Sandra also mentioned how the kiss was moved around a lot and initially was going to happen during the sleeping bag scene.
I’m actually glad that it didn’t happen then because I feel like the sleeping bag scene was so beautiful the way that it played out and a kiss would’ve—not necessarily ruined the moment—but it definitely would’ve shifted the tone into something else.
But the reason why I love that scene so much is because of how deeply Eve and Villanelle are connecting and communicating with each other mostly non-verbally. I love when Villanelle goes to lift Eve’s shirt up and at first Eve questions what she’s doing, but Villanelle softly turns her back around and they both are in this quietness together being intimate in such a gentle way, with Villanelle tracing the scar that she caused. It’s a sweet and soft moment that we rarely get to see them have together.
Then to have Eve turn around and they both take in that moment to just stare at each other. From my understanding I do believe there was suppose to be more dialogue in this scene, but I’m glad they decided to cut it down because honestly their looks said it all. And that usually is the case with Eve and Villanelle in the first place. So much goes unsaid between them and yet they are able to still connect and understand each other just through their looks. While they may have not verbally expressed their love in this scene, I do feel that the way they were looking into each other’s eyes with there soft blinks and smiles, they essentially told each other exactly that.
That is why I feel like a kiss wasn’t needed in this scene. That’s not to say I wouldn’t have enjoyed it if it did happen. In fact, when I first saw that scene I originally thought that Villanelle’s hand was going somewhere else lol. It would’ve been a really fun parallel for season one where it mirrored them being on the bed together but this time they were finally able to share the kiss they never got. However, I think the scene worked really well without it.
The entire scene was so beautifully romantic but also kind of bittersweet, which is why I love it. It rode this line of being soft while also emotional in knowing how much they love each other and all we want is to see them stay in this moment forever. It kind of affected me in the same way the bridge scene did. Where it was beautiful but it also caused my stomach to drop due to the yearning of just wanting them to be together forever, not to mention the songs added to that emotion and helped to effect the tone a lot to make us feel a specific way.
That is why it was better to not have the kiss then. It would’ve taken the focus away from us sitting in that yearning softness of their romance, to making it more about passion and desire. Sometimes it’s better to leave us in a place of longing and tenderness, and that scene was one of those moments.
Sandra also mentioned how once they did have the kiss it was better that they had it privately where they could be free with each other and, again, I agree. I rather them be able to express themselves openly with just them together than to have it in the company of others where it could be interrupted or cause them to have to stifle themselves.
So apparently the entire kiss scene was improvised by Sandra and Jodie.
For those not in the know, during a podcast interview on The Awardist, Sandra mentioned how for the kiss the director essentially rolled the camera and told them that when it felt right to just go for it and to be together and free. So that entire kiss scene was a creation by Sandra and Jodie. I had my feelings that they most likely had free reign due to how natural some of their actions were, but I didn’t want to say without confirmation. But now Sandra pretty much confirmed it and I’m a mess of feels again.
I’m so glad they go to navigate it the way they wanted to because that’s what made it so powerful. It was being able to see just how natural they both were in that moment and how real it felt, like both of them giggling into each other and the playful slaps. No constraints of having to perform a certain way but instead just allowing their natural chemistry to shine through without hindrance.
I’m not joking, these two need to win some kind of award for this onscreen kiss because they performed the hell out of it and deserve the recognition. They really took all those four years of pent up sexual tension and yearning between their characters and just devoured that scene (and each other lol). And now getting confirmation that they didn’t even really talk about it with each other and instead just created this entire moment together without any direction…ugh!!
This is why we need Sandra and Jodie to star in another show and/or film together. They play off of each other so well and their onscreen chemistry is just too damn palpable to not be explored even more. There’s so much magic that could be created onscreen together between these two if given the opportunity. Make it happen, filmmakers!
It’s so funny that the kiss was also suggested to happen during the sleeping bag scene and Laura Neal was just like NO! it has to happen out in the open in the middle of a road so Jodie and Sandra won’t improvise a sex scene that isn’t scripted because you know that’s what they would of done.
sandra and jodie really decided to kiss and touch and be with each other like That because it felt right and good and true to their characters. they understood eve and villanelle so intrinsically and gave us not only one of the most iconic scenes in the entire series but one of the greatest screen kisses of all time. the exuberance, the flushed joy was eve and villanelle but Also sandra and jodie. all they had was two mouths and a dream and created a masterpiece in 51 seconds. i owe them my life and they owe me for my therapy bills.
