cable. If you are even more like me, your parents do. Sign in to your parents’ cable network, they won’t mind. Don’t pretend like you’re paying for your Netflix account.
Scroll down to episode one titled “Nice Face”, and click. Now sit up in bed, re-adjust, crack your neck, check for texts, and lean back.
You will thank me.
If you have not stopped reading and followed my instructions, I get it. TV show recommendations now-a-days are intimidating, and the avalanche of shows produced each year strip these recommendations of clout. Trust me, I am as stubborn as the next guy when it comes to honoring a recommendation. With how busy we all are these days (Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, editing photos for Instagram), I practically need a court order to start watching something new. It needs to be worth it.
This is a court order. Killing Eve, the 8-episode British crime thriller has quickly and rightfully earned its spot atop the throne of entertainment. As a self-proclaimed televisseur (my word not yours), my recommendation carries significance. I’ve watched every episode of Ballers for Christ sake.
Killing Eve, starring Sandra Oh and Jodie “give her the Emmy now” Comer, follows the life of Eve (Oh), an ambitious MI5 security officer, as she chases Villanelle (Comer), a capricious assassin driven by the fruits of her own chaos. Based on the Villanelle novels by Luke Jennings and developed for television by Fleabag’s Pheobe Waller-Bridge, Killing Eve satisfies both the film nerd and starving artist in me as we careen down a volatile path of cat and mouse. Both female leads shine in their respective roles, however the transfixing talent of Jodie Comer as Villanelle is undeniable, and will most certainly generate world-wide acclaim. The writing, supplemented by superb performances from the entire cast across the board, is delightfully sharp and spontaneous. Technically, the show is crisp and bold. The pace is deliberately suited for the modern media age, efficiently tearing through scenes and leaving no time for “filler”—sometimes even cutting away from scenes mid-sentence. The cinematography is calculated, seamlessly adopting and complementing the personality of each character on screen. The wickedly unsettling music, led by standout track, “Killer Shangri-Lah” is the cherry on top.
The plot itself is no revelation—a self proclaimed spy tries to catch a killer (at least it seems that way at first). Its storytelling and character development however, are quite revelatory and keep the audience tuning in week after week. The impressive depth of character conveyed between Eve and Villanelle in each episode blur the line between sane and psychotic, manufacturing connections and extracting empathy almost immediately. This show simply operates on a higher level than most, hitting the bulls-eye in every category.
At least watch the opening scene, which impeccably sets the tone for the rest of the series. You have a minute to spare.
I love Killing Eve. It feels different. I have never seen a show quite like it. Season 1, which ended on Sunday, May 27, has grown in viewership with each of its eight episodes, an impressive feat for a show battling Sunday night heavy-weights like Westworld, the millennial wet dream Silicon Valley, and first year standout Barry.
It may already be too late, but hop on board while you can.