“Killing Eve” is a show that stylishly jaunts all over Europe, something best not to do in a rush. On the surface, it seems like a show about an intelligence agent trying to catch an assassin would be exactly the kind of plot-driven cliffhanger delivery machine just right for bingeing, but “Killing Eve” is out to subvert the expectations we have of typical thrillers, which is why it’s called “Killing Eve” and not “Catching Villanelle” to begin with. Sandra Oh’s Eve Polastri is a fundamentally bored woman, and that boredom is both what makes her fascinated by a ruthless killer, and what makes “Killing Eve” the sort of show you shouldn’t binge.
As it’s unfolded for three seasons, the overall plot of the show has gone from a straightforward cat-and-mouse game to something more kaleidoscopic and layered. Characters rethink their missions, lives, and purposes so frequently that it’s almost harder to follow if you watch it all too fast. There’s killing, and intrigue, but “Killing Eve” offers a much deeper meditation on cruelty, femininity, and obsession if you exercise patience and let it marinate.
