But even if Villanelle had survived the show’s closing moments, it’s unlikely that fans would have been happy with the equally grim conclusion of Eve sinking to the bottom of the Thames.

So heartbroken were fans by the finale that many began to reimagine an alternative ending for Eve and Villanelle in accordance with the final book in Luke Jennings’s original trilogy, which sees the two uniquely magnetic protagonists build a happy life together in the suburbs of St Petersburg. But for those still reeling from the untimely demise of one of the most memorable TV characters in recent times, it seems that there’s reason to have genuine hope for a different swan song.

In an op-ed for the Guardian, Jennings, who wrote the Villanelle books that inspired the show, shared his disappointment at the way the thriller essentially “punishes” Eve and Villanelle.

“As an author, it’s a thrill having your work adapted for TV, as my Killing Eve novels were. You’re never going to love everything the screenwriting team does, that’s a given,” he wrote in the column.

“It’s an extraordinary privilege to see your characters brought to life so compellingly,” he continues, “but the final series ending took me aback.”

Killing Eve: Sandra Oh just revealed the original season 4 ending – but there’s still hope for heartbroken fans