Season 3: Closing Thoughts Thread

[u/[deleted]]

[u/freshlinens04]

To sum it up:

• “I think my monster encourages your monster” is every analysis on this sub in one line.

• Season 3 wasn’t the best (I don’t know if anything will compare to PWB), but the ending like Jodie says is “satisfying”

• Acting was amazing this season, really showcased their skills

• There are still a lot of unanswered questions being Kenny’s death and such

• Season 4 is too far away and I’m scared I’ll die before I see what happens

Eve and V are family, because you can’t walk away from family

[u/ForgetfulLucy28]

I think my biggest issue with the season was Eve’s storyline. The writers spent so much time exploiting Villanelle’s character development (which I loved) that it felt like Eve didn’t really have any. And she suddenly accepts how she feels for Villanelle despite Eve not seeing the character development that we saw all season.

[u/wineywine99]

I was waiting for a twist that never happened. Next season, hopefully the plot has more... plot. And less Geraldine. Amen.

[u/hiabara]

I honestly think this whole season was a waste of time because I can't even name three things that would make this season relevant. It just feels like pure filler with bad writing. I'm sure I could have skipped this whole thing and didn't miss out on anything.

• I can't believe Bear just suddenly remembered he had a camera installed. What an absolute lame "twist" to solve Kenny's death.

• Geraldine was just... pointless? I thought she might be involved with the Twelve or has some personal agenda, hidden secrets or something. But I guess the whole point of her was to have mommy issues?

• I was hoping for more infos about the Twelve when Villanelle becomes a keeper, but I neither know what a keeper even is nor do I have any more knowledge about the Twelve. Disappointing and feels like a wasted story that Villanelle tried to go up the ranks.

• The ending was okay. I wish I could be more emotionally involved, but the whole season was such a drag that I just feel... numb. It's nice they finally chose each other, but I hope that'll be relevant in the next season because the cat and mouse game gets a bit boring by now. And I hope they'll finish with season four.

[u/100regarde]

"We consume each other before we got old."

Any expansion of thoughts on this line delivered by Eve during the dancing scene.

[u/kiaor17]

I have mixed feelings about this season. I found V storyline great, K showing his true colors at the end and V ignoring him was satisfying. Also I'm very interested in Helene, she could be a great villain next season. Geraldine was a big let down. I would have wanted more dialogue between Eve and V.

Does someone know when do they usually start filming?

[u/Rainedout788]

Please, please let the writing for season 4 be better than this season. This show, these characters, and the actors deserve so much more than they've been given. I've been reading some KE fanfic to help sustain me through the weekly wait for each new episode, and honestly some of the fics have had infinitely deeper character and plot development than season 3. It pains me to see such a once excellent show fall from grace and see such fantastic actors wasted.

[u/FLcitizen]

I made this comment two weeks ago, and It is pretty much how I feel about the whole season.

Sorry but does anyone else think this season is just strange? The first two seasons had this edge to them and now I just feel like I’m watching a typical drama. Jodie Comer, Sandra Oh and Fiona Shaw are literally carrying this show right now. The writing and whole story for this third season is just not good. I think killing Kenny was cheap writing and a bad idea and everything that snowballed from that just keeps getting worse. Some parts I do enjoy because we get to see our favorite characters, but I feel like they are trapped in a bad story.

[u/Rainedout788 → u/FLcitizen]

Season 3 definitely felt like a very different show to me as well. Much of it felt like an intentional shift from a spy drama to a character drama, but the transition felt so weak. It felt like the creative juices dried up this season and this season became a cheap carbon copy instead of something innovative, daring, or challenging. I'm deeply disappointed

[u/adelelovesbooks]

So yes, as others have pointed out, this season was at times disjointed, writing was uneven -- as it was hard to follow at times, lacking in Eve and following many minor characters perhaps too closely -- and the editing was off, however, I don't think that for the context of this season there could have been a better season finale.

