Data Archive: ‘Killing Eve’
Killing Eve is a television series created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Solo: A Star Wars Story) based on the novel Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings. The series took a unique approach to its writing process by appointing a new female head writer each season: Waller-Bridge, Emerald Fennell (Wuthering Heights, Saltburn), Suzanne Heathcote (The Thursday Murder Club, Fear the Walking Dead) and Laura Neal (My Mad Fat Diary, Sex Education). The series garnered widespread critical acclaim, particularly during its first three seasons. Killing Eve earned 94 award nominations and 18 wins across 27 different ceremonies, including the Golden Globe Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, GLAAD Awards and British Academy Television Awards.
Premise: The series follows a British intelligence security operative Eve Polastri as she becomes obsessed with tracking down the enigmatic Villanelle. Across four seasons, the narrative evolves into a tense psychological plot around the two titular characters.
Genre: Spy Thriller, Psychological Drama, Dark Humor
Cast: Sandra Oh (Sideways/Grey’s Anatomy) as Eve Polastri and Jodie Comer (The Last Duel/Free Guy) as Oksana Astankova / Villanelle
Network: BBC America
Medium: Cable
Original Release: April 8, 2018 - April 10, 2022
Seasons: 4
Episodes: 32
Viewership declined gradually across the show’s run. Season one garnered 3.9 million total viewers (491,000 episode average), followed by season two with 3.2 million viewers (398,000 episode average), season three with 3 million viewers (376,000 episode average) and season four with 2.6 million viewers (324,000 episode average).
The ratings followed this pattern. Season one earned the highest ratings on Rotten Tomatoes with a 96% critics rating across 156 reviews and a 90% audience score across over 1,000 reviews. Season two followed with 92% from 164 critic reviews and 89% from more than 1,000 audience reviews, while season three received 79% from 151 critics and 81% from more than 500 audience reviews. Season four saw a sharp decline in reception, earning 52% critics across 93 reviews and a 31% audience rating across over 500 reviews. This trajectory is also reflected in the show’s P18-49 ratings averages: season one (0.11 average), season two (0.09 average), season three (0.10 average) and season four (0.04 average). Season two and three are reversed slightly in this metric due to season two having more fluctuation in its ratings—ranging from 0.04 to 0.13—than season three’s range of 0.08 to 0.12.
Season one holds the top three rated episodes: episode six with 0.14 and episodes five and eight with 0.13. Season three episode one and season two episode four share the fourth and fifth ranks with 0.12. Viewers consistently praise these episodes for their strong plot development, character and writing and performances. The series earned several ‘best show’ placements throughout 2018 and 2019, continuously being named in the top ten across numerous outlets.
Season four recorded the lowest ratings across the board. The season’s episode ratings fall between 0.02 and 0.06. These ratings are lower than every other episode of the series except for episode three of season two (0.04 rating). The next lowest rating excluding the aforementioned season two episode is 0.07 shared across season one episode two, season two episode two and season two episode six. The lowest rated episode was episode six of season four. Reviews for this final season, including episode six, cite sudden changes in characterizations, a plot that did not follow in the footsteps of what season three left and a finale that was unsatisfying and disappointing. The ending of the series is a particular sore point for many reviewers across critics and audiences alike, being named one of the worst TV finales of all time.
The series concluded with season four, which had already been confirmed as the final season in March 2021 prior to production. Shortly after the airing of the finale, BBC confirmed the development of a prequel spin-off focused on another character of the series, Carolyn Martens. As of April, 2025, the spin-off is still in development and will move forward.
Despite the divisive reception of its final season, Killing Eve’s first three seasons continue to hold strong critical acclaim. The series ultimately occupies a controversial but influential position in modern television, leaving a notable mark on the spy thriller genre.
