KILLING EVE Season Premiere Recap: (S02E01) Do You Know How to Dispose of a Body?

Melody McCune

DISCLAIMER: This Killing Eve recap of “Do You Know How to Dispose of a Body?” contains more spoilers than the number of times Villanelle has stolen personal belongings from unsuspecting people. Sorry baby, it’s nothing personal (get it?). You’ve been warned. Proceed with caution. 

Welcome, Killing Eve fanatics! Our newfound obsession has finally returned to us. As per usual, it was a compelling hour rife with humor, poignancy and murder. Blood and bold one-liners are the way to my heart, and Killing Eve has struck gold as far as that’s concerned. A female-led spy thriller consisting of solid writing and multi-faceted characters? Jodie Comer‘s groundbreaking performance made every one of us fall in love with an adorable psychopath. Which begs the question: is there something wrong with us? 

Alright, ready to delve into “Do You Know How to Dispose of a Body?” Just be sure to leave plenty of candy and stickers for Villanelle. She’s quite easy to please in that regard. 

RELATED: KILLING EVE: Season 1 Review

We open 30 seconds after Eve (Sandra Oh) stabbed Villanelle (Jodie Comer). After we see Villanelle brandish her gun on Eve, the latter reticently returns to the bedroom. However, Villanelle has disappeared. Eve hastily leaves Villanelle’s apartment in a panic. She notices blood streaking the banisters as she descends the stairs. Suddenly, a few EMTs barge inside the apartment complex, guns at the ready. Eve retreats just as the medical personnel ascend the stairs. Said medical personnel shoot an elderly woman on the floor above Eve, right outside Villanelle’s apartment. Methinks these folks are only pretending to be EMTs. Eve discreetly slips out the door and makes a break for safety. She receives a call from Carolyn (Fiona Shaw) urging her to return to London. 

Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri – Killing Eve _ Season 2, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Aimee Spinks/BBCAmerica

Meanwhile, Villanelle is in hiding as the faux medical personnel exit her apartment complex with the body of the elderly woman. She eavesdrops on their conversation, and is quite certain that they’re on the hunt for her. Once they depart, Villanelle hightails it out of there. Eve returns Carolyn’s call but reaches the latter’s voicemail. She confesses, to no one in particular, that she believes she killed Villanelle. Boy, is she in for a surprise! Eve drops into a candy store and fills up on that sweet goodness, which is what I would do if I believe I committed murder. 

Next, we see Villanelle stumble upon a pile of discarded items in an alley. She picks up a bottle of liquor and guzzles it, then promptly douses her stab wound with the alcohol. Villanelle swipes an abandoned coat and attempts to hitchhike out of there. 

Then, Eve does as she’s bid and hops on a train bound for home. But first – the security line. Eve realizes that the knife she used to stab Villanelle is still in her coat pocket. She promptly leaves the security line, much to the dismay of an employee, and heads for the bathroom. After cleaning the blade of her prints and discarding it, Eve returns to the security line and cites that bad oysters were the reason for her hasty departure. We’ve all been there. 

Later, we see Eve sitting at a bar in the train station. She’s absentmindedly pricking her palm with a pen, clearly traumatized by her violent encounter with Villanelle. Killing Eve does an incredible job of accurately depicting symptoms displayed by those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Not to mention, Oh kills it in this episode. Suddenly, a strange woman plops down beside Eve. She takes note of Eve’s apparent distress. Of course, Eve believes this woman is in on the whole shebang – the Twelve, MI6, Villanelle, all of it. However, said stranger merely thinks Eve is an addict.

Meanwhile, Villanelle is losing more and more blood by the second. Her face is washed of color, and her movements have slowed tremendously. She attempts to hitchhike, but nobody responds. That is until, in an act of desperation, she flings herself in front of an oncoming taxicab. Villanelle falls unconscious after being struck by said cab. Well, that’s one way to get someone’s attention.  

Jodie Comer as Villanelle – Killing Eve _ Season 2, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Aimee Spinks/BBCAmerica

Then, the taxi driver carts Villanelle to the hospital. He deposits her outside the entry to Urgent Care. Thankfully, a horde of hospital workers take her under their care. Our favorite psychopath will live! Later, Villanelle wakes up in a hospital bed. The doctor informs her that she’ll heal just fine with a plethora of antibiotics and rest. However, Villanelle is hellbent on escaping the hospital and traveling to London so she can reunite with Eve. “Rest” is not in Villanelle’s vocabulary.

We see she’s given medication, but once the nurse leaves she quickly throws it in a trash bin. Her roommate, a severely injured boy named Gabriel (Pierre Atri) strikes up conversation with Villanelle. She explains to him how imperative it is that she returns to her girlfriend in London. Oh, and that her “girlfriend” was the one who stabbed her. Hey, people will do crazy things in the name of love. Just ask Jaime Lannister. 

Later, we see Eve has returned to her flat in London. She’s cranked up the tunes and is feverishly cutting vegetables for, presumably, dinner. Nico (Owen McDonnell) arrives home and is baffled to find her there. Of course, the last time we saw these two together things took a turn for the worst. Eve does her best to hide the truth of what occurred in Paris. She hopes to mend fences with Nico, to put their tense altercation behind them. Eve mentions that the chicken is almost ready for dinner…except that it’s still wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator. Clearly, Eve is not okay in the slightest. 

Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri, Owen McDonnell as Niko Polastri – Killing Eve _ Season 2, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Aimee Spinks/BBCAmerica

Next, after some prodding, Villanelle convinces her new roommate Gabriel to nick a doctor’s ID for her. She dons a doctor’s coat complete with said ID tag. Villanelle steps into a pair of hospital crocs and grimaces at the act of wearing someone else’s potentially bacteria-ridden shoes. But murder is a fine and clean sport, you guys. Villanelle masquerades as a doctor about the hospital, stealing medication and money. She even pretends to give an ill man’s wife “good news” regarding his condition, despite his appearance to the contrary. After stealing the soon-to-be-widow’s money, Villanelle passes out on the floor by her bed. 

Meanwhile, Eve is sitting in the bathtub, purposefully ignoring Carolyn’s incessant phone calls. Nico pops in and asks if she’s okay. Eve refuses to give up what she knows, refuses to admit that she may have killed someone. A highly skilled assassin, mind you, but a person nonetheless. This scene gutted me. Sandra Oh is a force to be reckoned with, and my heart broke for Eve’s trauma. Eve finally returns Carolyn’s call and agrees to meet her in the park. 

Later, Eve reunites with Carolyn. Carolyn questions her on what exactly happened in Paris, and Eve divulges a little white lie. She claims that she searched for Villanelle in the latter’s apartment, but the assassin was nowhere to be found. Thus, Carolyn knows that Villanelle is on the move, and their work is not finished. She brings Eve to a morgue where they come face-to-face with the formaldehyde-ridden body of Alistair Peel. Carolyn reveals that, prior to Nadia’s death in that Russian prison, a note was left for Eve. Said note was written by Nadia with the name “Alistair Peel,” addressed to Eve herself. Eve believes that Alistair’s death is linked to Villanelle. Carolyn prods Eve to suss out the details of Peel’s murder, utilizing this moment as a test. Eve pesters Carolyn with questions regarding the latter’s true allegiance. Is she of the Twelve? Or is she sworn to MI6? However, Carolyn artfully bypasses Eve’s questions. 

Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri, Fiona Shaw as Carolyn Martens – Killing Eve _ Season 2, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh/BBCAmerica

Next, Villanelle awakens in her hospital bed once again. Gabriel offers her clothing to wear – a pair of his pajamas, to be exact. She looks like an overgrown twelve year-old, and I’m here for it. Nobody would suspect her of being an assassin. Now, she has money and drugs on her person. Time to bid adieu! But, before she departs, she reveals to Gabriel just how gruesome his face looks underneath his bandages. We see Villanelle feel an ounce of compassion for the poor boy as she cradles him in his arms. He laments that he doesn’t want to go through life looking like a monster. Suddenly, Villanelle snaps his neck and gently puts him back in his bed. Well, that escalated quickly. 

Then, Villanelle hops in a wheelchair and dons a baseball cap as her escape attire. She manages to sneak past the security officer with her above par crying talent. He urges her to remain outside the door since police have placed the hospital on lock down following the discovery of Gabriel’s lifeless body. However, in true Villanelle style, she leaves a spinning wheelchair in her wake with the baseball cap emblazoned with “LOL” on the front. God, the imagery on this show is in a league of its own. 

Later, after the pair have avoided answering the other’s questions, especially regarding Eve’s reciprocated fascination with Villanelle, Carolyn rehires Eve. Carolyn allows Eve to use her as a scapegoat when explaining to Nico why her work with MI6 must continue. Villanelle is still on the loose, after all. 

Next, Nico confronts Eve about her job, citing that he’s aware that she won’t let the case go without a fight. Nico asks her, once and for all, what happened in Paris. Is she in trouble? Eve, in an effort to protect her husband, fibs again. She claims that she ordered a ton of windows from a company over the phone. Sounds legit. 

Meanwhile, Villanelle arrives in Calais and encounters a British family homeward bound for the UK. She discards their luggage from the trunk of their car while the family is in a convenience store. We see her safely sequestered within the trunk of their car as the family is en route to the UK. Eve lies awake in bed, presumably pondering over Villanelle’s fate. Villanelle looks serene inside the trunk, probably also thinking about her reunion with Eve post-stabbing. It will be a charged reunion indeed. 

RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: EVE POLASTRI 

Killing Eve is a rare gem in that it successfully balances dark humor with psychological thriller antics, spine-tingling violence and dramatic poignancy. Oh and Comer are sublime, really delving into the heart of their characters. Villanelle is someone we sympathize with despite her villainous role in the series. Her brief moment of empathy for Gabriel is proof that perhaps she isn’t completely a psychopath after all. Eve’s method of processing her PTSD is riveting and simultaneously heartbreaking. It’s true to life, and rarely do we ever get to see someone experiencing PTSD with such nuance on television. 

Do you think Villanelle and Eve will reunite soon or will we have to wait a few episodes for their much-anticipated reunion? Will Nico learn the truth of Eve’s actions? Where does Carolyn really stand in the grand scheme of things? Join me next week as I recap Killing Eve, here on Geek Girl Authority. 

Killing Eve airs Sundays at 8pm on your BBC America affiliate. 

 

 

 

 

 

Melody McCune
Follow me!

Leave a Comment