Top 10 Differences Between Killing Eve Books & TV Show
They practically take place in parallel universes. Welcome to MsMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 differences between the “Killing Eve” books and the TV show.
For this list, we’re looking at the biggest differences from Luke Jennings’ stories and the hit show, “Killing Eve.” There will be some plot spoilers ahead for both!
#10: Nadia
Much of the second half of season one follows Villanelle first joining her old flame Nadia on an assassination, then failing to kill her afterward. Villanelle has to infiltrate a Russian prison to kill Nadia for good, and it’s clear Nadia – despite also being an assassin – is no match. In the books, Nadia is replaced by a character called Lara, also an assassin and Villanelle’s ex. But this time, they’re an even match; Lara is just as proficient a killer as V, meaning taking her out is always going to be a risk for our favorite psychopath. And unlike Nadia, Lara remains a potential threat throughout.
#9: Eve’s Coworkers
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Most of “Killing Eve’s” characters are likable – or at least enjoyable to watch – including Eve’s colleagues, a cast that rotates from season to season. But unfortunately, none of Eve’s co-workers exist in the books. She has one colleague initially, Simon Mortimer, who plays a similar role to Bill in the show – though, there is another character at MI5 bearing Bill’s name. Simon also gets killed for getting too close to Villanelle and, by extension, the Twelve. Eve does get two replacements called Lance and Billy that she warms to eventually, but they’re a far cry from characters like Kenny, Elena, Jess, and even Hugo.
#8: Eve & Villanelle on the Run
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The second book ends with Eve and Villanelle on the wrong side of the Twelve, and they need to disappear and go on the run together in order to survive. So far, nothing quite like this has happened in the show. Eve may be on the Twelve’s watchlist for her continued investigations into them, and Villanelle might ultimately prove too unreliable for them to keep on, but it’s still somewhat ambiguous. This isn’t to say it couldn’t happen one day, however; the two characters on the run together would definitely make for interesting viewing. Though, since this happens in the final book, it might have to wait until the final season.
#7: Villanelle’s Backstory
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In the show, Villanelle’s identity remains an interesting mystery throughout the first season, while in the books the audience knows pretty much everything about her from the get-go, and it’s wildly different from the Villanelle in the show. Her father was murdered by the Russian mafia after her mother died as a result of cancer likely resulting from the Chernobyl disaster. She attracted the attention of the Twelve after getting her violent revenge on her father’s killers. She’s pulled out of prison by Konstantin and subjected to a brutal training regimen to turn her into a living weapon, and all the details are provided to the reader.
#6: Anna & Villanelle
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Villanelle’s infatuation with her linguistics teacher Anna plays a big role in season 1 and in creating her obsession with Eve, and Anna is certainly an important character to Villanelle in the books. However, while in the show it’s eventually revealed that Anna and Villanelle were sleeping together, in the books, Anna consistently rejects her advances. She’s also not married; the man Villanelle mutilates isn’t Anna’s husband, but rather a man who attacks her. In both cases though, Villanelle’s penchant for extreme violence is what makes Anna turn her back on her.
#5: The Twelve Are Less Mysterious
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The first novella opens with the Twelve themselves, and we find out that their name is much more literal than you may otherwise assume. They really are a group of twelve men who sit in a conference room together. They discuss who stands in the way of their interests and vote on which rivals should be assassinated. On the one hand, it makes the story more grounded to have a group of tangible villains, while on the other it does make them a little lamer than they come across in the show, where everyone is potentially in their pocket.
#4: Konstantin Dies
Much like in the show, Villanelle is enlisted to join a squad of other elite assassins operated by the Twelve. But in the books, they’re not on a mission to take out a double agent; this time they’ve been sent after Konstantin, who’s found himself captured by a rival organization. However, while Kim Bodnia’s character is one of the best parts of the show – somehow able to keep surviving after frequent near-death experiences – we barely know Konstantin in the book. Rather than rescue him, it turns out that Villanelle’s true mission was to kill him. She shoots him at close range and we don’t see him again.
#3: Carolyn Martens
Along with everyone else Eve works with, Fiona Shaw’s spymaster is absent as well. Another character tries to fill her shoes, Richard Edwards, though he’s certainly no match for her. The books may have the two female leads, but there’s definitely something missing without Carolyn. We don’t get any hint of old trysts between MI6 and the KGB, and with Konstantin quickly killed off, that entire dynamic is completely gone. Edwards is, instead, just another well-educated man in a position of power, filling the world around Eve and Villanelle with forgettable men over memorable women.
#2: Eve & Niko
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By season three they’re separated, with Niko even disappearing to Poland to try and escape the chaos Eve has brought into their lives. But things go markedly better for Eve and Niko in the books. Though there’s still the conflict of her being obsessive and working too much, he’s no saint either, at one point buying pet goats for their small home without even consulting Eve. At the end of the first book they’ve reconciled, however, and he even helps her crack the password of a high-level double agent. It’s surprising, but book-Niko is kind of a genius.
#1: Eve Doesn’t Stab Villanelle
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The show’s most iconic moment is certainly the first season climax when Eve stabs Villanelle in the guts while they lie in bed together. This injury repeatedly features throughout season 2 as well as they both deal with the fallout; Eve is traumatized by the belief she may have killed someone, while Villanelle is weak and vulnerable and needs to recover. But this just doesn’t happen in the book. In fact, the first book passes without our two leads properly meeting. Sure, Eve becomes obsessed with catching Villanelle and Villanelle breaks into Eve’s house, but they don’t actually say a word to one another until much later, let alone maim each other.
