Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Killing Eve: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III July 25, 2019

As pure pulp entertainment, BBC America's Killing Eve is an eminently watchable series that's right between "guilty" and "pleasure". The show's first season hit the ground running and rarely slowed down, introducing us to its unusual cast of characters during eight largely satisfying episodes. Chief among them are MI6 officer Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) and her target "Villanelle" (Jodie Comer), a ruthless assassin who doubles as Eve's not-so-secret admirer. (The feelings are mutual, which allows Killing Eve to subvert many of the spy-thriller cliches from a largely male-dominated genre.) As Eve's lukewarm marriage to husband Niko (Owen McDonnell) continues to crumble, so does her hold on Villanelle: the assassin, who almost seems to be toying with her prey, always seems just out of reach. After their almost final showdown ends with a near-fatal stabbing in the season finale, Villanelle somehow manages to flee the scene with a nasty stomach wound...and that's pretty much where Season Two picks up. The twisted chase continues.

Lead by new head writer and showrunner Emerald Fennell (who replaces Season One's Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and will be succeeded by Suzanne Heathcote next year), Season Two of Killing Eve expands upon -- and strips away -- small chunks of its established formula during this similarly paced eight-episode run. For the most part, it's a fair trade: the result is a more character-focused batch of episodes that nonetheless feels bogged down by several detours. From new character "The Ghost" (an up-and-coming rival female assassin) to Villanelle's encounter with a chaotic good Samaritan after a prolonged hospital stay, the series' first half and middle successfully dodge viewer expectations by refusing to resolve the first-season cliffhanger in short order. From there, it predictably narrows the gap and closes out with a bang similar to the first season's finale...with a playful twist, of course. But along the way, a few extraneous elements hamper Killing Eve's momentum considerably: the addition of new MI6 members adds very little to the proceedings, while Eve's frustratingly flaccid marriage to Niko only revives itself when it's convenient to the story.

One clear advantage it has over the first year, however, is that exposition and character introductions are now stripped to the bare minimum. The new faces -- and a few surprise returns, one of which plays a major role in the story -- are harmless enough and also necessary to change this season's flavor a bit, but the development of established characters does a far better job of maintaining viewer interest. MI6 leader Carolyn Martens (Fiona Shaw), once a rigid but fair leader who provided some measure of emotional support for Eve, now pulls back quite a bit and feels more like a handler than a guide. Her unpredictable nature, combined with the obvious revelation that she knows a lot more than she lets on, adds a new layer of suspense and intrigue to moments that would otherwise feels like rest periods. This changes not only the dynamic between herself and Eve but the entire MI6 team as well, which now seems slightly larger and more divided. In contrast, Eve and Villanelle gradually come to realize their own similarity: the latter has developed her own clearly psychotic tendencies, while the former back-peddles ever so slightly and even manages to evoke sympathy on a few brief occasions. Then, of course, she murders another innocent victim in cold blood.

That deceptive push-and-pull dynamic is ultimately what drives Killing Eve through its second season, where the pitch-black humor grows darker and the beautiful/unsightly European locales provide an even more captivating backdrop. Also working to its advantage are a great soundtrack and excellent pacing, which have always been two of the series' greatest fundamental strengths. While I'd admit to not being as fully taken by this second run of episodes as a whole (an observation made more in hindsight), I'll grant it one thing for sure: it starts off just as strongly, pulls even fewer punches, and doesn't deviate all that much from the first season's formula. Neither does BBC's solid Blu-ray package, which serves up an outstanding A/V presentation and a handful of short but worthwhile bonus features.

Killing Eve: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Stylishly shot, Killing Eve: Season Two looks every bit as good as the first. This all-digital production translates nicely to BBC's terrific 1080p transfer, showcasing a strong amount of image detail and tremendous depth in many of the close-ups and wide shots alike. Most if not all of the footage was captured on location in western and central Europe, with virtually no tourist landmarks along the way. Although much of Killing Eve takes place outdoors under natural light, the well-lit interiors are equally impressive: from start to finish, the striking modern architecture stands in contrast to more worn and weathered buildings and back alleys, both of which create substantially different atmospheres by way of textures and mood. Other unique and more colorful locations, such as Amsterdam's red light district and a tucked-away nightclub bathed in blue fog, display strong saturation without excessive bleeding (pun intended).

