Okay. The Most Convincing Female Villain EVER in a 90% realism spy thriller.
For reference, I can't stand procedural cop shows. I like Mindhunter. I reeeeally like The Killing and Bodyguard.
Sandra Oh, who also co-produced the show, sneaked away and gave birth to a very interesting and daring project over the other side of the Atlantic. Her character is at once dead-pan funny and serious. Sometimes deadly serious, or seems to harbor serious dead wish. Definitely captivating.
And wow, the actress Jodie Comer is GOOD. Her character is Dexter level GREAT. Honestly, Charlize Theron's physical performance in Atomic Blonde outdid Matt Damon's Bourne and impressed the crap out of me, but Jodie's Villanelle, is possibly the most believable "all round hyper-intelligent generalist" female assassin characterization in a spy thriller.
What I like the most, is they cracked a cliche/myth that frustrated me for the longest time ---- "female assassins DON'T have more heart more soul more empathy than male assassins". Just because she has explosive emotional buttons too, doesn't mean she isn't in control of her buttons. The "normals" are the complicated ones with all their unawareness of their own hang-ups.
Which is why this villain is super edge-of-the-seat menacing.
Of course the show isn't perfect. A few times Sandra got too goofy, or dangerously sloppy. Definitely need to brush up on physical combat and shooting skills and overall spy craft. Villain woman may have gone too far into the (petty) revenge trope direction.
A refreshing must watch. I look forward to many seasons to come.
For reference, I can't stand procedural cop shows. I like Mindhunter. I reeeeally like The Killing and Bodyguard.
Sandra Oh, who also co-produced the show, sneaked away and gave birth to a very interesting and daring project over the other side of the Atlantic. Her character is at once dead-pan funny and serious. Sometimes deadly serious, or seems to harbor serious dead wish. Definitely captivating.
And wow, the actress Jodie Comer is GOOD. Her character is Dexter level GREAT. Honestly, Charlize Theron's physical performance in Atomic Blonde outdid Matt Damon's Bourne and impressed the crap out of me, but Jodie's Villanelle, is possibly the most believable "all round hyper-intelligent generalist" female assassin characterization in a spy thriller.
What I like the most, is they cracked a cliche/myth that frustrated me for the longest time ---- "female assassins DON'T have more heart more soul more empathy than male assassins". Just because she has explosive emotional buttons too, doesn't mean she isn't in control of her buttons. The "normals" are the complicated ones with all their unawareness of their own hang-ups.
Which is why this villain is super edge-of-the-seat menacing.
Of course the show isn't perfect. A few times Sandra got too goofy, or dangerously sloppy. Definitely need to brush up on physical combat and shooting skills and overall spy craft. Villain woman may have gone too far into the (petty) revenge trope direction.
A refreshing must watch. I look forward to many seasons to come.