Her paying isn’t a form of thanking him, she doesn’t even look at him, she just puts the money there as she walks away without stopping. She also doesn’t stop to knock the icecream down. Imagine if she stopped to pay but not stopped to knock the icecream or viceversa? What would the viewer understand? 1. She stopped to pay, she didn’t stop to knock the icecream. It would look like she is running away from knocking the icecream snce she took care to slowdown to pay. 2. She didn’t stop to pay she did for the icecream. She was in a hurry to take revenge on the girl. The got got under her skin. 3. She stopped for both, paying and icecream. It would probably still give psychopath pettiness, but it doesn’t fit her personality. Maybe an slower killer more controlled dense, but she is reckless and energetic. 4. She doesn’t stop, as in the video shows that she cares about nothing else but herself she is done she is over and she is quick to leave without care, she got served and she leaves instantly. The same she will forget about this icecream she will forget the little girl. She just got her moment at the moment and she moved on without missing her step not even a second.
I don't think she was paying for the icecream; she probably did that before she sat down. She was doing something nice, voluntarily tipping the vendor, before doing something cruel, dump ice cream on the girls lap. This establishes that her cruelty is intentional not habitual @@Lppt87
She casually bought off the barista's good will, manipulating him into believing the lady is nice, and that the ice cream spilling must have been the little girl's fault. Even if the girl cries out that the mean lady did it on purpose, the barista will tend to think the little girl was just clumsy and making up lies. Villanelle created a situation where the barista and the little girl might go at it against each other, regarding the "terrible lies" the little girl would be crying about.
This show used to be so phenomenal and unique, can't believe the trainwreck it became after Phoebe Waller-Bridge left. One of the best character intros of all time for sure.
Agreed. I always thought that Sandra Oh's Eve was actually the weakest character on the show, she was simply the 'name' that got the US funding to kick the series off but once Jodie Comers sheer talent leapt of the screen at everyone I thought that Oh's character was holding the show back. Frankly it would have been nice if they had actually Killed Eve in Killing Eve
@@dohadeer8242 lol, I would think this might be a bold opinion but tbh I can't disagree, now that I think about it. I didnt even know Oh as an actress before Killing Eve, so to me the choice seemed weird at first too, but I thought maybe the unassumingness of Eve's character was on purpose lol.
This intro is even deaper. The girls first reaction shows a little fear - a little distrust. Villanelle is not just coaxing a smile, she is gaining enough trust so that she can get close enough to knock the ice cream into the little girls lap. In the first 2 minutes of the show, she gains the trust of a complete stranger, then violates that trust for her own ammusement. It introduces the viewer to her complete MO.
Also this scene is key to showing Villanelle's character as a psychopath. Psychopaths are said to be unable to understand human emotions, therefore they learn them from others in order to display them at the most opportune moments. Villanelle shows a response to the girl but realises its wrong and reworks it after studying a non psychopath.
That's what I was thinking when I first watched it. She's mimicking human emotion from the vendor because she doesn't feel any herself. Narcissists do that too, that's why they get so successful at interacting with people, but it's not genuine.
That was also shown l@ter oon when she’s listening to the radio on the treadmill and mimics the girls laugh and carry’s on using it through the episode
I honestly think that she portrays plenty of emotion throughout the seasons (even empathy at times.) Masking and learning to mirror behavior doesn't always equal a lack of emotion altogether.
Minor correction: Phoebe Waller Bridge is great but she didn't write every episode of Killing Eve 5:22 she wrote the majority of the episodes of the first season, aka the best episodes. Also, this scene introduces another key characteristic of Vilanelle, her greatest weakness. Yes, pushing ice cream on a child's lap is certainly petty, but it is also reckless. Vilanelle is right about to kill a high profile target and she just drew attention to herself. Plus there is the risk that either the vendor or the girl's mother would confront her. Both of those things could easily jeopardize her job but she doesn't care.
Yeah, someone in another comment mentioned her "poor impulse control." I think that's an important element to this scene. Even if she was angry at the girl for not smiling at her at first, the rational thing to do would have been to just ignore it. But her anger and need to "teach the girl a lesson" cause her to do something that's not in her own best interest.
@@familycorvette I mean, what makes you conclude that this is bad writing? The rest of the scene is well planned and executed, why would that one aspect randomly be poorly written out of nowhere? Especially when it makes perfect sense with what was already established?
Pheobe was the showrunner only for season 1 not the entire show. That's why there's such a drop off in quality with the writing, particularly after season 2.
true. I only watch a couple or one video of S3 and haven't found the motivation to finish it. The season 1 is stellar honestly such a shame, I'm waiting for whatever crumbs phoebe throw at us
@@wenik_2332 Good to know lol. I remember hearing about this show when it came out so this video didn't spoil anything for me, but it very much did make me want to actually watch Killing Eve. Glad I read these comments to know that the quality drops off before getting too invested in it lol
This really is perhaps the most surprising and memorable character introductions I've ever seen. What made this even better for me, is I didn't know what I was going to watch - I didn't even know who would play the main character, and I didn't know who Comer was. The way that scene plays out, the outrageous outcome of that seemingly harmless interaction - truly priceless stuff! 😄❤️
The Cafe Scene did a great job in showcasing the strength of Villanelle's psychopathy and how she ain't down with the kids but for me, the Tuscany Hairpin Hit was the true to Villanelle the Assassin of pride, arrogance, showmanship, theatricality and depravity beyond human recognition. Which made her a breath of fresh air to the usual schtick of Fictional Assassin's who hate their job. Ps. The spot of blood on her watch was a nice little touch.
