‘Killing Eve’ Season 2, Episode 5 ‘Smell Ya Later’ Recap: Messed Up Team Up

This week’s episode in Killing Eve titled “Smell Ya Later” might just be the most predictable and one of the strangest in the season yet. It continues to traverse Eve’s (Sandra Oh) seemingly inevitable transformation from normal psychopath obsessed detective to something closer to her obsession. And there’s just something a little creepy and nasty with how she goes by it. It’s a welcome breather from the typical pattern of the show’s episodes but, it also riles you up at the same time. Because at this point, though we kind of have a hint at where Eve’s headed, there’s a pretty good chance it’ll blow up in our faces. I mean, just look at season one with all the lovey-dovey obsession. When we thought Eve has finally lost it, she goes ahead and stabs Villanelle (Jodie Comer).

In this week’s episode of Killing Eve, the two women are brought into the same room again under very different circumstances. Eve and apparently no one else can’t crack the Ghost (Jung Sun den Hollander). So, her solution is to make a pact with the devil himself and enlist Villanelle’s help. But, all through that, it seems that Eve’s more interested in Villanelle’s methods rather than the results she yields.

Desperate Measures

While Villanelle is off doing her freelancing, Eve and the rest of MI6 are trying to crack the Ghost. With how ridiculous the situation is, Eve and Jess (Nina Sosanya) have taken to hilariously adlibbing their workmate who’s doing the usually failed Ghost interview. Eve wishes the Ghost would be more fun. And soon enough, she’s back in the room trying her luck again. She asks if the Ghost is acquainted with Villanelle. But unfortunately, the Ghost only knows her as the demon with no face.

BBC America

Meanwhile, Villanelle and Konstantin (Kim Bodnia) are enjoying the spoils of their kills. Soon enough, Eve and Jess have pinned down the pair’s most recent job as freelance work. Suddenly, Eve realizes that they could crack the Ghost with Villanelle. But to get to that point, they have to hire Villanelle to kill Eve first.

Kenny (Sean Delaney) thinks the idea is bonkers. But, since Carolyn (Fiona Shaw) is already on board with it, Eve can’t be stopped. As they convene to discuss the plan, Jess asks Eve if she’s done any paperwork. Surprisingly, she hasn’t done any unlike the rest of the team. And it’s a rule for everyone to do it. Strangely, it seems that someone doesn’t want any paper trail on Eve. And as Jess says, even if Carolyn was on board with the plan, it doesn’t make it a good idea nonetheless.

As soon as the order is handed over to Konstantin, he hands Villanelle her next job. Upon seeing Eve’s picture, Villanelle freezes. Understandably, she adamantly refuses to do the job. Konstantin chastises her, however, and indirectly tells her to grow back her balls. It doesn’t make anything better for the assassin.

Killing Eve: Psychopath Lesson

A while later, Carolyn sends over a psychopath expert named Martin (Adeel Akhtar) to give the team a little lesson about psychopaths. As he’s going through his terrible presentation, he clicks to a slide showing the bloody and brutal murder of a man. Noticeably, Eve is the only one who doesn’t flinch away from the sight. However, when he clicks on to picture of Villanelle, Eve can’t bear to look at it.

BBC America

On the other hand, Villanelle is grieving her next job. When a hotel attendant knocks on her door for room service, she goes beyond and asks for his help to comfort her. She makes him sit and let her lay her head on his lap as he gently runs his hand over her hair. Meanwhile, Eve comes home to find that her husband Niko (Owen McDonnell) will be gone for a few nights since he has to go up to Oxford to chaperone some kids for a spelling bee. He offers not to spend the night there but, Eve quickly declines.

As they’re having dinner, the doorbell rings. Eve answers it to find no one but, only an elegant box tied with a black ribbon. She opens it to find her name spelled with white roses. Strangely, no, weirdly, this turns her on. And she interrupts poor Niko’s dinner for some quality bedroom time.

Carolyn, on the other hand, has a meeting of her own with Martin. It turns out, she sent him over to gauge Eve’s take on the case. He reports what he noticed. And he notes that Eve didn’t particularly like the part he mentioned about Villanelle not being able to maintain close interpersonal relationships. In total, Martin concludes that Eve’s too close to the case and the plan is a no-go.

