Killing Eve season 4 episode 4 recap: How does Villanelle escape prison?
The latest episode introduces two unlikely pairings - and a former flame of Carolyn Martens takes us one step closer to The Twelve.
*Warning: spoilers ahead for Killing Eve season 4 episode 4*
Fans of BBC series Killing Eve are familiar with the status quo being upended, but anyone harbouring hopes of seeing Villanelle (Jodie Comer) wreck havoc within the British prison system will be disappointed: after her unexpected and climactic arrest in the last episode following a tip-off (Et tu, Eve?), she was already sprung from behind bars within the first few minutes of episode 4.
The glamorous and sadistic French handler Helene (Camille Cottin) busts Villanelle out with little effort, but there's a catch: the assassin has to return to work for her. There's already a target for Villanelle to track down in Cuba, and it's none other than our very own Carolyn Martens (Fiona Shaw), who in turn is busy trying to track down more members of shadowy organisation The Twelve.
Villanelle finds Carolyn with ease and knocks her out with a heavy wrench, but Carolyn (once she's woken up) can tell that her heart isn't in it, and manages to turn Villanelle to her own side using a potent combination of dry wit and nostalgia, with the reveal that she met Villanelle as a child in her orphanage (a little insight into Villanelle's childhood: she severed another kid's finger).
Meanwhile in Paris, Eve (Sandra Oh in the Killing Eve cast) tracks down old photos of a newly-revealed member of The Twelve (the ex-husband of Fernanda, the woman who Helene seduced and then dumped last episode) as a young man in the 1970s. His name is Lars, and as luck would have it, he'll crop up again later this episode...
Carolyn and Villanelle are now working together (maybe Carolyn has concussion from that wrench?), and the latter is busy torturing a captured member of The Twelve for more information. After having his own severed finger shoved into his mouth (see how we went full circle after the story from Villanelle's childhood?), he gives Villanelle the name of a restaurant.
The two women both head to the restaurant, where Carolyn spots a figure from her own past: a former flame, and none other than the older version of Lars. He recognises Carolyn and legs it, as you would, and we're left wondering exactly why Carolyn was so shocked to see him still alive.
Finally, Eve heads to Paris to talk to Helene about what's she's discovered on Lars, and their power games continue as Eve jumps into the bath with Helene (before quickly realising that a freestanding antique tub will only have so much room).
Helene holds the trump card when she reveals she released Villanelle from prison (something Eve is clearly not happy about), but Eve counters it with another power move: a kiss.
The episode sets up two unlikely pairings - Eve and Helene, and Villanelle and Carolyn - but it also sets up a deep dive into Carolyn's past, with a former flame seemingly holding the keys to The Twelve.
New episodes of Killing Eve will launch on iPlayer on Mondays and air on BBC One at 9pm on Saturdays. Killing Eve season 4 episode 2 to drop on iPlayer on Monday 7th March, before that second episode reaches BBC One on Saturday 12th March.
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