It's only during these scenes and a few others that color banding becomes a problem -- some of the fog during the previously-mentioned nightclub locale is the heaviest I've seen this side of Insomnia, so it's almost expected (and quite possibly baked into the original source material). This same banding is also evident during some of the frequent focus pulls, although it seems much more dependent on lighting levels than anything else. However, problems like this are few and far between: for the most part, Killing Eve looks just about perfect on Blu-ray and I'd imagine this 1080p transfer represents a clear step up from even the highest-quality broadcast and streaming versions.

Killing Eve: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Similarly, the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix does its job more than adequately within genre boundaries. Although Killing Eve is a primarily a dialogue-driven affair, its subject matter and strong psychological undertones leave plenty of room for creative sound design such as isolated music cues and distorted effects (which, if I'm not mistaken, have been dialed up slightly from the first season). Sparse action sequences also sound great with strong channel separation and rear channel support while gunshots pack a lot of punch as well. Low frequency effects are limited but kick in on occasion. Dialogue is crisp and balanced evenly with the traditional and diegetic music -- the former is definitely one of the show's strongest highlights, as its music cues often establish a perfect tone without being too lyrically on-the-nose. No sync issues or other defects were heard along the way. While it doesn't regularly have the big-screen ambitions of like-minded TV shows, Killing Eve offers a pleasing mix on Blu-ray that gets the job done perfectly.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included, which are formatted nicely and fit nicely within the 1.78:1 frame. Similarly, occasional burned-in subtitles are included to translate certain lines of foreign dialogue.

Killing Eve: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BBC Video's release of Killing Eve: Season Two arrives in a dual-hubbed eco-friendly keepcase with a matching slipcover and no inserts. Much like the first season, extras include eight bite-sized Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes spread across both discs; these include brief comments from key cast and crew members such as executive producer Lee Morris, actress Sandra Oh, actress Jodie Comer, lead writer Emerald Fennell, producer Morenike Williams, stunt coordinator Paul Kennington, actress Fiona Shaw, actor Edward Bluemel, executive producer Lee Morris, actress Nina Sosanya, actor Sean Delaney, costume designer Charlotte Mitchell, actor Kim Bodnia, and others. In addition to the "talking head" segments, there's an equal amount of on-set footage and other peeks behind the curtain. They're fine enough on their own but would have been more engaging if edited together as a more thorough documentary. Due to their short length and similarity, the titles of each featurette pretty much tell you all you need to know.

• Picking Up From Season One (2:45)

• Eve's World (3:13)

• Villanelle's World (2:15)

• Script to Screen (2:24)

• Carolyn's World (3:04)

• Costume (3:04)

• Locations (2:32)

• New Characters (2:45)

Killing Eve: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Although it picks up right when Season One left off and rarely slows down along the way, Killing Eve: Season Two isn't exactly an improvement in any notable area. It tries too hard to subvert the more successful elements of the first year, doubling down with twists that seem almost random rather than tightly written. However, the performances are, for the most part, even better this time around: everyone feels more comfortable with their roles -- none more so than Jodie Comer as Villanelle, who easily pulls most of the weight -- and this helps to smooth over some of this season's unintentionally rough edges. Other elements, such as the outstanding music and excellent pacing, remain as strong as ever. Overall, I'd call it a toss- up or maybe a tiny step down at the worst, but Killing Eve: Season Two should still satisfy those who enjoyed the first go-around. Similarly, BBC's reliably good Blu-ray package adds plenty of support including a terrific A/V presentation and a handful of lightweight but enjoyable bonus features. This low-priced release is recommended to established fans, although newcomers should obviously start from the beginning.