Spoilers for Killing Eve
The final season of Killing Eve is nearing its end, with a two-part series finale set to air this weekend. This show is not surprising in that it continually surprises, and it’s a mystery how it will end. But although Villlanelle’s victims and some of our main characters may be having their last gasps, there may be new life for the story yet. A prequel/spinoff focused on Fiona Shaw’s Carolyn character, Eve’s former boss/mentor at M16, is in the very early stages of development. This move comes after they finally unveiled more of Carolyn’s backstory in the fifth episode of this season.
A Killing Eve spin-off looking into the early life of MI6 spymaster Carolyn Mertens is in the works at BBC America and AMC Networks.
Ahead of Killing Eve’s finale episode this coming Sunday, Deadline understands producer Sid Gentle Films is in early stage development on the spin-off, though it hasn’t got a greenlight yet. No timetable on delivery was given.
It’s unclear whether the new show would air on BBC America, as per its progenitor, or another AMC Networks-owned channel or streaming service.
UK newspaper The Sun broke the spin-off news.
Carolyn, played by Fiona Shaw, begins the original show as the ruthless and enigmatic head of MI6’s Russia desk and plays a major role in all four seasons of the cat-and-mouse drama. The spin-off will focus on her early life in the British Secret Service.
This comes after season four lead writer Laura Neal hinted at further expansion in an interview earlier this week. In March last year, AMC Networks President of Original Programming Dan McDermott pointed to “potential extensions of this compelling universe” upon announcement of the final run of the original.
A two-episode finale of Killing Eve, which Endevaor Content finances and distributes, airs on BBC America from 8pm, revealing the final fates of Oh’s Eve and Comer’s psychotic Villanelle.
Neither Sid Gentle or AMC were commenting this morning.
I suppose they’ll have the actress that just played the younger Carolyn, Imogen Daines, continue in the role. And maybe Fiona Shaw will be involved too. As much as I like this show, I’m not really into this idea. For the duration of the show’s run, Carolyn has been a very mysterious character, which makes sense considering she’s a spy. I bought the character and liked that she was mysterious and, in a way, unknowable. But I feel like they’re trying to make Carolyn happen and it’s not going to happen. Throughout the show there seem to have been various attempts to make her more interesting — Kenny randomly being her son, her strained relationship with her daughter (they cast the Yara Greyjoy actress and did nothing with her), her past with Konstantin and M16 and connection to the Twelve — but it’s fallen flat for me. I think it’s a classic case of “show, don’t tell.” They kept telling, or hinting, that we should be interested and then waited way too long to show why. Her backstory was good, but it came way too late and so that one episode was enough. Not every onion needs to be peeled with a prequel. And there doesn’t need to be a spinoff of every popular show. Some can stand on their own.
I don’t have many predictions for the finale other than someone has to die. For a show about spies and assassins, the core characters have made it for far too long. With the exception of Kenny, it seems like no one of consequence was killed, which is a bit shocking for a show that was otherwise so bold. Konstantin will definitely survive; the man has unlimited lives. I think Carolyn will probably die, especially based on this spinoff news. And I think either Eve or Villanelle will die, but I’m not sure which one and likely not both. But however whatever happens, it will probably not be what we expect.
Update I forgot Nico survived the neck-stabbing. Thanks Ms Single Malt!
Nico did not die. he just wanted nothing to do with Eve anymore.
Didn’t Villanelle’s mentor stab him with a rake so that Eve could watch him die? Oh but he survived and then was terrified of Eve, right? I thought this show already ended! LOL.
“They kept telling, or hinting, that we should be interested and then waited way too long to show why.”
This. Fiona Shaw is brilliant though. I’m still enjoying Killing Eve but it’s been a law of diminishing returns ever since the first season, which was excellent. These days it’s a poor man’s version of its former self. Still fun though.
I agree! I couldn’t get enough of it in the first two seasons but I dropped interest in it once became too ridiculous. I am sad to say I don’t think I finished season 3.
But I do adore Fiona Shaw!!! They should give her a staring role in a show but not have it be a show jumping off from Killing Eve. She deserves much better than that!
I think the enigma of Carolyn really is the best thing about the series and Fiona Shaw killed it in the role.
And to know that her father raised and trained her to be a spy makes so much sense and then when she found his body, it reaaalllly made sense.
Carolyn is destructive and has the ability to be very cunning with it that makes her more dangerous. She has outlived alot of people for a reason.
I agree. I don’t have any desire to see this spinoff and I think they’ve focused too much on Carolyn this season. But if other people want to see it, then good news for them, I guess. The actress is tremendous, I’m just not invested in her character.
It’s MI6 not M16. 🙂
Louisa May Alcott used to write thrillers for fast cash. One of my favorites is “A Long Fatal Love Chase” and it should not be a surprise that the heroine dies at the end. If you’re going to call it “Killing Eve”, I expect you to %&^*ing well kill Eve.