I found "Killing Eve" right after having finished "Hannibal", so I was very in tune with the whole people hiding their monstrosity ordeal. That's what this scene told me (mind you, I only knew V was a killer but not what type). How Villanelle carefully crafted her person suit, how she was very detached from the world around her so she needed something to imitate to seem normal. And finally that she was an asshole. Man she's such great character.
She also wipes what might be a drop of blood off of the face of her watch. And even if it's not a drop of blood, the audience can certainly take the hint that it might be, and that this character is not only manipulative but dangerous, or at least involved in dangerous activities. So there's that too. Just watched for the first time.
Yes, thank you. It's implied that this person was just involved in a violent situation and is now treating herself to an icecream, which gives you even more of a sense of the character.
I actually think Villainelle’s introduction in the show is perfect. She is a heartless shell of a human masquerading her own humanity. The child doesn’t fall for her fake smile. Not always, but some kids are good at feeling that a person is fake, in the least. She sees the vendor as having a genuine smile. Then, Villainelle perfectly impersonates the vendor’s genuine smile. She learned to fool an intuitive child very quickly. Then, because it’s fun, she knocks the child’s ice cream onto her lap as she leaves. Because she enjoys causing pain, even in children. This implies she’s fine with assassinating even children. But, the show doesn’t have the need to be so dark. It’d affect their ratings.
When the audience gets to have their "aha" moment, the scene becomes so much more powerful. It feels like we're in on the story that the movie is telling, like we're part of it too.
One thing to add- another part of what makes this intro great is that the situation is so specific. I've never seen a scene much like this in anything else. So, it sticks in your head.
The greatest character intro ever (imo) is Hans Landa in Inglorious Basterds. He’s utterly charming, cunning, erudite and menacing throughout, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
Absolutely... I actually re=watched the intro 3 or 4 times before continuing the story because I was in awe of the craft that it displayed... script direction acting... flawless
This scene hooked me straight into the whole series. I can't ever remember an opening couple of minutes in any made for TV series ever having done that to me before.
I love this series and Villanelle, she is easily one of my favorite characters of all time. But this video is great, I mean, for me this intro is iconic but I never stopped to think and analyze everything you mention here, what a job! It makes me admire Phoebe Waller Bridge even more, if that's possible. Amazing, thanks 👏
Technically, the denouement is Villanelle smiling after she has walked out of the ice cream parlor. Act 1 - eating ice cream. Inciting incident - locking eyes with the girl. Act 2 - smiling at the girl (we now know what Villanelle wants. She wants a smile from the child.) 1st pinch point - the girl does not return the smile. Midpoint - the audience registers Villanelle's annoyance at being ignored and her continued focus on the child. 2nd pinch point - Villanelle notices the girl smile at the vendor, who gives a big smile. Act 3 - The Dark Night - Villanelle now smiles a big smile at the girl, and the girl returns the smile. (This is where the author tricks us - a normal person would end the story with the returned smile) The scene's climax is when, after getting what she wants, Villanelle still knocks the ice cream into the girl's lap. The final outcome or the denouement is Villanelle's true smile as we hear the child wail as Villanelle walks out into the street.
This is a much better breakdown, and now I’m annoyed that I watched most of a 14-minute video by someone who couldn’t identify the pushing of the ice cream as the climax of that story. Or worse, someone who could, but wanted to be corrected for engagement (which is why I suspect he claimed Waller-Bridge wrote “all” the episodes of Villanelle, which is an awkwardly specific thing to say, and easily fact-checked). In short, I’m getting really tired of video essays. But I appreciate this comment.
@@lineettasame here. I also simply cannot abide 1) those who can’t or won’t pronounce “denouement” and 2) those who can’t or won’t understand denouement. It’s such an elegant word and concept!
This probably came up on my feed because of how often I tote this as the greatest cold open of a series ever!! 💗 So great to see it getting the appreciation it deserves.
I think you did a great job explaining great intro criteria as well as acknowledging how awesome Killing Eve was written, directed, produced, and acted.
Thank you for making this video. I watched this intro of Villanelle, was floored, and instantly forgot it. You broke down her introduction in such a compelling way that even an 11 year old could understand the magic that happened in just this one conceit. Great work here.
Thank you for this, well done! I could truly feel at the moment of watching this scene how vital every glance and moment was; I felt it encapsulated her character perfectly looking back as well, while still leaving room to continue learning about her character. BUT, this video put into words and concrete reasons all the things I was feeling/sensing intuitively. Great job
Awesome video, glad I came across it. I watched this series without reading anything about the story, and from this very first scene, was hooked and impressed. I could tell she was off from the beginning too lol, and that immediately caught my attention, also since it was so original for a female character to be introduced like this.
