The following has very minor spoilers about classical reception from Killing Eve season 2, episode 7 entitled “Wide Awake,” that aired on May 19, 2019. The show stars Sandra Oh as the titular character and her counterpart, Villanelle, played by Jodie Comer. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. It’s a satisfyingly unique series.
In this episode, Villanelle finds herself undercover and swept away to a billionaire’s villa in Rome, which was filmed on location at Palazzo Baldoca Muccioli (thanks, Twitter!).
The inside of the villa is full of bronze and marble replicas of ancient statues, which initially I thought was just an attempt to emphasize that we are indeed in Rome. The centerpiece in the room is a bronze replica of The Dying Gaul.
The centerpiece in the room is a bronze replica of The Dying Gaul, seen below between two lamps.
For those unaware, the oldest surviving version of this statue is a Roman-era marble copy of a Hellenistic-original with Renaissance-era restorations. It depicts a naked, Galatian warrior, bleeding from a stab wound on his side. The lost original likely dates back to 230 BC.
The statue appears prominently in several scenes. One subtle use of the statue comes in the scene where the billionaire, whom the show has established is a control freak, orders Villanelle to remove her belt, which he says is ruining her outfit. She initially refuses, but he is insistent. She acquiesces, reluctantly.
Afterwards, she sits down and the billionaire eventually stands up, saying slowly and creepily,
You look like a painting.
You’re so…still.
Stay there till I come back.
Exactly like that.
After some initial shifting, Villanelle freezes and remains immobile, like a statue. As the billionaire walks away, he turns around and says “Very good.” Villanelle remains still as the camera zooms out. The Dying Gaul remains behind Villanelle, coming more into view.
There is plenty to read into this, but the most obvious is that Villanelle is not the sort of character to be controlled. Throughout the series, she rebels in the most extreme, often violent ways against the slightest forms of control. Seeing her remain frozen in this position while trying to keep her cover is a sort of death for her. Villanelle hasn’t allowed anyone to control her like this and like the Dying Gaul, she is bleeding out on this spy battlefield.
I have no idea if the writers intended for such a juxtaposition, but it is a satisfying one regardless.