Killing Eve

A searing, incisive analysis of the show that redefined queer television for a generation. The British cat-and-mouse spy thriller Killing Eve (BBC America, 2018-22) became an international sensation, captivating fans and critics alike. In this sharp and accessible study, scholar and fan Clare Sears presents a compelling queer reading of the series, examining how it appropriated and subverted thriller conventions to center the complexity and queerness of women's desires. Focusing on the show's lead characters, Sears unpacks portrayals of psychopathy that challenged familiar tropes of monstrosity and analyzes the significant controversy that surrounded the series' ending. Drawing on exclusive interviews with creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge and executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle, Sears reveals how industry conditions, audience dynamics, and broader cultural and historical factors shape contemporary television. Written for fans, scholars, and general readers, this book offers an engaging account of Killing Eve and its contributions to television history as innovative, escapist queer TV.

Clare Sears is professor of sociology and sexuality studies at San Francisco State University. Sears is the author of Arresting Dress: Cross-Dressing, Law, and Fascination in Nineteenth-Century San Francisco, which was shortlisted for a 2016 Lambda Literary Award and was the joint winner of the Committee on LGBT History's John Boswell Prize in 2017.