The best part is the very last second where she smiles to her self. Not for anyone else, just because she's content with herself. That shows something as well.
Vince Gilligan always does something interesting with a character introduction. Even if they’ll be gone in 5 minutes, you get a real idea of what the character is about.
this video is so short compared to a lot of other video essays ive seen but i still find myself coming back to it. its just... chefs kiss. so well done
I was watching somebody react to "The Silence of the Lambs", there was a comment thread about "strong female characters", and so I was thinking about the Mount Rushmore of Sci Fi ladies in cinema... SO, of course when I then see "greatest character intro ever", I of course think of Trinity from "The Matrix". You get the "I think we can handle one little girl" with Agent Smith's "your men are already dead" rejoinder to *tell* us, THEN we get the iconic fight, with the iconic double-kick, from Trinity as the opening. I mean, c'mon.
Absolutely commendable! I enjoyed this segment very much. I took some film classes in college and they always used to say that everything in a film is intentional you were able to clarify that point to such an exact place. It really made me understand and appreciate looking for those details, thanks again.! Cheers
I didn't expect this intro AT ALL, and I ended up rewinding it several times to rewatch. Because it's just so good. And Jodie Comer is just so good. Perfection.
Thanks for this breakdown. It's a great scene, and a very well examined break down. So much can be said without dialog. Killing Eve has become on of my favorite of recent episodic shows. I like how much humor is mixed in, and the two leading actors have great chemistry that keeps the show interesting. I love the locations and cinematography.
I have loved that scene since the first time I watched it, it’s the most memorable character introduction I’ve ever seen onscreen and it’s a brilliant piece of storytelling.
I think Villanelles first attempt at a smile was more convincing and appropriate than the second, and than the “bartender’s”. And from that I get the feeling that Villanelle thinks the kid is stupid and gullible for smiling back at the bartender’s over-the-top fake smile, and then mocks her by manipulating her into trusting her with a conspicuously poor trick.
FINALLY someone recognizes how incredible the opening scene is in Killing Eve.... i went into that show completely blind... no idea what it was about or who the characters were.... that first scene absolutely hooked me in straight away
One of my fave intros of all time was Chili Palmer in Get Shorty. That whole sequence tells you exactly who that character is. Soft spoken, tells it like it is and NOBODY steals Chili’s leather jacket!
Great video essay and loved ur analysis! Wanted to add that another reason why the intro is so well done -is the decision to make the antagonist a Child within the contained story. Having Vilanelle, mimic and deceive to get what she wants yet act out in pettiness because she "should have" gotten it in the first place, precisely demonstrates the childishness of her behaviour. Choosing a Child to provoke this reaction out of Vilanelle, ultimately emphaises this trait of Immaturity. There's also a shot, where the girls reflection in the fridge door, is positioned alongside Vilanelle (who is mirroring her) which further cements this motif of childishness. This intro foreshadows this impulsive, unserious, petty and shortsided side to Oksana, traits of Psychopaths that are not stereotypically depicted on screen. As you might have alluded to in your comparison of Vilanelle and Hannibal Lecter ficitonal psychopaths; are usually either villains serving a larger narrative or extremely dehumanised & caricatured versions of themselves. While Vilanelle is cold, cruel, & manipulative, she is not precise, calculated and rational. She is risk seeeking, easily distracted, bored, materialistic and her fast working brain needs constant stimulation: which is why she loves challenges! (Only to the extent that they result in a prize she wants or don't trigger any vulnerabilities.) Which brings me to the point that, grounding a Psychopathic Assasin in reality, requires a lot of fucking research & consideration. The BIBLE for Vilanelle must be massive!! I think it's what makes the character writing of this show so compelling and outstanding. The level of research the writers did really shows!
The first season was exceptional and unique I loved everything about it. The second season was more than fine for me even though it a bit started going down from there and by season 3 the disaster is born.....
I really love this introduction to her because if this was a scenario that took place in real world that little girl would remember her probably for the rest of her life.
One more thing that makes this introduction great: hope. This introduction is designed to make us think that Villanelle might be a good person -- might become a good person -- and then shatter that hope in a hilarious way. In about 30 seconds. It's the same ride that Eve is going to be on for most of the rest of the show. It's all about our expectation. We probably saw a preview for the show. We know that Villanelle is probably the villain. But when a show starts with a main character interacting with a child, we expect things. Maybe the child will be a big part of this episode. The child doesn't trust Villanelle and it's troubling when Villanelle fakes two smiles to get her to finally smile back. But I had an emotional response to seeing them smile at each other. Even though I knew Villanelle was faking it, emotionally I believed anyway -- briefly -- that the child and Villanelle had formed a connection. Just a few moments into the show, and I am already making elaborate excuses for Villanelle. Yes, she is a liar and a manipulator, but she can feel, deep down. The only reason she bothers to manipulate the child is because she cares, right? Then Villanelle dumps the child's ice cream off the table, into her lap. It's hysterically petty. It's hilarious. It's the whole show in 30 seconds. Why don't I hate Villanelle for being so pointlessly cruel? There is a kind of release as Villanelle confronts how hard it is to earn the trust of another person, shares a smile, and then in the uncertain peace of the moment, just as I'm trying to remember if the child was in the preview, Villanelle tears it all down. And Villanelle escapes all the consequences. We never see the child crying. We never see the child again. It's hilarious, in a disturbing way. This is the first time the show invites to have fun watching Villanelle doing evil, awful things. Soon she is going to be torturing people to death while they beg to live -- and these moments are clearly played for comedy. And the whole time -- through the first season into the second season and beyond, we are with Eve, appreciating Villanelle's skills, identifying somehow with her temper tantrums, hoping that there might somehow be a person in there...
