‘Killing Eve’ Recap: ‘Are You Leading or Am I?’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Over the course of the past three years, we’ve talked a lot about how the BBC America series Killing Eve does a phenomenal job of shattering the tropes of the spy genre. And it’s a topic that comes up often, simply because this series keeps finding new ways to challenge and break them as this story rolls on. Which is quite the feat for certain, and it just so happens that we are going to discuss its ability to pull this off once again. Because the season three finale of this brilliant series, took the time to turn the spy genre upside down by providing the audience with a vastly different ending than we are used to in regard to these time-tested stories.
 
Because everything about season three of this series, has made it seem as though our heroes were on a collision course with the Twelve, the kind that would result in an epic battle royale where our heroes would either rise to the occasion and defeat these evil monsters, or at least stick it to them well enough to force them to back off for a while. But as it turns out, none of those things happened in the slightest. Instead, ‘Are You Leading or Am I?’ took the story in a surprisingly realistic direction, one that showed us how the long game can wear a spy out and change their perspective on what they are fighting for, something that both Villanelle and Konstantin put on display, early on in this episode.
 
For this episode finally saw the pair of them reach their outright breaking point with their current living situation, and their frustrations with the Twelve, and that motivated them to do some bold things in order to change things up. Konstantin for example, risked life and limb by checking himself out of the hospital, something that wasn’t a smart idea since he found his chest giving him pain more often than not, as he fought with Eve over his money. As for Villanelle, well not only did she stick it to the bosses by whacking their sassy new assassin, she also took the time to ask Carolyn for a job, something that truly seemed out of place for her, but it speaks volumes to how tired Villanelle and Konstantin are of constantly fighting and killing and it was quite refreshing to see this injected into a season finale.
 
Speaking of Carolyn, she too expressed her fatigue of fighting the good fight as well, but she handled hers in a far more incredible manner. Because she received a little news from the staff at Bitter Pill, in that, they seemed to have visual information on Kenny’s killer and it just so happens, that Konstantin was there the day Kenny died. Which motivated Carolyn to kick her daughter out and bring everyone together at Paul’s place to finally air out some grievances and put Paul’s standing with the Twelve out into the open. Because she was done with cat and mouse games, she wanted answers and resolution and for her efforts, she taught Konstantin a valuable lesson in honesty, one he might not have fully understood and she put down Paul before declaring that she’d had enough of fighting the Twelve and that  the time may have come to just leave them be.

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If anything, the only person in this tale who didn’t seem keen on walking away from the fight, was Eve. Because she worked hard to bring Villanelle into the fold as an ally, despite Carolyn’s rebuffing of her and she also tried to rally the troops to continue the good fight, to no avail. Which led to a crossroads point, wherein she realized that this entire experience had in fact, brought out the worst in her and she pondered with Villanelle as to what it might take to actually follow Carolyn’s advice and walk away from this whole mess without giving it a second thought. Something that Villanelle offered up a cure for, and it is one that neither of them might be able to follow through with, since it would mean the draw, they have for another might be severed.
 
In the end, this was simply a bold way to end a season. Because we really were expecting hardcore action and adventure, and instead we were treated to a brilliant character study, one where our heroes and our villains pondered upon the nature of their lives and their futures and that was just refreshing to see in a spy drama. Because normally in these tales, the hero is always focused on the mission and stopping the evil organization they’re facing at any cost. But everyone here put their humanity on display and was honest about how all of this murder and mayhem and worry is starting to break down their spirits and what’s equally impressive about this finale, is what it means for season four.
 
Because in many ways, if Eve wants to continue the fight against the Twelve and make them pay for everything, they’ve done to her and her husband, she may be in it alone. For a killer without their killer instinct will do her no good, and a boss and an ally that no longer have the stomach for the game also are of no use to her. Meaning that season four is going to take us into uncharted territory for this genre, and that’s a supremely exciting prospect for certain. But alas, we will have to wait to see what comes next. So, in the meantime, it’s best we simply bask in the wonder of one unique finale, one that leaves you hungry for more by offering up one low-key affair. Until next year.

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