Connect with us
Killing Eve
Photo: Des Willie/BBCAmerica/Sid Gentle

Television

Killing Eve Season 3 Episode 5 Recap: ‘Are You from Pinner?’

Villanelle heads back to Mother Russia to reconnect with her long lost family.

[SPOILERS FOR 3.5 AHEAD!]

Killing Eve So Far

Carolyn gets the blessing of MI6 to run a real investigation into her son’s murder and The Twelve. On the other hand, Eve loses interest from the Bitter Pill side and goes to Poland to visit her husband, Nico, but is met with a grisly surprise. All the while, Villanelle finds her long lost family and is on her way to visit them.

A Family Reunion

Villanelle’s search for her family leads her to a small town out in the sticks of Russia. After finding the house she’s looking for she strolls in since the door is open. She takes her time looking around the place and takes particular interest in the family photos.

While she’s in the kitchen, a young boy named Boris, is the first to notice the stranger. As more people walk in and question her, Villanelle tells them to ask Pyotr. He hears his name being said and instantly recognizes his older sister when he enters the room.

The household gathers for an impromptu meeting to discuss their new guest while she spends time with Boris hypothesizing the different cuisine Elton John would eat at different stops on his farewell tour. The pair hear a car pull up and Boris says his mom is home. This causes Villanelle to panic and frantically find a way out.

An old woman enters the house carrying groceries and drops them in shock. She breaks down in tears as she sees her grown up daughter for the first time in many years. She embraces her child but Villanelle is clearly having a hard time returning the love.

The three Astankova’s catch up while looking at old photographs. They were both told the other were killed; in a fire for Villanelle and a car accident for the rest of the family. Things take an awkward turn when Villanelle asks why there are no pictures of her father. Pyotr warns her that their mother becomes very sad whenever anyone mentions him.

Later in the evening it is teased that her family know about her current occupation since her step brother, Fedya, accuses Villanelle of being a killer. But they are actually having a game night and are entrenched in an intense game of assassin.

There’s some serious family bonding going on as they celebrate a very special evening; the time they welcome home Oksana (Villanelle). As if it couldn’t get any more adorable, they all break out into a rendition of “Crocodile Rock” and dance the night away. Even Villanelle reluctantly cuts loose and joins in.

Killing Eve Season 3 Episode 5 Recap: 'Are You from Pinner?'
Photo: Ludovic Robert/BBCAmerica/Sid Gentle

Disturbing Behavior

The next day, Villanelle pays Pyotr a visit at his work. When she arrives, she finds him violently taking his frustrations out on an old beat up couch. For him, he finds it better to trash an inanimate object then physically hurting another person. His sister counters that sometimes it just feels better to harm others.

Villanelle notices that her brother followed in their father’s footsteps by doing woodwork. This causes them to reminisce of their dad and she remembers how he was funny, strong and taught her how to fight. He was much better parent than their mean mom.

The reunited siblings eat at a local restaurant where Pyotr is asked by his sister why he never left. He confides that he’s afraid to leave their mother all alone and doesn’t have the strength to go out on his own like Villanelle. She explains that strength is a choice and that he shouldn’t stay for their mom because she only wants to control him.

Pyotr is so proud to have Villanelle back that he can’t stop showering her with awkward affection. He then introduces her to the restaurant’s owner. Then he talks some trash to her that he and Boris will end her reign as the winner of the annual cooking competition at this year’s Harvest festival.

Later as Fedya explains his conspiracy theories with Villanelle, she hears a banging coming from Boris’ room. When she enters, she sees her half brother pounding his head against the wall muttering to himself. He stops when Pyotr calls him to start working on their future prize-winning dish.

Killing Eve Season 3 Episode 5 Recap: 'Are You from Pinner?'
Photo: Des Willie/BBCAmerica/Sid Gentle

The Harvest Festival

The Harvest Festival is the big event with the whole town showing up to participate. Villanelle can’t help but get caught up and wins several of the competitions including the shell game and a dung chip throwing contest. For the latter, she earns a brand-new electric fan. Boris isn’t as lucky as he loses the cooking competition. Their mom comes up to him and calmly whispers some words in his ear.  