I can't stop watching this show. IDK if the characters make sense, but there is something about the work which is just compelling. IDK. Help me out, internet.
It would have been funny if Villanelle had an admirer who was in love with her murders, always following her around and constantly bringing her flowers.
When I watched it for the 5 time with lots of knowledge about psychopaths I instantly realized that the intro was great. The way she tried to imitate a smile...
One of my favorite character intro is that of Sher Khan in the Jungle Book. For half the movie, he's only described from other character's testimony. Everyone's afraid of him, and we get the impression that he's some sort of raving beast. Then, he gets in and he's all sly, smooth, cunning, exuding a controlled sense of menace.
@@davescripted3796 hmm maybe you should watch it and create your own analysis as to how the story progressed. There are several pinpoints to recall such as their politics of changing showrunners per season and everything about why they messed up so hard at the end :/
Steve Buscemi's intro scene in Deperado was absolutely masterful. Cheech Maron as the bartender. Cheeck says, "Oh, the bartender always lives." Buscemi says, "No, the bartender got it worst of all." The whole scene was funny and so damn cool.
It is also significant that she tips the barista. As if he has helped her or given her something
Her paying isn’t a form of thanking him, she doesn’t even look at him, she just puts the money there as she walks away without stopping. She also doesn’t stop to knock the icecream down.
Imagine if she stopped to pay but not stopped to knock the icecream or viceversa?
What would the viewer understand?
1. She stopped to pay, she didn’t stop to knock the icecream.
It would look like she is running away from knocking the icecream snce she took care to slowdown to pay.
2. She didn’t stop to pay she did for the icecream.
She was in a hurry to take revenge on the girl. The got got under her skin.
3. She stopped for both, paying and icecream.
It would probably still give psychopath pettiness, but it doesn’t fit her personality. Maybe an slower killer more controlled dense, but she is reckless and energetic.
4. She doesn’t stop, as in the video shows that she cares about nothing else but herself she is done she is over and she is quick to leave without care, she got served and she leaves instantly. The same she will forget about this icecream she will forget the little girl. She just got her moment at the moment and she moved on without missing her step not even a second.
Nice.
I don't think she was paying for the icecream; she probably did that before she sat down. She was doing something nice, voluntarily tipping the vendor, before doing something cruel, dump ice cream on the girls lap. This establishes that her cruelty is intentional not habitual @@Lppt87
She casually bought off the barista's good will, manipulating him into believing the lady is nice, and that the ice cream spilling must have been the little girl's fault. Even if the girl cries out that the mean lady did it on purpose, the barista will tend to think the little girl was just clumsy and making up lies.
Villanelle created a situation where the barista and the little girl might go at it against each other, regarding the "terrible lies" the little girl would be crying about.
Remember guys it's a subjective idea on art. Not a certified opinion.
This show used to be so phenomenal and unique, can't believe the trainwreck it became after Phoebe Waller-Bridge left. One of the best character intros of all time for sure.
seriously laura neal completely tanked the last season
@@di5084 PERIOD, season 1-3 were amazing but season 4 was just HORRIBLE
@@di5084 6@}
Agreed!!!
So sad 😢
Jodi Comer is an amazing actress to capture all this characters nuances.
Agreed! She played it so well
Agreed. I always thought that Sandra Oh's Eve was actually the weakest character on the show, she was simply the 'name' that got the US funding to kick the series off but once Jodie Comers sheer talent leapt of the screen at everyone I thought that Oh's character was holding the show back. Frankly it would have been nice if they had actually Killed Eve in Killing Eve
@@dohadeer8242 lol, I would think this might be a bold opinion but tbh I can't disagree, now that I think about it. I didnt even know Oh as an actress before Killing Eve, so to me the choice seemed weird at first too, but I thought maybe the unassumingness of Eve's character was on purpose lol.
This intro is even deaper. The girls first reaction shows a little fear - a little distrust. Villanelle is not just coaxing a smile, she is gaining enough trust so that she can get close enough to knock the ice cream into the little girls lap.
In the first 2 minutes of the show, she gains the trust of a complete stranger, then violates that trust for her own ammusement. It introduces the viewer to her complete MO.
deaper
This is such a good explanation !!
Also this scene is key to showing Villanelle's character as a psychopath. Psychopaths are said to be unable to understand human emotions, therefore they learn them from others in order to display them at the most opportune moments. Villanelle shows a response to the girl but realises its wrong and reworks it after studying a non psychopath.
That's what I was thinking when I first watched it. She's mimicking human emotion from the vendor because she doesn't feel any herself. Narcissists do that too, that's why they get so successful at interacting with people, but it's not genuine.
