THE third season of “Killing Eve,” the acclaimed Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer series, premiered Sunday on AMC, two weeks ahead of its original scheduled date. The move comes as networks, cablers and streamers all contend with the programming and scheduling nightmare being caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“We know how adored this series is and we know how keen people are for great content right now,” said Sarah Barnett, president of AMC Networks Entertainment Group and AMC Studios. “This season of ‘Killing Eve’ digs deep psychologically, and with actors like Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer and Fiona Shaw the results are nothing short of astonishing. We literally couldn’t wait for fans to see it.”

Phoebe Waller-Bridge created the series which is based on the “Codename Villanelle” novellas by Luke Jennings. Season 3 continues to follow the lives of Villanelle (Comer), the assassin without a job, and Eve (Oh), the ex-MI6 operative hiding in plain sight. All seems fine until a shocking and personal death sets them on a collision course yet again. The journey back to each other will cost both of them friends, family, and allegiances, and perhaps a share of their souls.

“At the top of Season 3, you see Eve in recovery,” said the Golden Globe-winning Oh. “Although in some ways it doesn’t look like recovery, it’s still a type of recovery. It’s a retreat. She’s retreating into a place where she feels safe, where she feels anonymous, where her tasks in some ways are very simple and very grounding.”

Less fine with a tight life: Villanelle, used to living lavishly, long before encountering Eve. But things are not exactly simple for the world’s greatest killer at least in her own estimation, either, even if the season premiere finds the erstwhile Oksana Astankova in very surreal circumstances — the first of many times viewers will see more of what’s lurking beneath Villanelle’s veil of death this year.

“She’s having to face a lot of her truths this year, a lot of her past,” said Emmy winner Comer. “A lot of it involves flickers of moments we’ve seen previously in the series — those times where you wonder if she actually feels anything in a moment, is she remorseful, does she have any sense of mortality — and all of that is delved into this season. But I also think we see her in some very vulnerable situations. It’s very important that we as a production grow and listen to what it is that Villanelle is saying and experiencing, and trying to stay true to that.”

“Killing Eve” has already been renewed for a fourth season.

(SD-Agencies)