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T10 WHATS UP! May 17 - 23, 2020 ("Beast," 2017). The show has also included David Haig ("Downton Abbey," 2019), who has had a long and successful career both on stage and on screen. All of these appear- ances have added to the sto- ry's strong and compelling characterization. Like other top-tier shows airing right now, "Killing Eve" was derived from a popular novel, the 1998 thriller "Code- name Villanelle." Written by Luke Jennings, a British jour- nalist and author, the book is actually a collection of four novellas that were originally released as ebooks between February 2014 and June 2016. His writing has been lauded and his style has been com- pared to that of Ian Flemming, the famed author of the James Bond novels. In fact, the assas- sin Villanelle has been com- pared to Bond, thanks mostly to her tongue-and-cheek atti- tude and love for the lavish. Producers of the show knew whom they wanted to play Eve right from the start, and their casting of Oh was the perfect choice. Her down-to-earth performance allows us all to relate to her search for mean- ing in her life. It's true that the concept of a female killer has been done before, most recently with Al- ice Morgan (Ruth Wilson, "His Dark Materials") in BBC's "Luther." But "Killing Eve" brings some compelling and previously untapped an- gles to the role of the assassin Villanelle. The show itself is uniquely femme powered, managing to keep palpable tension while having both leading roles be women. Be- yond just Oh and Comer's per- formances, the show gets much of that power from its female writers. Phoebe Waller-Bridge — the creator and star of "Fleabag," and arguably one of the best screenwriters of our time — was the first to put her spin on Jennings' novel as head writer for the first season of "Killing Eve." There has been a new head writer for each season, which goes a long way to keep- ing the story feeling fresh and new. It's no surprise that "Killing Eve" has received critical ac- claim, especially with how popular it has become with viewers. The popularity of the show was driven in large part by word of mouth, with each fan gushing about the series to their friends to create a snow- ball effect. Not long after the show's release, it was named the Best Show of 2018 by Time magazine. In 2019, Comer was named Best Leading Actress by the British Academy Tele- vision Awards. The show also received the Peabody Award in 2019, and Sandra Oh won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Se- ries. And fans have latched on to their own favorite aspects of the women who run this dra- ma series. Eve's Korean cook- ing has become an example of zen-like stress relief for view- ers. And the audience is keep- ing count of their favorite Vil- lanelle kills, which is definite- ly something you don't see with other crime shows airing these days. The interaction between Eve and Villanelle is hypnotic and fresh. Their intense focus on one another creates a rela- tionship that walks a fine line between vengeful rage and sexual tension. The writers have done a brilliant job at touching a flame to the spark of passion that drives them both to their own ends. You won't want to miss a single second of the current season. Be sure to watch the newest installment of the epic saga "Killing Eve" on Sunday, May 17, on AMC. And if you want to catch up on previous seasons, you can find them on Hulu. Sandra Oh in "Killing Eve" continued from page T2 It's a thin line: The love and hate of 'Killing Eve' returns on AMC TV FEATURE