This Killing Eve article contains major spoilers up through Season 2 Episode 2, Nice and Neat.
During the shocking final moments of season 2 episode “Nice and Neat,” we learned that Konstantin Vasiliev (Kim Bodnia) is actually alive, having survived Villanelle shooting him in the chest at the end of last season. The roguish, charming double-agent was a highlight of last season so it’s good to have him back, but what does it mean for the world of Killing Eve that he not only survived, but is in London?
Who is Konstantin Vasiliev?
Konstantin spent most of last season attempting to wrangle Villanelle as her handler for The Twelve, a mysterious international crime organization. He tells her who to kill (or that there’s a new assignment coming), delivers cash, and generally does his best to keep her in line. So far, he’s the highest-level person we’ve met from the organization, and the only one we’ve met other than assassins and Frank, Eve’s dweeby former boss.
Konstantin had an almost paternal relationship with Villanelle, and though neither of them was afraid to threaten violence or use manipulation when necessary, he’s the only person other than Eve that we’ve ever seen Villanelle show a real, sustained interest in. Of course, it may have all been a show, a long con, but her continued efforts to get him to hang out with her suggest she has some feeling toward him. With Villanelle it’s never straightforward, as every hug came with a bit of pickpocketing, metaphorically speaking and otherwise. The feeling is mutual: Konstantin knows about Anna and tried to use that knowledge to his advantage during Villanelle’s psychological assessment.
Villanelle made sure to find out about Konstantin’s family and let him know that she knew, a threat she eventually made good on by kidnapping his daughter and locking his wife in a cupboard. Villanelle was ordered to kill Konstantin by The Twelve and though she didn’t particularly seem to be following their orders anymore, she tried to make him give up intel on the organization while forcing him to take sleeping pills with whiskey. He revealed that only the Keepers know the names of those in The Twelve, and he isn’t one. Perhaps in season 2 we’ll meet one of these Keepers – or perhaps we already have, and we simply don’t know it yet.
Ever the survivor, Konstantin made his way out of that scrape by way of a log to head and a powerboat away from the scene. But during the season 1 finale, his luck ran out when Villanelle shot him in a tea room full of people. Carolyn told Eve and Kenny that he died. Did she lie, or was she misinformed?
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What is Konstantin’s history with Carolyn?
Late last season, we learned that Konstantin is also a Russian FSB agent. While Eve and Carolyn were in Russia, they met with him and he got them access to Nadia, Villanelle’s ex, while both women were in prison. Carolyn also revealed her own past with Konstantin, when he was her source many years ago in a plutonium plot, for which Vlad (their other Russian contact) took the fall. They had a…close relationship, as did Carolyn and Vlad. Poor Kenny found some old love letters from Konstantin in the 1970s and was never the same. Any bets as to which weird Russian might be his dad?
When Villanelle attacked Konstantin in his home and he was on the run from both her and The Twelve, he went to Carolyn’s hotel room for help and comfort. Carolyn and Konstantin’s history makes his presence in her living room all the more surreal. Is this an official operation, or an off-the-books social call? It’s no wonder Kenny looked sullen and wasn’t speaking to his mother when she and Eve arrived. History seems to be repeating itself, and no one in the Carolyn-Konstantin-Villanelle trio seems all that trustworthy at the moment.
What does Konstantin mean to Villanelle?
During the episode “Nice and Neat,” Eve and Jess discuss Villanelle’s traits as a killer. Jess examines Konstantin’s murder and pronounces Villanelle sloppy, to which Eve responds, “No, not usually. She’s flamboyant and attention-seeking and instinctive. Spoiled. Easily bored. But no, she’s not sloppy.” That all rings true, but so does Jess’s assessment – if you base it on Konstantin’s shooting alone. So what was it about that (attempted) kill that made Villanelle act so out of character? The pressure of everyone closing in on her? An attachment to Konstantin? It’s her only public attack that we’ve seen so far; that must be significant.
Villanelle seemed genuinely surprised to learn last season that Konstantin’s family meant more to him than she did. While at first she was killing him for leaving her in prison and his name was on the card, perhaps she added hurt feelings to the pile, which would explain the chaotic nature of her attack.
read more: Everything to Know About Killing Eve Season 3
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Moving forward, Konstantin’s reappearance opens up far more questions than it answers. Is he actually working with MI6 now, or is there a possibility of a double- (triple-? I’ve lost count) cross from The Twelve or the Russians? Will Villanelle still want him dead, or was that out of necessity? Does anyone back in Russia know he’s alive, or is this a solo op from the Brits? How many more secrets does Carolyn Martens have? We’ll have to keep watching to find out.