That was also shown l@ter oon when she’s listening to the radio on the treadmill and mimics the girls laugh and carry’s on using it through the episode
Lemme guess, "all my exes are narcissists and sociopaths!!" right??
I honestly think that she portrays plenty of emotion throughout the seasons (even empathy at times.) Masking and learning to mirror behavior doesn't always equal a lack of emotion altogether.
@@jackchop1576What does that have to do with anything.
Minor correction: Phoebe Waller Bridge is great but she didn't write every episode of Killing Eve 5:22 she wrote the majority of the episodes of the first season, aka the best episodes.
Also, this scene introduces another key characteristic of Vilanelle, her greatest weakness. Yes, pushing ice cream on a child's lap is certainly petty, but it is also reckless. Vilanelle is right about to kill a high profile target and she just drew attention to herself. Plus there is the risk that either the vendor or the girl's mother would confront her. Both of those things could easily jeopardize her job but she doesn't care.
Yeah, someone in another comment mentioned her "poor impulse control." I think that's an important element to this scene. Even if she was angry at the girl for not smiling at her at first, the rational thing to do would have been to just ignore it. But her anger and need to "teach the girl a lesson" cause her to do something that's not in her own best interest.
Nah. It's just bad writing. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is the one who didn't consider the consequences of what she thought was a cool scene.
@@familycorvette ...You're basing this on what, exactly?
@@johnathanmonsen6567 Bad writing speaks for itself.
@@familycorvette I mean, what makes you conclude that this is bad writing? The rest of the scene is well planned and executed, why would that one aspect randomly be poorly written out of nowhere? Especially when it makes perfect sense with what was already established?
Only you could make a 14 minute video about a 1 minute scene in a tv i've never watched and make it so interesting!
A 14 minute video about 1 min scene that I spent god knows how many hours writing! 🙏 😃
You should watch it it’s incredible
@@scouser2010ify until season four 🙃
@@honeypeaches7736 yeah I was very underwhelmed so annoying right?
@@davescripted3796 well those hours qre worth it
Pheobe was the showrunner only for season 1 not the entire show. That's why there's such a drop off in quality with the writing, particularly after season 2.
And season 2s showrunner was Emerald "Saltburn, Promising Young Woman" Fennell.
true. I only watch a couple or one video of S3 and haven't found the motivation to finish it. The season 1 is stellar honestly such a shame, I'm waiting for whatever crumbs phoebe throw at us
everytime I rewatch the show I stop after season 2. It was such a good ending!
@@wenik_2332 Good to know lol. I remember hearing about this show when it came out so this video didn't spoil anything for me, but it very much did make me want to actually watch Killing Eve. Glad I read these comments to know that the quality drops off before getting too invested in it lol
@@cl0ud5urfer It's an awsome show IF you don't watch season 3 and 4 and just pretend that thats it!
This really is perhaps the most surprising and memorable character introductions I've ever seen. What made this even better for me, is I didn't know what I was going to watch - I didn't even know who would play the main character, and I didn't know who Comer was. The way that scene plays out, the outrageous outcome of that seemingly harmless interaction - truly priceless stuff! 😄❤️
That's kind of what happened when i started watching battlestar galactica. I was like OH MY GOD WHAT
She way the smile doesnt even just not reach the eyes, the upper half of her face barely moves when she grins. So creepy and so well acted
Yeah! And only when she knocks over the girl's ice cream we see her real smile at the end.
The show had me hooked from this scene - this analysis was exactly why. It was unlike any intro to a character I'd seen before.
The Cafe Scene did a great job in showcasing the strength of Villanelle's psychopathy and how she ain't down with the kids but for me, the Tuscany Hairpin Hit was the true to Villanelle the Assassin of pride, arrogance, showmanship, theatricality and depravity beyond human recognition. Which made her a breath of fresh air to the usual schtick of Fictional Assassin's who hate their job.
Ps. The spot of blood on her watch was a nice little touch.
I found "Killing Eve" right after having finished "Hannibal", so I was very in tune with the whole people hiding their monstrosity ordeal. That's what this scene told me (mind you, I only knew V was a killer but not what type).
How Villanelle carefully crafted her person suit, how she was very detached from the world around her so she needed something to imitate to seem normal. And finally that she was an asshole.
Man she's such great character.
Damn that musta been an amazing double feature, love them both. Villanelle definitely has a closet gull of person suits she lives to try on.
Villenel's introduction was what sold me on the show. It was PERFECT!
She also wipes what might be a drop of blood off of the face of her watch. And even if it's not a drop of blood, the audience can certainly take the hint that it might be, and that this character is not only manipulative but dangerous, or at least involved in dangerous activities. So there's that too.
Just watched for the first time.
Yes, thank you. It's implied that this person was just involved in a violent situation and is now treating herself to an icecream, which gives you even more of a sense of the character.
I remember watching this scene and loving the use of the Duchenne smile (or lack of) to immediately show the character is a psychopath.
An entire video of watching Jodie Comer smile is what i needed today
simp
I actually think Villainelle’s introduction in the show is perfect. She is a heartless shell of a human masquerading her own humanity.