Raging Impulses

The next day, Carolyn asks Eve one last time if she’s sure of the plan. And Eve discovers just how supportive Carolyn is when the latter refuses to prove her support on the record. Thankfully, Hugo (Edward Bluemel) barges in and dissipates the tension. He takes Eve for her bulletproof vest fitting. And though Eve finds it incredibly uncomfortable, she sucks it up. Eve also declines the backup team that Jess is setting up reasoning that Villanelle should feel in control of the situation.

BBC America

On her way out, Kenny intercepts Eve and voices his concerns about her crazy idea. He reminds Eve that she stabbed Villanelle and is withholding that information. In addition to that, he reminds her that Villanelle killed Bill. But, Eve doesn’t want to back down. Kenny doesn’t either. He says that he’s never going to be on board with it. Because of this, Eve sacks him from the team.

On her way home, a man accidentally bumps into Eve on the train station platform. Eve follows the man and sticks close to him. And as the train approaches, her hand slowly inches up ready to push the man off the platform. Her touch has caught the man’s attention though and it breaks Eve out of her spell.

The Second Dinner

Back at home, Eve keeps fiddling with her vest. But, when the doorbell rings, she pulls it off and answers the door defenseless. Villanelle arrives in full funeral attire. And the two settle in the kitchen where Villanelle pours them both a cup of champagne. She dunks Eve’s phone on the first cup, however, and pours a third for Eve to drink. In a tense moment, they both confront the stabbing that happened in Paris. And both admit that it has always been on their mind. However, neither of them wanted to apologize for anything.

BBC America

Eve admits that she needs Villanelle’s help. And she also reveals that the whole plan was hers. But, Villanelle only smiles sweetly and brandishes a small bottle of pills for Eve. As Villanelle watches, Eve takes the pills one by one downing them with champagne. With the last pill gone, Villanelle’s expression shifts and she shakily voices out that she didn’t think Eve wouldn’t do it. Soon enough, Villanelle is screaming for Eve to spit the pills out. As Eve bends over the sink trying to barf it out, Villanelle suddenly starts laughing revealing her ruse. She pushes Eve against the counter and bargains. If Eve gives her everything she wants, she’ll help. A few moments later, the two women are walking out Eve’s door. And Villanelle willingly gets into the car with Eve. From another car, Carolyn and Konstantin watch them drive away.

The Demon With No Face

The next morning, a team takes the Ghost out to a container van in a secluded part of the woods. Eve and Villanelle soon follow. And at this point, it seems that Villanelle is the one thinking more logically out of the two. She asks Eve if what they’re doing was even legal out of concern for the MI6 agent. But, Eve only snaps at her.

BBC America

Eve enters the van first and tries the gentle method with the Ghost again. But, since she’s not cracking, she sends in Villanelle. At the doorway, Villanelle turns back and asks if Eve wants to watch. The temptation was clear in Eve’s eyes but Villanelle smiles it off and walks on in. A couple of moments later, Villanelle emerges. It turns out, it was Aaron Peel this whole time who had his dad and his colleagues murdered. And it was all because he was selling a weapon everybody including the twelve wants to buy.

With this information, Eve didn’t seem satisfied. And when Villanelle asks for even a thank you, Eve gives her a flat and cold one. The assassin mentions that Eve is all take, take, take. But before she could go on, Eve asks what she did to the ghost. And Villanelle assures her that she did nothing she wasn’t asked to do. When Eve enters the van again, she finds the Ghost unchained but, very very distraught. And the only word she says to Eve’s face is “monster.”

Meeting the Husband

At Oxford, Niko’s chaperone duties are going well up until the point Villanelle shows up. She starts off a little chat then suddenly apologizes for the fake complaints she’s been serving him in the past. With this, Niko realizes who she is and he freezes in terror or anger or both. He walks off, out of sight from the kids, and when he gets the chance, he shoves Villanelle to a wall. In typical Villanelle fashion, she doesn’t even find Niko the least bit intimidating and continues to taunt him.

BBC America

When Niko lets go of her, she tells him that he has nothing to worry about since she’s forgiven Eve. To ease his confusion, Villanelle tells Niko about the time Eve stabbed her in Paris. She even shows him her scar as proof. Then, after telling him how nice it was to finally meet him, Villanelle walks off leaving a poor baffled Niko who might’ve been contemplating if he really knew the person he was married to.

Killing Eve continues Sunday, May 12th with “I Hope You Like Missionary!” at 8/7c on BBC America and AMC.