Another one bites the dust.

Killing Eve Season 3 is ruthless. We've had two significant character deaths, and we're only halfway through the season.

On Killing Eve Season 3 Episode 4, it's Eve's birthday. I don't think she liked her present.

On Killing Eve Season 3 Episode 3, we found out Niko discharged himself from the psychiatric facility he was staying in and fled to Poland.

That might've been something worth mentioning to his wife, but after everything he's been through because of her, they've never had a worse relationship.

Niko has always served as a distraction from the blossoming relationship between Eve and Villanelle. He was the anchor to Eve's previous life before she got involved with The Twelve. He's never been particularly interesting and was always used as an obstacle in Eve's way.

He wasn't a fan-favorite. But, killing him off might change that.

It's hard to be annoyed with a dead character. In fact, I imagine fans will feel bad for him now that he's met his untimely demise. He was killed just to drive a wedge between Eve and Villanelle.

He made the difficult choice of leaving London to return home in hopes of a better life, but Eve's mistakes still caught up to him. Now, he's just another person Eve has lost because of her involvement with The Twelve.

I left a man to die, so I could save a psychopath.
Eve

Permalink: I left a man to die, so I could save a psychopath.

Where is she going to go from here? She just lost her best friend, and now her husband. They weren't in a happy, healthy relationship by any means, but she still cared for him. Two very personal deaths so close to one another is going to send Eve into overdrive.

Especially if she thinks Villanelle's responsible. Obviously, she's not, but the note Dasha left Eve implies she was. Eve's been dealing with her complicated feelings for Villanelle for quite some time, but the death of Niko will cement her desire for revenge.

When Kenny died, she could blame The Twelve. But to Eve, Villanelle is solely to blame for Niko's death.

And it's not like Niko was leading an investigation into a worldwide criminal organization like Kenny was. He was just Eve's husband, who Villanelle's hated since the show began.

Konstantin: What's got you in such a good mood?
Villanelle: It's Eve's birthday today.
Konstantin: But you shot her, and ruined her marriage, isn't that enough?
Villanelle: The mustache is gone?

Permalink: The mustache is gone?

From Eve's perspective, his death is just Villanelle going too far in their game of cat and mouse. Until Villanelle clears her name, Eve is going to want nothing to do with her. She'll probably want her dead.

Niko was never meant to last in this show. His death felt inevitable. But it's interesting that his death is used to drive Villanelle and Eve apart when in different circumstances it'd probably make them much closer.

Eve expressed earlier in the episode how she felt guilty about being unfaithful to her husband. She was unfaithful in more ways than one, but the most egregious offense has been her infatuation with Villanelle.

They've crossed several lines that they shouldn't have, and the one thing always holding Eve back, besides the fact that Villanelle is a psychopath, was her husband.

Now that he's out of the way, a possible romance between the two is much more plausible. But as long as Eve believes Villanelle is the cause of his death, they won't get anywhere near that.

It sucks that we're taking such a far step back from where they were the last time they saw each other, but it makes sense narratively. There needs to be some angst to balance out the excitement surrounding their first kiss.

Villanelle is thrilled after their interaction on the bus. We've never seen her happier. She was dancing around her home listening to music before Dasha interrupted her.

Their reunion went better than she was anticipating. And now, she's closer than ever to finding her family.

You're free now. You can be whoever you want.
Villanelle

Permalink: You're free now. You can be whoever you want.

I'm excited to learn more about where Villanelle came from and who shaped her into who she is. This has the potential to be a great storyline. Villanelle has always been the most compelling character to watch, so hopefully, we'll be spending a lot of time with her going forward.

She's going back home, wherever that may be.

What are her parents like? Does she have siblings?

Does being an assassin run in the family?

We'll find out soon enough. But, of course, Villanelle didn't want to leave for her trip before celebrating Eve's birthday.

The bus cake was hilarious. Villanelle always knows how to get under Eve's skin. She's reminding her that not only is she unsafe wherever she goes, but that she hasn't forgotten what happened on that bus.

So not over me.
Villanelle

Permalink: So not over me.

Villanelle is incredibly smart. She's dramatic, likes using props, and always includes hidden messages in everything she does. She's always one step ahead. If I were Eve, I would never feel safe either.

Jodie Comer's performance as Villanelle is always layered. She can be very scary and intense, but what makes Villanelle so endearing is her sense of humor. She's always finding joy in things. Sure, a lot of the time, she's finding joy in murder, but hey, it's fun to watch.

This episode was thoroughly entertaining, but its weakest moments were the moments spent away from our two main characters. Killing Eve is killing off pretty much everyone but Eve, and they keep adding in new characters to fill the gaps.

It's hard to feel invested in characters like Jamie or Dasha since we just met them.

The show would benefit from spending less time on the side plots and more time with the people we already care about.

Maybe all the different moving parts will tie together in the end, but for now, it's frustrating.

It's great that Carolyn is getting her office back, but we didn't need that whole conversation between her and the co-worker she hates. It dragged on and didn't add anything substantial to the story.

Likewise, Carolyn's interactions with Geraldine have become monotonous. We get it, Carolyn's not emotional, and her daughter hates it. We don't need to be reminded of that.

It's clear in Carolyn's actions that she's having trouble grieving Kenny. There is no need for her interactions with Geraldine to drill that into our heads.

Hopefully, in the coming episodes, Killing Eve will tighten up its narrative and move us forward to a satisfying conclusion to the season.