'Killing Eve' has returned to our screens once more and us lot here in Ireland have actually managed to nab it before the UK. The show kicked off its second season earlier this week stateside and managed to find its way to RTÉ2 just days later with its premiere last night.
This time around it sees Emerald Fennel take the reigns from Phoebe Waller-Bridge, which looks to be a trend with the series as a third season has also just been announced with a new female writer (Suzanne Heathcote) on board.
Last we saw of Eve and Villanelle, the former had stabbed the latter in the stomach as the pair were beginning to get up close and personal on her bed. Season two picked things up right where we left off, well, 30 seconds later to be precise. Both left reeling after what had just happened, with Eve struggling to comprehend what she had just done, while Villanelle had an open wound to be dealing with. That pretty much sums up the entire opening episode.
It was a slow start but it did a great job of setting up the season and tying up some loose ends. Eve is now back working at MI5 after that whole being fired malarkey, and while there are still question marks over Carolyn's (Fiona Shaw) involvement with The Twelve - that shadow organization which Villanelle didn't know she was working for - she's still as keen as ever to track down Villanelle.
Meanwhile, our favourite deadly assassin is busy befriending some unfortunate French guy called Gabrielle in her hospital room in Paris. These interactions are one of the highlights of an otherwise uneventful episode as we see Villanelle's dark humour shine, insisting with a completely straight face, that "Yes, I am funny". Her honesty and lack of sympathy for his situation are what we have come to expect from Villanelle, and just when we thought she might be showing a softer side as she puts her arm around him, she shocks us all by killing him. We should have known. She sees it as an act of sympathy - she is putting him out of his misery, but it also serves a reminder of just how much of a sociopath we are dealing with. Dammit she's fun though.
The main focus of the episode for Eve and Carolyn was investigating the death of "internet guy" Alistair Peel over some burgers and beers at the mortuary. Eve is still busy deflecting questions over why Nadia would write a note with Peel's name on it for her attention, but it's only a matter of time before she either cracks and spills all, or Carolyn works it out. At the moment, they seem fine to leave it at the fact they are both keeping secrets, but have the common goal of tracking down Villanelle.
They may not have too long to wait, with Villanelle already planning a trip to see "her girlfriend" in London. If anything, the stabbing has only amplified the assassin's fascination with Eve, and this mutual obsession will no doubt lead them both into trouble again soon.
Whatever is to come, there's no doubt that 'Killing Eve' is still doing what it does best. Showing that a female-led spy thriller can be just as entertaining and intelligent (if not more so) than the genre's male counterparts, with a tight script, dark humour and flawless performances from its leads. More please.
