'Killing Eve' Recap: 'I'll Deal With Him Later'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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​Murder is something that has always managed to fascinate mankind as a whole, simply because, it’s difficult for us to understand why we kill one another. It’s why there are so many fictional stories that examine murder, so that perhaps we can eventually come to figure out why people are willing to harm one another in such disgusting fashion, and oddly enough, what makes a killer tick and what drives them to end the lives of other human beings was explored in great detail in the second episode of Killing Eve, ‘I’ll Deal With Him Later’.
 
Because in this episode, we spent a lot of time getting to know Villanelle and what we learned about her, was downright chilling. For starters, we came to discover that she’s growing more confident by the day, to the point where she basically murders a man in plain sight, and the only reason she gets away with it this time, is courtesy of the apathy of others. But her overconfidence does get her in trouble with her employers to the point where she is subjected to a psych evaluation, something that was an unexpected surprise to say the least, since hey…who would have thought that hired serial killers need therapy? But I digress, because this little sequence helped to provide us with all kinds of insight into her mind.
 
Like the fact that death means nothing to her. It’s merely an act or a progression to everyday life and disturbing images also don’t phase her, and her apathy makes it clear she’s perfect for this kind of job. But if that doesn’t seem all that chilling, you would be correct. That’s merely the foundation for what’s going on in her mind, the scary stuff came after her boss man suspended her once he discovered that someone from her past named Anna still haunts her. Because once she was on her own and debating whether or not to sneak in another job despite her boss’ objections, she struggled with everyday life and we quickly came to discover that the only joy she can find in this world, is when she’s taking a life. 
 
That was never more evident than when she opted to execute the person her boss wanted to keep her from since she was suddenly alive and vibrant the instant she was able to watch her victim die slowly and well, learning all of this makes me nervous for Eve. Because her journey in this story consisted of her settling in at MI-6, off the books of course, to hunt down Villanelle and its obvious now that she is up against one formidable opponent and the odds may be against her, considering that someone is leaking intel, since her foe knows her name and I loved that this episode closed with both of these ladies becoming fully aware of the fact that they’ve come face to face with one another. 
 
If anything, I was thoroughly impressed with how the story truly dug into Villanelle’s psyche, to show us that in this case, pain, a desire to matter and exert power, and possibly partake in revenge, are what drives this young woman to kill since it’s different for so many and it really was a stroke of genius to take the time to explore what makes our villain tick and I love how complex she is and I also love that the story found ways to continue to pepper in its unique brand of black humor. Either way, this is just another brilliant entry in an already brilliant show and I’m expecting more fascinating storylines in the weeks to come, especially now that both sides have put a face to their respective foe. Until next time. 

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