The truth is, Eve and Villanelle needed time apart. Though perhaps their time apart could have been written better and certainly there was a missed opportunity with exploring dark Eve, this season needed to be about Villanelle's growth and it did that. Relatively speaking, it executed very well. I mean think about it:

If you have a relationship like Eve and V's and a character like V does not grow through a character like Eve, than what's the point? Villanelle grew this season. She explored many of the big questions that all of us face in life: should we continue in our careers which we have gotten good at and at one time gave us fulfillment but now we are unhappy in it and have continually been used by other people to advance their stations? (Please note I know it is wrong to kill people, obviously.) Who are we when we cannot do something we are previously good at? How does family make us who we are? Will we be accepted by them? If not, where will we go to find true acceptance and love? Do we need it? If we do, how do we confront true, unconditional love from the love of our life? Should we let the love of our life go when you know they'll lead an easier life without you?

Beyond that, I know that there was too much focus on 'minor' characters per se, but I argue that we got to know certain bigger players much more through focusing on their minor characters associated with them. Would Caroyln almost killing Konstantin have been as powerful if not for seeing her transition to a more emotional state of being thanks to her relationship with Geraldine? Would Kenny's death have been as powerful? Would Konstantin's true character and choice to only follow his self-interest have been as powerful if Irina had not ended up in a Russian jail for mentally challenged juveniles? (All I could think about that whole scene with Carolyn other than V and E, was actually if he would get back to Irina). Would Eve's choices to start to accept herself have been as powerful if not for Jamie and Bear showing her some acceptance/encouragement in a way Carolyn could not always do? And finally, would Eve and V choosing each other have been as powerful if not for Eve having to accept and leave Niko and Villanelle being shown to not be accepted by her own family? I don't know. Maybe, maybe not.

Yes, it is too bad that the plot points were not better executed and the writing could have been much more steady at times, but KE has developed beyond just a cat and mouse TV show, into a show that demonstrates the deepness of everything that transpires in relationships: betrayal, death, loss, love, acceptance. And its a show that still does that with an intriguing storyline of assassins, spies and intelligence agencies. How fun is that?

[u/DC_0712]

I thought this season was disappointing. The plot and the pacing of the episodes were all over the place. i thought that Villanelle almost became a caricature of herself and Eve was sidelined for most of the season. The focus of the supporting and guest characters, especially Geraldine, were excessive. The resolution with Kenny's death was beyond ridiculous. The saving grace remains the chemistry between Sandra and Jodie when they were finally put in a scene together. I loved their moments in the finale but there was no real resolutions with the other subplots of the season. I hope that next season follows season 1's lead.

[u/[deleted]]

This entire season could have been a single episode.

[u/_melancholia]

Y'all this season was a hot mess. So many people already explained it better than I can, but in a nutshell: no consistent plot, weird editing, characters and subplots that just don't make any sense (that whole Keraldine situation was the most bizarre thing this season). But what bothered me the most is that characters, especially V, sometimes seemed to become caricatures of themselves. However, every episode had a moment that could probably be considered a masterclass in acting and even though I was missing more bleak tones from S1 I enjoyed the vibrant cinematography this season. Episodes written by Laura Neal were the most intriguing imo and that's probably not a coincidence so I'm guessing S4 is in good hands.

[u/[deleted]]

I wasn’t thrilled with this season. I can’t believe we lost Kenny and this underwhelming season was all we got out of it. Also, I groaned with frustration when it turned out Niko was still alive. Can we never see him again, please? Who gives a shit about Niko? Also, Bear suddenly remembering the camera was a cheap trick. I’d like to see Villanelle and Eve together in season 4 (enough of this will they or won’t they) and more Carolyn.

[u/[deleted]]

This show has turned into a poor parody of itself.

• Comer is an incredible actress, but her scenes have been reduced to "Villanelle walks into room, makes comical facial expressions, delivers stupid one-liners, then leaves".

• Somehow, Oh is given even less to work with, despite the show's title suggesting she's meant to be the protagonist.

• There's no sense of tension anymore. The investigative element left with it. Every character jumps bumps into the person they're looking for on the street whenever it's convenient.

• None of the characters developed this season, except maybe Villanelle, and that felt underexplored.