The child doesn’t fall for her fake smile. Not always, but some kids are good at feeling that a person is fake, in the least. She sees the vendor as having a genuine smile. Then, Villainelle perfectly impersonates the vendor’s genuine smile. She learned to fool an intuitive child very quickly.
Then, because it’s fun, she knocks the child’s ice cream onto her lap as she leaves. Because she enjoys causing pain, even in children. This implies she’s fine with assassinating even children. But, the show doesn’t have the need to be so dark. It’d affect their ratings.
I’m late to this party but would like to throw the intro of Mike on Breaking Bad into the mix.
I was genuinely terrified of her in the first season. Then they made her more of a sociopath
This helped me to realize why I've watched "Free Guy" several times. Jodie Comer is really great to watch work.
She heals that movie together frfr
Great analysis! Villanelle is such an iconic character.
When the audience gets to have their "aha" moment, the scene becomes so much more powerful. It feels like we're in on the story that the movie is telling, like we're part of it too.
One thing to add- another part of what makes this intro great is that the situation is so specific. I've never seen a scene much like this in anything else. So, it sticks in your head.
The greatest character intro ever (imo) is Hans Landa in Inglorious Basterds.
He’s utterly charming, cunning, erudite and menacing throughout, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
Yas!! I fell in love with Christoph by Hans ❤
Absolutely... I actually re=watched the intro 3 or 4 times before continuing the story because I was in awe of the craft that it displayed... script direction acting... flawless
This scene hooked me straight into the whole series. I can't ever remember an opening couple of minutes in any made for TV series ever having done that to me before.
Jodie comer is absolutely fantastic in this show
I love this series and Villanelle, she is easily one of my favorite characters of all time. But this video is great, I mean, for me this intro is iconic but I never stopped to think and analyze everything you mention here, what a job! It makes me admire Phoebe Waller Bridge even more, if that's possible. Amazing, thanks 👏
“… Desperado, which is not a great movie…” Them’s fightin words.
My thoughts exactly
Credibility took a dive there
Came here for this comment
Exactly
Yea that was a really dumb take from this kid.
Got four minutes into this and had to stop because you sold me so much on this character that I now need to watch the show.
Fair warning: it starts out GREAT, but once PWB leaves (after Season 1) it gets progressively worse every season after. It's really a shame.
Technically, the denouement is Villanelle smiling after she has walked out of the ice cream parlor. Act 1 - eating ice cream. Inciting incident - locking eyes with the girl. Act 2 - smiling at the girl (we now know what Villanelle wants. She wants a smile from the child.) 1st pinch point - the girl does not return the smile. Midpoint - the audience registers Villanelle's annoyance at being ignored and her continued focus on the child. 2nd pinch point - Villanelle notices the girl smile at the vendor, who gives a big smile. Act 3 - The Dark Night - Villanelle now smiles a big smile at the girl, and the girl returns the smile. (This is where the author tricks us - a normal person would end the story with the returned smile) The scene's climax is when, after getting what she wants, Villanelle still knocks the ice cream into the girl's lap. The final outcome or the denouement is Villanelle's true smile as we hear the child wail as Villanelle walks out into the street.
This is a much better breakdown, and now I’m annoyed that I watched most of a 14-minute video by someone who couldn’t identify the pushing of the ice cream as the climax of that story. Or worse, someone who could, but wanted to be corrected for engagement (which is why I suspect he claimed Waller-Bridge wrote “all” the episodes of Villanelle, which is an awkwardly specific thing to say, and easily fact-checked).
In short, I’m getting really tired of video essays. But I appreciate this comment.
@@lineettasame here. I also simply cannot abide 1) those who can’t or won’t pronounce “denouement” and 2) those who can’t or won’t understand denouement. It’s such an elegant word and concept!
Hey nerds, it’s a decent video. Chill out.
@@user-we5it3jk9uI despise judgy judgemental people...and the Dutch.😂😂😂
amen @@user-we5it3jk9u
One of my favourite characters of all time!
What a perfect video! Phoebe is a great writer and you're a great writer too
TY!!!
She would be proud to watch this breakdown. Total understanding of her vision.
This probably came up on my feed because of how often I tote this as the greatest cold open of a series ever!! 💗 So great to see it getting the appreciation it deserves.
I remember seeing this scene in the trailer before I watched the show and was immediately hooked.
I think you did a great job explaining great intro criteria as well as acknowledging how awesome Killing Eve was written, directed, produced, and acted.
This analysis is so well done, I loved it !
Thank you for making this video. I watched this intro of Villanelle, was floored, and instantly forgot it. You broke down her introduction in such a compelling way that even an 11 year old could understand the magic that happened in just this one conceit. Great work here.
Never heard of thos show/movie and now I'm going to find it. Thanks
Who cant love villanelle like omg jodie comer plays her so well killing eve is my fav series lol just started rewatcbing it
Thank you for this, well done! I could truly feel at the moment of watching this scene how vital every glance and moment was; I felt it encapsulated her character perfectly looking back as well, while still leaving room to continue learning about her character. BUT, this video put into words and concrete reasons all the things I was feeling/sensing intuitively. Great job
Awesome video, glad I came across it. I watched this series without reading anything about the story, and from this very first scene, was hooked and impressed. I could tell she was off from the beginning too lol, and that immediately caught my attention, also since it was so original for a female character to be introduced like this.
