Killing Eve was a captivating and gripping show that focused on the intertwined stories of Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) and Villanelle (Jodie Comer). For four seasons, the show thrilled its viewers with unexpected twists and turns.
But the series was not renewed for Season 5, with Killing Eve seemingly finished. In this article, we look at whether or not Season 5 will ever happen, the evidence for and against, and other useful information.
There are spoilers ahead. Therefore, if you are yet to complete Killing Eve, or thinking about watching it, we recommend bookmarking this page and reading it when you have finished.
What is Killing Eve About?
Killing Eve was initially created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. It was based on the Villanelle book series by Luke Jennings. The show debuted in 2018 and ran until 2022. It featured 32 episodes, split over four 8-episode seasons.
The show mainly focuses on the characters of Eve and Villanelle – and their unusual and at times demented relationship. Eve works for MI6, while Villanelle is a Russian assassin for a shadowy company known as “The Twelve”.
While the two main characters start on different sides, they become obsessed with one another, and mainly support one another. While there are times when they fall out – with both almost murdering the other – they eventually join forces.
Other characters include Carolyn Martens (Fiona Shaw) – a cunning and resourceful MI6 staff member, Konstantin (Kim Bodnia), Villanelle’s Russian handler, and Kenny Stowton (Sean Delaney) – son of Carolyn.
In the end, there was a tragic ending, with Villanelle herself being assassinated, with Eve left heartbroken. Carolyn appeared to have betrayed the duo, having seemingly given the order.
What did the critics say?
Killing Eve Season 1 received critical acclaim and was considered to be one of the best shows of 2018. It attracted a phenomenal 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the shows pace, themes and drama.
The show attracted huge audiences both sides of the Atlantic – with both American and British viewers loving the cat-and-mouse show. The show won a slew of awards during the first season and was quickly renewed.
As is so often the case, Killing Eve struggled to keep up the same excitement level in its sophomore season. But the show still attracted strong ratings, and the decision for Eve and Villanelle to join forces was wildly praised.
The third and fourth seasons saw a drop in ratings. While they still received support from critics, the general consensus was that the show would struggle to ever reach the heights of Season 1 again.
The ending was met with vilification by fans, and swiftly made entries to multiple “Worst TV show finales of all time” articles. Critics were split in their opinions, but most fans were hoping for a happy ending for the two protagonists.
Was Killing Eve Season 5 Meant to Happen?
There is debate over whether or not Killing Eve Season 5 was meant to happen. It isn’t known if the writers wanted the show to end on their own watch, or if the plug was pulled by networks.
Back in January 2021, Killing Eve was renewed for a fourth season. Two months later, well before the final season was released, it was announced that Killing Eve would be not be returning for its fifth season.
It was originally said that the show was ending for “creative reasons”. It is believed that difficulty in maintaining Eve and Villanelle’s cat-and-mouse relationship was proving difficult to sustain beyond four seasons.
The declining viewers and critical consensus may well have created a situation where the writers decided to announce that Season 4 would be the last, rather than the network making the decision for them.
Are Killing Eve Spinoffs likely to happen?
In some exciting news for fans of Killing Eve, there is potential for a Killing Eve “Universe” to be created, where spinoffs set in the overall storyline could be created. In fact, in April 2022, a spinoff focusing on the earlier days of the character of Carolyn Martens was announced to be in early development.
Whether or not the show, or other spinoffs for that matter, will come to fruition is unknown. But Dan McDermott, the President of Originals at AMC Networks, stated that they were looking forward “to exploring potential extensions of this compelling universe”.
There could also be other potential ideas. With Eve still alive, a spinoff where she tries to hunt Villanelle’s murderer could happen – though this would be missing the great dynamic between Eve and Villanelle.
The Takeaway
It seems unlikely that Killing Eve will return for Season 5 – but there is hope that more of the story will be told going forward, with the potential for spinoffs. While there is room for the main cast to continue the story, with Villanelle seemingly dead – a huge piece of the show would no longer be a part of it.
We will need to wait and see what happens, as there certainly seems a chance of a spinoff. In this day and age, we can’t fully rule out a full renewal of Killing Eve, though this is unlikely. It is a case of watching this space.
