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Killing Eve season 1 episode 2 production still. Photo: Sophie Mutevelian/BBC America

Eve and Carolyn’s relationship mirrors Fleabag and her sister’s

Joining Eve on her mission to find and stop Villanelle is Carolyn Martens (Fiona Shaw), an MI6 legend and “stone-cold badass.” The dynamic between the two Killing Eve characters is very reminiscent of the one Fleabag shares with her sister, Claire (Sian Clifford).

Eve and Fleabag are messier and more outspoken. Carolyn and Claire are shrewd, polished and keep their cards close to their chests. In many a scene Eve or Fleabag will babble while Carolyn or Claire will wait as patiently as they can for the point. In Fleabag’s case, it’s one of the many tactics she uses to annoy her sister.

Both relationships contain mutual admiration and affection, but they are fraught. Fleabag and Claire can barely hug each other without flinching, and the former’s bawdy behavior alienates the latter. Ultimately Claire chooses her douche of a husband over her sister, but you can’t really blame her; Fleabag has used up all her sister’s good will.

As for Eve and Carolyn, Eve’s Villanelle investigation eventually reveals that MI6 has been working with The 12, the nefarious international group that contracts their assassinations out to Villanelle. Suddenly Carolyn is much more than a mentor to Eve: she’s also possibly the enemy.

Eve and Fleabag are both on a downward trajectory

The arcs of Killing Eve and Fleabag‘s inaugural seasons are not exactly uplifting. Eve and Fleabag’s personal and professional lives are in shambles by the time their respective finales come around.

As Eve tells Villanelle in their final season 1 showdown, “I have lost two jobs, a husband and a best friend because of you.” Her husband won’t take her calls, Villanelle killed her bestie Bill and Carolyn has fired her for insubordination — and probably because Eve knows MI6 is up to something dodgy with The 12.

Fleabag’s sister has deserted her by the end of season 1, and she has gotten into a terrible fight with her awful stepmother, who acts as gatekeeper to her father. Her most recent flame also dumps her because he realizes he’s in love with someone else. Plus, Fleabag finally succumbs to her emotions after five episodes of trying to ignore them. Her mind keeps racing; we see her sleeping with her Boo’s boyfriend, Boo in tears and Boo walking into a busy street. Fleabag contemplates suicide herself. The only ray of light is a kindly bank manager who helps her fill out a loan application for the failing cafe she runs, the one she originally opened with Boo.

Next: Killing Eve season finale review: God I’m Tired

On the surface Killing Eve and Fleabag seem completely incongruous. One is a high-concept cat-and-mouse spy thriller, the other a tragicomedy about a woman using sex and jokes to distract herself from pain. Yet Fleabag is the perfect show to watch when you’re jonesing for more Killing Eve.

In their own ways, both series explore obsession and recklessness and the way women interact with one another. They also delve into loss — the loss of a loved one, and of control and stability. Impressively, they do so without ever being overly dour. As I mentioned before, both series are highly fun to watch and often laugh-out-loud hilarious. Every time an episode ends, I just want to dive right back in and spend more time with Eve and Villanelle or Fleabag.

So, even though Killing Eve‘s first season wrapped fairly recently, I miss it badly and I know I’m not the only one. Thank goodness for Fleabag.

Killing Eve’s first season is available On Demand. Fleabag is streaming on Amazon Prime.