The best is Hans Landa, Inglorious Bastards, but this is pretty good. Thank you by the way. I never heard of this show before.
The best part is the very last second where she smiles to her self. Not for anyone else, just because she's content with herself. That shows something as well.
wow, that's a very good overview. I wouldn't have known the symbolism of the intro if not because of this video. Thank you for posting this.
Vince Gilligan always does something interesting with a character introduction. Even if they’ll be gone in 5 minutes, you get a real idea of what the character is about.
this video is so short compared to a lot of other video essays ive seen but i still find myself coming back to it. its just... chefs kiss. so well done
Killing Eve is one of my favorite shows ive ever seen, im so happy to see a video on my feed talking about it
Brilliant stuff ❤
Cant wait to binge the rest of your channel
damn! We need more analysis's like this on RUclips, this is absolute class!
Beautiful and brilliant analysis. The intro is essentially a visual answer to the question: “who is Villanelle?”
I hope your channel blows up because this was seriously a fantastic analysis!!
You're fantastic!
I love villanelle she is my comfort character… and Jodie is my fav person ever!!!❤️
This show was amazing. Perfectly written and acted. Phoebe is brilliant.
Thanks to You, I watched 'In Whisper of The Heart', never heard of it before. Beautiful story. Thank You!
That intro scene hooked me. We watched every episode because of it. Knocking over the ice cream was the perfect unexpected act.
I was watching somebody react to "The Silence of the Lambs", there was a comment thread about "strong female characters", and so I was thinking about the Mount Rushmore of Sci Fi ladies in cinema...
SO, of course when I then see "greatest character intro ever", I of course think of Trinity from "The Matrix".
You get the "I think we can handle one little girl" with Agent Smith's "your men are already dead" rejoinder to *tell* us, THEN we get the iconic fight, with the iconic double-kick, from Trinity as the opening. I mean, c'mon.
Thank you algorithm for leading me to your channel. Subscribed.
Absolutely commendable! I enjoyed this segment very much. I took some film classes in college and they always used to say that everything in a film is intentional you were able to clarify that point to such an exact place. It really made me understand and appreciate looking for those details, thanks again.!
Cheers
It's not monetized by me. Whatever ads you saw benefit someone else
It's so great of an introduction that you started getting defensive before actually explaining your point.
I didn't expect this intro AT ALL, and I ended up rewinding it several times to rewatch. Because it's just so good. And Jodie Comer is just so good. Perfection.
Thanks for this breakdown. It's a great scene, and a very well examined break down. So much can be said without dialog.
Killing Eve has become on of my favorite of recent episodic shows. I like how much humor is mixed in, and the two leading actors have great chemistry that keeps the show interesting. I love the locations and cinematography.
Fascinating deconstruction of an introduction of a character. I learned from this video. Thank you.
Masterfully executed for sure. Great job noticing the scene and taking the time to pick it apart for us.
Lmao because it takes skill to "notice" a scene...???
My favorite is the introduction of Death in Supernatural 👌🏾
I have loved that scene since the first time I watched it, it’s the most memorable character introduction I’ve ever seen onscreen and it’s a brilliant piece of storytelling.
well thank you for this great video and great analysis.. keep going, i can see you getting places with the work you do.
I know she’s a bad person but I love her so much :,),,,, she’s too endearing and impressive for me to hate lol
Not only her intro, one of the greatest characters of all time. Comer is perfect.
the brilliance of phoebe waller bridge.
You say that but then we have Indiana Jones and the Dial of Dysentery.
@guiseppeperceval4930 well tbf she didn't write that one
3:08 Is where he finally starts the video.
I think Villanelles first attempt at a smile was more convincing and appropriate than the second, and than the “bartender’s”. And from that I get the feeling that Villanelle thinks the kid is stupid and gullible for smiling back at the bartender’s over-the-top fake smile, and then mocks her by manipulating her into trusting her with a conspicuously poor trick.
It was worth it to get all this stuff spoiled for me so that I would finally be motivated to watch this show. Thanks!
villain-el is such an 8th grader idea for the villain's name
FINALLY someone recognizes how incredible the opening scene is in Killing Eve.... i went into that show completely blind... no idea what it was about or who the characters were.... that first scene absolutely hooked me in straight away
The introduction of the three main characters in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly have always been among my all-time favorites!
One of my fave intros of all time was Chili Palmer in Get Shorty. That whole sequence tells you exactly who that character is. Soft spoken, tells it like it is and NOBODY steals Chili’s leather jacket!
Great video essay and loved ur analysis! Wanted to add that another reason why the intro is so well done -is the decision to make the antagonist a Child within the contained story. Having Vilanelle, mimic and deceive to get what she wants yet act out in pettiness because she "should have" gotten it in the first place, precisely demonstrates the childishness of her behaviour. Choosing a Child to provoke this reaction out of Vilanelle, ultimately emphaises this trait of Immaturity. There's also a shot, where the girls reflection in the fridge door, is positioned alongside Vilanelle (who is mirroring her) which further cements this motif of childishness.
