Emmy episode analysis: Jodie Comer (‘Killing Eve’) cries and kills during an undercover mission in ‘I Hope You Like Missionary’

After a cruel snub last year, Jodie Comer landed her first ever Emmy nomination this summer for her fascinating portrayal of assassin Villanelle in the hit spy series “Killing Eve.” Comer’s co-star Sandra Oh was the only nominated actress from the series in 2018. But Comer capitalized on growing buzz for the thriller and her recent BAFTA win to secure an Emmy bid alongside Oh in Best Drama Actress. She has submitted the season two episode “I Hope You Like Missionary” to voters for consideration.

In “I Hope You Like Missionary,” Eve recruits Villanelle for a covert mission to get close to tech mogul Aaron Peel (Henry Lloyd-Hughes) and gain intel. Undercover as pink-haired “Billie,” Villanelle first gains the trust of Peel’s sister Amber (Shannon Tarbet) by offering an emotional confession during Amber’s AA meeting. But when Amber’s caretaker bars Billie from seeing Amber after the meeting, Villanelle tosses that interloper into oncoming traffic.

With that obstacle out of the way, Villanelle is free to accept a dinner invitation at Peel’s mansion. Aaron is suspicious from the start and grills “Billie” on her background. The tension reaches a fever pitch during a game of cards with Aaron asking Billie pointed questions about her philosophy degrees. Villanelle isn’t prepared to answer the queries, but instead of breaking character, she calls Aaron a bully and breaks his nose with a philosophy book before leaving the house.

Let’s examine the pros and cons of Comer’s episode submission.

PROS

Emmy voters love a transformation, and Comer already pulls off a chameleonic trick by trading her native Liverpool accent for Villanelle’s Russian dialect every week. This installment gives Comer another ace in her sleeve with her undercover alias Billie. It’s a thrill to watch Comer adopt an American party-girl accent and shed Villanelle’s poised posture for Billie’s slouched stances.

Comer’s monologue in the AA meeting is an impressive acting feat on multiple levels. She brings the usually sociopathic Villanelle to tears in a rare authentic moment. “I feel nothing,” she admits. “I try to find ways of making myself feel something … but it doesn’t make any difference.” It’s a stunning admission because it’s the first time Villanelle allows herself to appear vulnerable on the series. Comer’s ability to oscillate between Billie’s heartfelt confession and Villanelle’s wide-eyed sadism keeps audiences guessing about the honesty of the moment. When actor’s dream of scenes for their Emmy reel, this is what they look like.

CONS

As phenomenal as the performance is, Comer is nominated alongside equally phenomenal co-star Sandra Oh. While Comer has what is arguably the flashier role in season two, many pundits predicted Oh to win this category last season. That lingering support for Oh could dampen Comer’s chances. And remember that after coming up short at the Emmys on all five of her nominations for “Grey’s Anatomy,” Oh has a major overdue factor.

If “Killing Eve” fans are not united around which leading lady to support, Comer and Oh risk splitting votes. A sharp divide in support would give Laura Linney or Emilia Clarke the chance to swoop in and take the crown. Linney (“Ozark”) has won an Emmy for every character for which she has been nominated, and Clarke’s “Game of Thrones” is the most nominated series in Emmy history.

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