Killing Eve Review: Nice and Neat (Season 2 Episode 2)
Eve and her team uncover.a new assassin and Villanelle finds herself in a tough spot on Killing Eve Season 2 Episode 2, “Nice and Neat.” The result of which is an episode that sets up a promising arc for the rest of the second season.
First, let’s talk about Villanelle and Julian. I was impressed with how Villanelle escaped during Killing Eve Season 2 Epiosde 1, “Do You Know How to Dispose of a Body?,” and concerned for how she’d get around. “Nice and Neat” shows exactly what happens when Villanelle makes a mistep and how it could backfire on her.
Julian feels like a character we’ve seen many times before. In the age of Law and Order: SVU and Criminal Minds the idea of a psychopath in our midst doesn’t seem that farfetched and that’s why it’s effective.
While Villanelle attempts to convalesce in his home, Julian’s behavor escalates with each attempt Villanelle makes to break free.
In another series, with another protagonist, this could have had a very different ending. But Killing Eve bucks the trope of a man entrapping a meek girl. Villanelle’s experience as an assassin immediately puts her at an advantage. Even with a stab wound and a fever she continues to fight against him and eventually wins.
Julian may have come into this series for just one episode, but he’s still scary. He exudes the kind of quiet anger and the subtle “off”-ness that present a very real danger. It’s not often that I worry for Villanelle during this series–Russian prison was the rare exception–but I do while watching “Nice and Neat.”
Julian’s death is also one of the few we’ve witnessed that doesn’t seem cold and calculated on Villanelle’s part. Even his manner of death, a knitting needle to the juglar, feels instinctive. Shoving a plunger down his throat gives it a little more of her flavor.
Villanelle’s storyline on “Nice and Neat” served to highlight something so fundamental about her character: she acts childlike, but underneath that glossy veneer is a brilliant strategist. We saw that come out on Killing Eve Season 1, but during her time with Julian we see her fight for what she knows she needs in order to survive.
And it looks like she’s going to need to survive a little longer, because as she leaves Julian’s house she comes across her new handler Raymond. Raymond gives off the impression that he’s going to be much harder to manipulate than Konstantin and his initial behavior towards Villanelle (or Oksana) feels like she may be put through the wringer.
While Villanelle attempts to get out of Julian’s house, Eve is briefing the team on another assassination who is the exact opposite of Villanelle in just about every sense of the word.
We don’t know who this new assassin is, but we do know that she is someone that no one would look twice at. She operates covertly whereas Villanelle wants people, and especially Eve, to know that she’s killed someone. The fact that we have two assassins now presents a very exciting counterpoint to the series.
Villanelle and “The Ghost,” as she’s called have two very different styles of work, and I get the feeling that unlike Villanelle The Ghost doesn’t enjoy chasing the objects of her affection liek Villanelle does.
Not only will be interested in seeing how Villanelle and the new assassin differ but the potential class between them could provide a high-octane throughline for the season.
Stray Thoughts:
- Villanelle screaming at the switchboard is such a mood. Literally anyone who has attempted to pay a bill over a phone has probably felt the same way.
- Julian’s house is so creepy in a classic horror movie way. The old rotary phone and all the dolls just scream, “Get out of there fast!”
- Caroline and Eve’s brief back and forth about her moisturizurer is the most honest skin care talk I think I’ve ever seen on TV. Caroline just outright admits that her moisturizer is expensive and smells like arse but it’s effective. Not to mention that fact that of all ingredients it contains pig’s placenta. (Feels like that was a nod to snail mucin.)
- In a last second twist, Konstantin is back! I always loved his and Villanelle’s relationship and given that we just met Raymond who seems to be more a stick than carrot type of person, his presense is definitely welcome.
What did you think of this episode of Killing Eve? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Killing Eve airs Sundays at 8/7 on BBC America and AMC.
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Lauren Busser
Lauren Busser is an Associate Editor at Tell-Tale TV. She is a writer of fiction and nonfiction whose work has appeared in Bitch Media, Popshot Quarterly, Brain Mill Press Voices, and The Hartford Courant.