In the evening, while Fedya’s girlfriend and her Mean Girls crew dance on stage, Boris and Villanelle have a talk. Boris expresses his disappointment in losing since he’s trying to earn money to buy tickets to Elton John’s farewell tour. He also shared that their mom told him that he’s stupid and a disgrace to the family when it looked like she was comforting him. Boris then starts hitting himself which freaks his sister out. She gets him to calm down by giving him a candy.

Chip Off the Old Block

In the middle of the night, Villanelle chops some tomatoes in the kitchen when her mother approaches her. She then turns around to show her best serial killer impression complete with bloody eyes (Not too far from the truth). Her mom is unamused by the antics and tells her daughter to stop wasting her food. She then tells her to leave and that she is unwelcome because she isn’t a real part of the family.

All their issues come to a boil when they discuss Villanelle’s dad. Her mom feels her daughter took everything from her. Once she was born, she replaced her mom and had complete control of her dad. He would do anything for her because of the darkness that dwelled inside.

Her child responds that the darkness is something they both share. Despite all the tragedy in her life, Villanelle isn’t mad that she was placed in an orphanage or that no one came back for her. She’s most offended that her mom won’t admit how alike they really are. Disappointed, Villanelle says, “I think I need to kill you”.

After dispatching her mom, the trained killer prepares to blow up the house using the gas stove. She at least has some sort of compassion by ensuring that both Pyotr and Boris are safely in the barn before the explosion. As an added bonus, she provides her half brother with the cash he needs to see Elton John. Her step family aren’t as lucky. The next day, Villanelle is still clearly rattled from killing her mother on the train ride back home.

The Verdict

Those wanting to know the aftermath from Nico’s death have to wait at least one more week as we received a completely Villanelle centered episode. “Are You from Pinner?” is rollercoaster ride of emotion.

At first, you almost believe that the cold-hearted assassin will finally receive the affection she’s looking for. To a degree, she does receive it from Pyotr and she forms a particularly strong bond with her half-brother, Boris. You share in her joy as she becomes closer with these people and gradually lets her guard down. Though they may not appear like a perfect family, they do provide a degree of normalcy with their game nights and their support and joy when she wins the dung throwing contest.

However, there are signs throughout the episode that not all is good. Both of Villanelle’s siblings exhibit violent, and for Boris, self-destructive behavior. Then there are subtle looks of disgust from the mom when Pyotr publicly expresses his pride in his sister. Finally, when you hear Boris was scolded rather than receiving supportive words for losing you see how manipulative and wicked the mom can be.

The final confrontation between Villanelle and her mom is a very powerful and stirring scene. Villanelle has always been emotional, it’s what makes her such a wildcard. But this is a different side never before seen. Jodie Comer portrays the frustration, anger, disappointment and sadness in an impactful way.

Villanelle usually can carry on with her life regardless of how horrible a thing she does but, in this case, she is rattled and unsettled. In addition, her complicated relationship with her mom is something more relatable and generates a little sympathy. It shows that she isn’t entirely at fault for how she turned out.

Killing Eve
Killing Eve S 3 E 5: 'Are You from Pinning?'
Reader Rating0 Votes
0
An engaging look at Villanelle's past and her family
The final confrontation between Villanelle and her mom is a powerful, stirring scene
Fedya's game running...just painful.
8.5
Great

Join the AIPT Patreon

Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:

  • ❌ Remove all ads on the website
  • 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
  • 📗 Access to our monthly book club
  • 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
  • 💥 And more!
Sign up today
Comments

In Case You Missed It

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024 WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024 AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

Pro Wrestling

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024 AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt' Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt'

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in ‘Blood Hunt’

Comic Books

Connect
Newsletter Signup