'Killing Eve' Season 4 Will Be The Series' Last, But Spinoffs May Follow
When Killing Eve first burst on the scene, it was the biggest hit BBC America had produced in years. Conceived of and written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the recasting of the spy-vs-spy trope with two women was a revelation. It took Sandra Oh from a former Grey's Anatomy star and found her breaking ground for Asian representation on television as the titular Eve. It took Jodie Comer, best known for The White Princess, and made her a household name as Villanelle. And the show has also worked as a training ground for other female writers and directors. Current Academy Award-nominee Emerald Fennell took over the show in Season 2 before passing it to Suzanne Heathcote for Season 3.
The series was already deeply behind in filming the fourth season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. (Killing Eve usually premieres in April, but Season 4 has not even started filming yet.) Now it turns out Season 4 will also be the show's last, though perhaps not the finale for the franchise as a whole.
With the announcement filming for Season 4 will begin in the U.K. in the summer of 2021, with a premiere date for 2022 came the reveal that this will be the last one for the series as fans know it. The show's final writer and showrunner will be Sex Education's Laura Neal.
Actress Sandra Oh put out a statement along with the press release that she looks forward to one final turn in Eve's shoes, for now.
"Killing Eve has been one of my greatest experiences, and I look forward to diving back into Eve's remarkable mind soon," said Sandra Oh. "I'm so grateful for all cast and crew who have brought our story to life and to the fans who have joined us and will be back for our exciting and unpredictable fourth and final season."
Comer added that she was forever grateful for the role of Villanelle:
"Thank you to all the fans who've supported us throughout and come along for the ride. Although all good things come to an end, it's not over yet. We aim to make this one to remember!"
But AMC and BBC America are hoping to continue the franchise in other forms. According to the press release, AMC Networks is working with producers Sid Gentle Films Ltd. on "a number" of spinoff ideas. Not that this means there will be several spinoffs right away. Game of Thrones, which was groundbreaking for HBO, also put multiple spinoffs into the scriptwriting stage before deciding which one would move on to a test pilot before being granted a series run. Killing Eve has been significant for not just BBC America but also AMC and its streamer AMC+, so taking a similar tack is expected.
There are also many avenues Killing Eve has created over the course of its different seasons that could be explored that wouldn't necessarily star either Oh or Comer. From The Twelve, the shadowy organization which may or may not be run by Fiona Shaw's Carolyn Martens, to fan-favorite Konstantin Vasiliev (Kim Bodnia), there are lots of characters who deserve follow up stories.
Killing Eve Season 1-3 are streaming now on both HBO Max and AMC+. Season 4 is expected to premiere in the spring of 2022.
