‘Killing Eve’ Recap: ‘Still Got It’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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

For the most part, spy stories really make an effort to shy away from plotlines involving the families of our protagonist and antagonist and there really is good reason for that. After all, this is supposed to be a lonesome job, one where personal attachment is forbidden and discouraged since it runs the risk of compromise or death. Which is something that works within the framework of the genre since most spies and their foils, are cold and calculated and only know of death and the mission, and that’s precisely why Killing Eve is so refreshing as a spy drama. Because this series features deep and dynamic characters, ones that are as human as they come and require meaningful connections with others, like the rest of us. But their line of work is dangerous and unique and that makes these interactions complex in nature and the difficulties that come with basic human needs whilst being a spy were put on full display in last night’s episode.
 
Which made ‘Still Got It’ one powerful and stunning story, one that actually took the time to explore just how hard it is grieve and be a powerhouse spy, courtesy of Carolyn’s journey in this tale. For in the wake of the whole mess with the Twelve’s accountant, MI6 felt the need to return to her, the proper resources to investigate this mysterious organization. And it was quite lovely to see Carolyn take charge around the office again and put her new boss in his place in the polite and magical way that only she can. But she truly is wearing two faces right now and putting on a strong front for her daughter and others while her heart weeps in private and this was quite incredible and oddly relatable to watch. Since we’ve all been in a position where we have to put on a happy face in order to get by when we hurt, and it was phenomenal to see this show put that kind of raw humanity on display, especially by way of its toughest character.
 
But such explorations weren’t limited to Carolyn. For even Konstantin and Vilanelle put their private lives and their feelings on display in this tale. Because Konstantin was struggling with his daily duties with the Twelve while trying to reconcile a family life and Villanelle, well she was still pondering on her real family and why they might have given her up and as always, these two worked together to try and help one another. Because she was quick to help out in killing the accountant’s widow in order to get precise information on her real family and their whereabouts and having the widow out of the way, helps Konstantin with his plans for the future. Simply because it is starting to be inferred that he is the one who stole the money. But the reveal of that will likely have to wait until later. For in the here and the now, Villanelle is on her way to meet her family. And really what made this segment so fascinating, is the sheer fact that these two cold-blooded characters were seen as truly human for the first time ever, serving as a fine reminder that good or bad; everyone comes from somewhere and has their own personal battles to fight.

---

​But while it was fascinating to see a more human side to such colorful characters, Eve’s journey was by far, the most powerful one of the night. For when we catch up with her, here, she’s still in a tough place. Because now, she’s homeless, since she refuses to go home now that Villanelle has violated its sanctity and she’s celebrating her birthday alone and at work and well, at this point all she wants is some semblance of a normal life. One where she has friends again, and someone to come home to and slowly but surely, she starts to see some of those elements return to her life. For Jamie offers her a spare room at his place, and he gets personal with Eve, taking the time to inform her that she’s not the only person out there to make the kind of poor decisions that send one’s life down the tubes. And it really was nice to see Jamie reach out and be kind and see Eve crave the things that so many of us take for granted, and for a time it seemed as though she was finally going to get her wish and enjoy a taste of everyday life once again.
 
Because it turns out that Nico was extremely receptive to her repeated requests to talk, and he even offered to host her in Poland for a chat about the future of their relationship. Something she was over the moon about and well… that’s when this particular tale took quite the dramatic turn. For this is a spy drama after all, one where good people suffer because of evil agendas and sadly, this entire meeting between two star-crossed lovers was nothing more than a ruse. For the Twelve was done with Villanelle playing nice with Eve. So, in order to get Eve to despise Villanelle, Dasha was sent to Poland to draw Eve there and do the unthinkable and kill Nico in the key of Villanelle, and sadly, her elaborate plan went off without a hitch. For Nico died right in front of his wife, and while Eve is indeed a strong character, this is going to rip her soul to shreds since this brutal act robbed her of the future with Nico that she always wanted.
 
If anything, this was simply an incredible and devastating episode for so many reasons. First and foremost, because Nico didn’t deserve to go out like that. But this season is raising the stakes like never before and his death reaffirms the fact that no one is safe right now. But what truly made this episode so great, is that it lulled us into a false sense of security. For this brilliant and dynamic character study, one that felt like a spy version of Pulp Fiction, really did lose us within the framework of its carefully crafted tale. For we were all fascinated by what we learned about these dynamic characters and their need to feel connections to other human beings, and that made the ending all the more powerful. Especially when one considers that Eve was robbed of that very thing, and it should be interesting to see how she responds to the death of her love. Either way, this show continues to impress and clearly, we need to brace ourselves when we settle in to watch this series since anything can and will happen as season three rolls along. Until next time.  

---