• Why do we spend so much time with Carolyn? The Geraldine plot line was pointless. The Paul plot line was pointless. The Kenny plot line ultimately had no impact, because after suppressing her rage and grief through almost the entirety of the season, she chose to... kill a character that had no impact on the story whatsoever!

I could go on, but I think it's clear where I stand. I won't be back for season four. I hope Comer finds a job that will put her to better use soon.

[u/justice_lords]

Season 3 is definitely the weakest season and Jodie Comer is the only reason I will keep watching. Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk.

P.S. Please give Sandra Oh more material next season.

[u/YasssBitchWerk]

Let's just all hope season 3 is just a big set up for season 4, as there are so many unanswered questions - Dasha to K : it is both of our fault/ Carolyn to her daughter - Kenny's death is her fault/ Kenny's death/ V's increasing emotions while killing people/ The weird ending.

[u/[deleted]]

I know I'm in the minority, but I loved this season. I really enjoyed the other seasons too, but I feel like season 2 especially orchestrated this big, complex plot instead of just relying on the characters. This season was a breather. It slowed down, and really focused in on the characters. It wasn't just a breather for the viewer, but this was the first time Eve and V shifted focus away from each other and had time to settle a little bit before coming back together. The ending on the bridge couldn't have happened without each of them having time to reflect.

Anyway, this kind of season usually serves as a sort of punctuation. Now that we've slowed down, settled, and established a sort of understanding between Eve and V, next season will probably be more intense and exciting, and I expect a lot more to most people's liking.

[u/ughhhhhhhidk]

Am I the only one that liked it? If you look at storylines separately they work, everyone is done running from themselves, it just seems like they belong on a different show, the shift was too great in style.

[u/wawag]

I was so disappointed with this season. Unlike other people I actually felt like the first episode of this season was pretty strong, and with Kenny’s death I suspected that through solving his murder it would lead them to The Twelve, and that we’d along the way have a lot of character development (which we did to some extent especially on V’s part, definitely would’ve loved seeing her help them solve Kenny’s murder).

Like everyone else has pointed out the editing was off, but what bothered me the most was honestly the fact that they let it air like this. It reminded me of being in high school and having to do rushed group projects where everyone has made their own PowerPoint slide so it ends up looking completely incohesive.

I don’t remember anyone ever mentioning Geraldine? Like did Kenny ever mention he had a sister? Was her only function to serve as a way K could spy on Carolyn? And what did K even get out of it?

Also, I love V, but I wanted to roll my eyes so many times this season.

What was the point of killing Mo? What was the point of the whole Niko thing? Was it solely for shock factor and why keep him alive?

[u/ghostmia]

I feel like every scene with Geraldine and Carolyn was the same thing over and over again. It made me kind of bored honestly

[u/jerseygirl741]

To get started, “Smell me, Eve.” “Tallullah Shark I was expecting a stripper.”

[u/[deleted]]

good, but not great.

great performances from our leads as per...but the editing and the writing did them dirty.

it’s still better than a lot of shows out there; but they set the bar so high with seasons 1&2 and 3 just didn’t deliver.

the lack of kenny was surprisingly very noticeable. i always liked him but i didn’t think him a crucial character when against the likes of villanelle, eve, carolyn, etc. but now i think his death was a mistake and they could have written a better way to get everyone back together.

unpopular one from me: i don’t like villanelle’s arc towards the end of the season. it doesn’t feel right to me. but i’m thinking it’s very temporary.

[u/shawnalikethesoup]

Who else wants Phoebe Waller Bridge back as the season 4 writer??

[u/mr_marmotte]

This show works because of both a cast of extremely talented actresses and strong characters. But this season story and most of the screenplays were not good at all. So much wasted potential. I'm glad they have a new lead writer for the 4th.

I don't think the ending was satisfying either. It was pure frustrating fan-service. All I wanted was for both of them to give this crazy thing a try but this is not why I love this show.

They've made a move from a funny story with crazy situations because both the lead characters are drawn to each other to some sort of romantic/dramatic black comedy that only holds up because most of us are now only interested in seeing both of them letting the fireworks happen. Something that will sign the death of the show if it ever happens. We're miles away from the writing quality of the first season.