Killing Eve recap: ‘I Don’t Want To Be Free’
In the penultimate episode of Killing Eve, both the titular character and Villanelle question their superiors.
“I Don’t Want To Be Free” is the first time Villanelle is truly in a precarious situation. Killing Eve has done a good job setting her up as a villain in control up until her stint in a Russian prison. In comparison, Eve feels more confident than ever before even with a betrayal looming over her.
The hour picks up with Villanelle serving her new sentence in prison. While she easily attempts to charm the guards, it’s clear she’s nervous about this situation. While there’s no doubt the show will eventually have her break free, it’s nice to see this new side of her.
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Meanwhile, Eve zeroes in on Carolyn’s suspicious behavior right away. Killing Eve has been playing Carolyn’s agenda close to the chest so it’s unclear what her plan is. It seems too cliché for her to genuinely betraying the team but clearly, she’s up to something. Kenny believes so too, which is why he chooses to side with Eve over his mother.
Their teamwork breaks the case wide open because Killing Eve finally introduces the mysterious Ana. She’s been repeatedly referenced as a woman who Villanelle desperately wants to avoid, and her back story is revealed. Turns out Ana is a language teacher who formed a close friendship with Villanelle during their lessons. The latter ended up brutally murdering Ana’s husband as a way to earn her love which ended up backfiring.
Or did it? There’s certainly something fishy about Ana’s story and Eve seems to tune into this right away. While her grief over her husband’s death seems genuine, she carries too much affection for Villanelle still. Not to mention, it’s a little weird Ana has been storing Villanelle’s passport in her home.
Speaking of the beloved assassin, she is broken out of prison by her new handler. It’s exhilarating to watch her savor the needless destruction caused by her escape. Killing Eve has expertly managed to craft a psychotic assassin the audience deeply cares for. Villanelle quickly kills her obnoxious new handler before heading to find Konstantin.
Konstantin’s and Villanelle’s relationship is one of the most interesting on the show. It’s unclear whether they’re lying to one another when they express their pride and affection for the other. Does Konstantin truly care for her more than her family? Considering he left both his daughter and wife behind to be dealt with by Villanelle, it’s a possibility.
However, the nicest touch Killing Eve does in the episode is having Villanelle mess up in her murder of Konstantin. It allows him the time to escape after hitting her with a log. Both seem unable to truly kill the other at the moment but it’ll be interesting to see what happens next week.
Next: Killing Eve recap: 'Take Me To The Hole!'
Who’s on what side? The lines between good and evil continue to blur as Eve sinks further into the conspiracy theories. “I Don’t Want To Be Free” closes with Eve and Kenny discovering Carolyn chatting with Villanelle in prison. Will the assassin and the MI6 agent end up on the same side next week? Killing Eve is certainly setting up an explosive finale for season one.