Killing Eve finally lets us see a bit more of Villanelle’s past

The latest episode of Killing Eve gives us a look at a more desperate side to Villanelle. What happens when the criminal mastermind is no longer in control?

Killing Eve shows us something we haven’t seen before in “Take Me to the Hole.” For the first time, the episode features a Villanelle out of her element. The assassin isn’t in complete control of her surroundings. She must do things she doesn’t want to do. She doesn’t have much in the way of choices. (Sure, you could argue that working as a contract killer limits your options in some ways. But Villanelle often improvised even during the jobs that The Twelve ostensibly assigned her.)

By sending Villanelle to a Russian prison, Killing Eve takes the character — and us, as viewers — out of our comfort zone. From the opening scene, we know things are different. Villanelle doesn’t want to go back to Russia at all. She seems nervous and anxious, two traits we never associate with this character. Why? Is it merely going back to a place full of bad memories or is it something more? Either way, Villanelle clearly trusts Konstantin to get her out again, and the scene between them in the car is probably the most genuine interaction the two have had to date. (This is probably why her anger — and, yes, fear — at the episode’s end also feel so real. It’s not just that she’s stuck. It’s that Konstantin — someone she actually trusted — betrayed her.)

Killing Eve also uses Villanelle’s return to Russia to throw us a few tidbits about the person she once was. (This is good. And probably overdue!) It’s important to remember that Villanelle’s dark past– she killed and castrated a man who ostensibly abused her — doesn’t excuse what she did. And Killing Eve takes special care to never suggest that it should. After all, she certainly seems like the kind of person who was always going to kill. If it wasn’t because of this reason, it probably would have been another. Something inside her was always going to turn out dark and broken.

But her trip to Russian prison — and her second reunion with Nadia — provides a bit more insight about who she was and how she became a killer. The answer, as with many things on this show, seems to point to Konstantin. Apparently, Villanelle wasn’t his original choice for admission into his elite assassin-training program, andNadia was. But somehow Villanelle changed his mind.

How? We don’t know. (Villanelle’s snide disbelief that Konstantin never tried to sleep with her tells us their relationship wasn’t sexual.) Does she trust him so completely because he saved her? Or because of something else? With Villanelle trapped in jail, it feels like it’s probably time we learn the rest of the story.

Additionally, we also find out that the mysterious “Anna” was the wife of the man Villanelle murdered. Was this someone else she obsessed over? Nadia insists this woman is the key to understanding what drives the assassin. It seems likely she’s also the reason behind Villanelle’s obsession with Eve. (Because that photo she drew back in the series’ second episode sure did look like a lot like Eve, anyway…)

Next: Killing Eve episode 6 review: Take Me to the Hole

Killing Eve airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on BBC America.