This intro foreshadows this impulsive, unserious, petty and shortsided side to Oksana, traits of Psychopaths that are not stereotypically depicted on screen. As you might have alluded to in your comparison of Vilanelle and Hannibal Lecter ficitonal psychopaths; are usually either villains serving a larger narrative or extremely dehumanised & caricatured versions of themselves.
While Vilanelle is cold, cruel, & manipulative, she is not precise, calculated and rational. She is risk seeeking, easily distracted, bored, materialistic and her fast working brain needs constant stimulation: which is why she loves challenges! (Only to the extent that they result in a prize she wants or don't trigger any vulnerabilities.)
Which brings me to the point that, grounding a Psychopathic Assasin in reality, requires a lot of fucking research & consideration. The BIBLE for Vilanelle must be massive!! I think it's what makes the character writing of this show so compelling and outstanding. The level of research the writers did really shows!
The first season was exceptional and unique I loved everything about it.
The second season was more than fine for me even though it a bit started going down from there and by season 3 the disaster is born.....
what a good video and analysis, i learnt so much from it. love your content
Great video!!! Villanelle is an icon ✨
That is indeed the perfect way to see if a character introduction is perfect: that nothing of that scene can be cut off for it to still work.
I really love this introduction to her because if this was a scenario that took place in real world that little girl would remember her probably for the rest of her life.
Your video is really well edited and thought of! Great work!
One more thing that makes this introduction great: hope. This introduction is designed to make us think that Villanelle might be a good person -- might become a good person -- and then shatter that hope in a hilarious way. In about 30 seconds. It's the same ride that Eve is going to be on for most of the rest of the show.
It's all about our expectation. We probably saw a preview for the show. We know that Villanelle is probably the villain. But when a show starts with a main character interacting with a child, we expect things. Maybe the child will be a big part of this episode. The child doesn't trust Villanelle and it's troubling when Villanelle fakes two smiles to get her to finally smile back. But I had an emotional response to seeing them smile at each other. Even though I knew Villanelle was faking it, emotionally I believed anyway -- briefly -- that the child and Villanelle had formed a connection. Just a few moments into the show, and I am already making elaborate excuses for Villanelle. Yes, she is a liar and a manipulator, but she can feel, deep down. The only reason she bothers to manipulate the child is because she cares, right?
Then Villanelle dumps the child's ice cream off the table, into her lap. It's hysterically petty. It's hilarious. It's the whole show in 30 seconds.
Why don't I hate Villanelle for being so pointlessly cruel? There is a kind of release as Villanelle confronts how hard it is to earn the trust of another person, shares a smile, and then in the uncertain peace of the moment, just as I'm trying to remember if the child was in the preview, Villanelle tears it all down. And Villanelle escapes all the consequences. We never see the child crying. We never see the child again. It's hilarious, in a disturbing way. This is the first time the show invites to have fun watching Villanelle doing evil, awful things. Soon she is going to be torturing people to death while they beg to live -- and these moments are clearly played for comedy. And the whole time -- through the first season into the second season and beyond, we are with Eve, appreciating Villanelle's skills, identifying somehow with her temper tantrums, hoping that there might somehow be a person in there...
I can't stop watching this show. IDK if the characters make sense, but there is something about the work which is just compelling. IDK. Help me out, internet.
“Trist” would work, but I believe you were going for “ménage à trois”. BTW - your analysis is INCREDIBLE!!
It would have been funny if Villanelle had an admirer who was in love with her murders, always following her around and constantly bringing her flowers.
What great content. This channel should have a million followers.
Omg I thought I was the only one !!! Thanks fur making this about a criminal underrated show
Begby in Trainspotting is one of my favorite character introductions; multiple perspectives, time lapses and just plain old Good Ultra Violence
"It resists any form of revision" that is so succinctly and well put
I am forever in love with Jody Comer as villanelle - unforgettably charismatic, charming, and evil
When I watched it for the 5 time with lots of knowledge about psychopaths I instantly realized that the intro was great. The way she tried to imitate a smile...
One of my favorite character intro is that of Sher Khan in the Jungle Book. For half the movie, he's only described from other character's testimony. Everyone's afraid of him, and we get the impression that he's some sort of raving beast. Then, he gets in and he's all sly, smooth, cunning, exuding a controlled sense of menace.
Wow I never analyzed this opening but hearing it broken out it really is a masterpiece of natural storytelling
And they just destroyed it during the finale
Oh great. I had my hopes up. Season two was a step back but I loved season three. I haven't seen the latest.
@@davescripted3796 hmm maybe you should watch it and create your own analysis as to how the story progressed. There are several pinpoints to recall such as their politics of changing showrunners per season and everything about why they messed up so hard at the end :/
@@davescripted3796 you should def make a video on it once you watch it !! :)
Way of the Gun's character intros are amazing. Each introduction is perfect.
Fantastic video essay!
Really enjoyed that :)
This is a fantastic break-down. Great video and insight.
Steve Buscemi's intro scene in Deperado was absolutely masterful. Cheech Maron as the bartender. Cheeck says, "Oh, the bartender always lives." Buscemi says, "No, the bartender got it worst of all." The whole scene was funny and so damn cool.