In class, one method of looking at gender in media that I’ve learned about is the Bechdel test. To pass this test, a tv show or movie must have two female characters that have names talk to each other about something besides a man. This episode of Killing Eve does pass the Bechdel test because MI-6 agents Carolyn Martens and Eve Polastri discuss a female assassin.
The theory I am looking is the sex role perspective to determine whether Sandra Oh’s characters re-enforce or break gender stereotypes. In this episode, Eve Polastri shows some stereotypically feminine traits, but mostly is assertive and willing to stand up for her ideas.
Early in the episode, Eve is a little shy in a meeting where she is subtly insulted by her superiors for being late. She is also yielding when she chooses not to eat during their meeting when her bosses give her an annoyed look for taking out a croissant. However, at the end of the meeting she takes a risk (a masculine trait) by blurting out her suspicion that the assassin they are looking for is a woman. Throughout the episode, Eve shows independence and a willingness to take risks by going out on her own to interview a witness, even though she is not allowed to. In the end of the episode she yells at her boss Frank and even insults him using vulgar language when she gets in trouble for doing her own investigating. By doing this, she is demonstrating masculine traits such as assertiveness and a willingness to stand up for herself. In conclusion, in this episode of Killing Eve, Eve Polastri breaks gender stereotypes by being assertive and standing up for herself.
Shared by: Claire Olson
Image Credit: https://www.columbian.com/news/2019/apr/12/killing-eve-renewed-for-season-3/