Killing Eve ends with less of a bang and more of a splash as fans slam ‘underwhelming’ finale

After four seasons, one will-they-won’t-they love story and a seemingly endless body-count the final episode of Killing Eve ended with less of a bang and more of a splash on Sunday evening. 

Viewers of the popular BBC show watched as Jodie Comer’s enigmatic Russian killer Villanelle met a watery end after finally overthrowing the Twelve – a group of deadly international assassins of which she was formerly a member. 

With the pair finally ready to embark on a new life together, the bizarrely likeable Villanelle is shot dead by a lurking gunman, her body crashing into the Thames just moments after it seemed she was set for a life of blissful freedom with former MI5 operative Eve Polastri, played by American star Sandra Oh. 

But many were left underwhelmed with its closing scenes after spending the last four years watching their stuttering, unrequited love story slowly unfold – only to see happiness snatched from their grasp at the last moment. 

Venting their feelings across social media, some dismissed the two-part finale as unsatisfactory, while others slammed writer Laura Neal for her poor treatment of LGBTQ+ characters. 

Taking to Twitter, one raged: ‘I actually feel cheated…like i spent four years watching this show…..and that’s the conclusion??? I’m so f**king mad.’ 

A second added: ‘1 day has passed and I am still angry, annoyed and heartbroken!!! And a reminder that it’s all thanks to Laura Neal, the b**ch who didn’t know the show and characters at all!!!’ 

Devastating: Viewers of the popular BBC show watched as Jodie Comer’s enigmatic Russian killer Villanelle was shot dead after finally overthrowing the Twelve – a group of deadly international assassins of which she was formerly a member

Watery end: A dying Villanelle crashed into the Thames after being struck by a bullet during Sunday evening’s finale 

Alone: A desperate Eve plunged into the water with the Russian killer, but was unable to save her from a brutal end 

Evidently in agreement, a third compared the ending to HBO drama Game Of Thrones – the show that sparked an online petition demanding a new ending be filmed – writing: ‘Worst ending of a show since GoT, I said what I said.’ 

A fourth also took aim at the final episode’s writer, adding: ‘Killing Eve had such a special place in my heart, the show was different to any other for me… but the finale was like Laura Neal pulled my heart out my chest, ripped it up and pulled killing eve out painfully and viciously forever… bit dramatic yes but what she did was too.’ 

Others harboured criticism of Neal’s decision to kill off Villanelle, depriving her and Eve of an opportunity to find happiness after finally expressing their feelings for one another. 

Close: Eve and Villanelle appeared to be embarking on a new life together, but viewers were left raging after their short lived relationship ended in tragedy 

‘It’s worrying that 6 years after the issues raised by the death of Lexa that writers on TV still don’t realise the problems they cause by killing off a lesbian character for drama and also they seem oblivious to doing anything wrong and honestly that’s shameful,’ wrote one, comparing Villanelle’s death to the fate of a popular gay character in US show The 100. 

A second added: ‘I thought we’d moved past this damaging trope of killing the gays in tv series. This finale just proves that show runners and writers don’t give a sh*t about their LGBTQIA+ characters or representation. It matters. Do better.’ 

A third wrote: They planned for Villanelle to die that way from very early on because somebody thought “oooh watery images are going to give the season a cohesive cinematic feel”. I lost track of which interview, but add it to the list of war crimes committed by the writers room.’