Home isn't always where the heart is.

Villanelle found that out on Killing Eve Season 3 Episode 5.

We barely knew anything going into it about Villanelle's childhood.

We knew from Killing Eve Season 1 that Villanelle ends up at the school with Anna before eventually getting recruited for The Twelve in prison, but everything before that got glossed over.

There have been several fan theories surrounding her family and where she came from, and now we finally have the answers we've been waiting for.

No, Carolyn and Konstantin weren't her parents, after all. Villanelle's family consisted of brand-new characters that we didn't even know existed.

That's my sister!
Pyotr

Permalink: That's my sister!

Villanelle has a brother! Pyotr recognizes "Oksana" immediately upon her arrival. I don't know how realistic it is to realize that your long-lost dead sister that you haven't seen since you were a toddler is the woman that showed up at your house, but maybe he just has great facial recognition skills.

In a world full of betrayals and murders, who knew the scariest episode would be one about family drama?

$Returning Home?\ - Killing Eve Season 3 Episode 5$

Sure, Villanelle does end up killing and betraying almost all of the people we meet, but the most terrifying part was the final scene on the train.

Jodie Comer is always amazing in her role as Villanelle, but she's outdone herself this time.

Her portrayal of the subtle nuances of the complex emotions Villanelle is processing is haunting. She conveyed so much in such a short amount of time.

The entire journey Villanelle embarked on to find her family only ended in more heartbreak and misery for her. She's always had issues with her feelings and lack of impulse control, and her mother seems to bring out the worst of it.

Villanelle was relatively happy in the earlier moments she shares with her family. She laughed and danced, and even entered a dung-throwing competition. But, the feeling of peace didn't last.

Her mother didn't want her there. That much was clear from the moment she came home and saw her "dead" daughter waiting for her. She probably knew she was alive all along.

She's mad Villanelle's returned home to try and be apart of their family. She made it clear when she left her at the orphanage that she didn't want her.

Her mother doesn't care about her. She reinforces all of Villanelle's worst insecurities.

She's heartless, unable to feel emotions, and swallowed whole by a darkness within her.

Villanelle is definitely shown not to be empathetic the same way other people are, what with her killing record and all, but she's definitely capable of having emotions.

It's tricky. Is Villanelle truly a psychopath? We know she cries. We know she's felt love (even if Eve doesn't think it was real). She seems happy when she makes a good joke or buys new clothes.

But she's still a killer. She feels no remorse for the lives she's taken, and rarely forms long-lasting emotional attachments.

It's hard to say as a viewer what's going on inside Villanelle's head. But Killing Eve Season 3 has given us a great look at the complexities of Villanelle, and a better understanding of why she is the way she is.

It was a great narrative choice to explore Villanelle's early life and family. Her formative years, and the people she spent them with, provide the background we needed.

It's still unclear what happened to her father, but her mother blames Villanelle for it. She blames Villanelle for everything.

She abandoned her at an orphanage, without any desire to return for her. She gave up on her child because she didn't want to deal with the so-called "darkness" she possessed.

She cites Villanelle never crying as a baby to justify her fear of her own child.

What are you going to do? Take me to the orphanage?
Villanelle

Permalink: What are you going to do? Take me to the orphanage?

It's unclear how violent Villanelle was as a kid. What did she do that made her family worry about their safety? Did they try getting her help? Or did they just cast her away as soon as they could?

It's possible Villanelle would've ended up as the person she is no matter what, but maybe early intervention could've changed her path. She didn't have to turn into a ruthless assassin. Maybe she could've had a happier life.

But that's not our Villanelle. The show wouldn't be nearly as interesting if it was. But, it's sad to hear how quickly her mother gave up on her.

Her own mother will always be Villanelle's most meaningful kill. As soon as they started fighting, I knew it was going to end up that way. You don't piss off Villanelle and get away with it.

But, I wonder how much this will affect her going forward. Will she feel guilty? Will she regret it?

All she wanted was to feel like a kid again. She didn't fit in perfectly with the family, but she was doing better than I expected. She enjoyed her time with her brother and participated in the Harvest Festival.

You are the darkness. You have always been the darkness. You weren't scared of me, you were sick of me. You knew I could see what you are.
Villanelle

Permalink: You are the darkness. You have always been the darkness. You weren't scared of me, you were...

But, her mother wouldn't let her have that. It'd be understandably scary to have a killer living under your roof, but she didn't know what Villanelle had done when she tried to kick her out.

And according to Villanelle, her mother is capable of the same thing. She thinks that her mother only got rid of her because she reminded her too much of herself.

It seems likely. In the short time we knew her, she tried to abandon her daughter twice.

Villanelle's return home went as badly as it could've. She's leaving feeling worse about herself and whatever it is about her that made her mother not want her.

And the only other person she's ever cared for is blaming her for the death of her husband.

Villanelle has no idea that Eve thinks she killed Niko but based on her emotional state leaving Russia, I don't think she's ready to deal with it.