Category: Lifestyle

Lance Armstrong still bitter at ‘piece of s–t’ Floyd Landis

Any simmering Chicago Bulls feuds have nothing on Lance Armstrong’s animosity towards former cycling teammate Floyd Landis.

In ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary about his rise and fall, Armstrong says, “It could be worse. I could be Floyd Landis … waking up a piece of s–t every day.”

Is that what he really thinks?

“That’s what I know,” Armstrong said. “I don’t think it. I know it.”

There were tensions between Armstrong and Landis during their careers, but it was Landis’ self-admission of doping and accusations against Armstrong in 2010 that ultimately led to the collapse of Armstrong’s empire as a seven-time Tour de France Champion and American sports icon with sponsorship deals and the Livestrong charity.

Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France win, later filed a whistleblower lawsuit against Armstrong. They reached a settlement, with Armstrong reportedly owing $6.65 million to Landis, his attorneys and the government.

“I hope he’s changed, and I hope he finds some peace,” Landis said of Armstrong during the documentary. “I don’t know why people can’t move on, but here we are.”

After ESPN’s “The Last Dance” documentary about the Bulls, Horace Grant — and allegedly Scottie Pippen — didn’t like how they were portrayed by Michael Jordan.

But Armstrong took it to the next level with his former teammate.

After Armstrong’s “piece of s–t” remarks about Landis were teased in a preview to the documentary, Landis responded on ESPN Radio two weeks ago.

“I have some empathy for him because I went through some real public humiliation and it hurts,” Landis said, according to CyclingWeekly.com. “You want to blame somebody and sometimes it’s easier to find the most obvious thing or person and blame them. He can blame me. Maybe it would still be a secret if it wasn’t for me.

“I had to come clean. He’s obviously not happy about that. I hope he finds some peace in his life. I don’t have any further animosity towards him.”

Landis admittedly was angry at being cast as the fall guy in a sport where performance-enhancing drug use was rampant at the time. Armstrong claims he began doping in 1995 and continued after his bout with testicular cancer through 2005.

“Lance didn’t invent doping,” Landis said in the documentary. “It wasn’t his idea.”

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Magnum ice cream and Calippos urgently recalled from UK supermarkets – The Sun

TUBS of Magnum ice cream and Calippo lollies are urgently being recalled from UK supermarkets.

Shoppers are being warned about the treats as the country has sweltered through the sunniest spring since records began.

The mini Calippo ice lollies sold by almost all major UK supermarkets have been recalled over fears they contain pieces of metal.

This makes the treats, which are popular among kids, unsafe and shoppers are being advised not to eat them.

The product recall applies to multi-packs of Wall's Mini Calippo which come in the flavours of orange and lemon-lime.

These are sold in six-packs of 80ml lollies in supermarkets including Asda, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado and Sainsbury's for prices ranging between £1.50 and £2.

They've previously also been up for grabs at Tesco but are currently listed as unavailable on its website.

The products being recalled come with best before dates of April 2022 or May 2022.

They will also have a batch code, which can be found on the side of the box, of either L0121, L0122, L0123, L0124, L0125 or L0126.

While Magnum white chocolate ice cream sold in Asda have been recalled over fears they could trigger allergic reactions.

The treats contain milk yet this is only mentioned in Italian and not English on the packaging.

Your product recall rights

PRODUCT recalls are an important means of protecting consumers from dangerous goods.

As a general rule, if a recall involves a branded product, the manufacturer would usually have lead responsibility for the recall action.

But it's often left up to supermarkets to notify customers when products could put them at risk.

If you are concerned about the safety of a product you own, always check the manufacturer’s website to see if a safety notice has been issued.

When it comes to appliances, rather than just food items, the onus is usually on you – the customer – to register the appliance with the manufacturer as if you don't there is no way of contacting you to tell you about a fault.

If you become aware that an item you own has been recalled or has any safety noticed issued against it, make sure you follow the instructions given to you by the manufacturer.

They should usually provide you with more information and a contact number on its safety notice.

In some cases, the manufacturer might ask you to return the item for a full refund or arrange for the faulty product to be collected.

You should not be charged for any recall work – such as a repair, replacement or collection of the recalled item.

This means people who suffer from an allergy to milk or milk constituents may accidentally eat the ice cream, which could cause them harm.

People who are allergic to milk can experience problems with their digestive system, such as diarrhoea, a bloated stomach, feeling sick and stomach cramps.

The product recall affects the 440ml tubs, which come with a batch code of either L9255AT138 or L9255BT138.

They have a best before date of September 2021. This information can be found on the rim of the lid.

The tubs are currently sold at Asda for £4, but was recently also available at Tesco for £3.85.

They've previously also been sold in Iceland, and are listed on Ocado's and Spar's websites too.

If you've bought the treats, Calippo's and Magnum's owner Unilever is advising you not to eat them.

Instead, you should contact Unilever by calling 0800 146252 or emailing [email protected] for a refund.

Magnum and Calippo said no other products are affected by the issue.

The Sun has asked Unilever how many ice cream tubs and lollies it's recalling, so we'll update this article if we get a response.

Unilever added in a statement: "The safety of the people that buy and use our products is always our number one priority, which is why we are taking the voluntary precaution of recalling these batches.

"We would like to apologise for any inconvenience and concern caused and thank everyone for their co-operation."

Other recent product recalls to watch out for include jars of pesto at Lidl, which are being recalled over allergy fears.

While Morrisons is recalling ten types of fresh herbs over listeria fears.

In March, Co-op recalled hash browns due to fears they contain plastic.

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Major BBC, Channel 5 Entertainment Shows Returning To Studio Shoots Following The Coronavirus Shut Down

EXCLUSIVE: After TV production went dark at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the lights are slowly being switched back on for studio shows in the UK, with the BBC and Channel 5 among those restarting entertainment shoots.

Deadline understands that the BBC’s Fulwell 73-produced Peter Crouch: Save Our Summer is among the first entertainment shows to return to the studio after the industry-wide shut down in March. Filming has taken place at London’s Riverside Studios ahead of the program’s premiere on BBC One this Saturday.

Channel 5’s The Gadget Show is also heading back to the studio on Tuesday after Season 31 was postponed on March 26. The ViacomCBS network’s show will return to television on June 12, with All3Media’s North One TV putting in place protocols to help make the set coronavirus-proof.

These first steps back into studio production will pave the way for other big shows to return later this year. Deadline hears that Have I Got News For You is planning for a late October return to its Riverside set after Hat Trick Productions gamely experimented with video technology housed in a CGI studio to keep the show on TV during the pandemic.

The Graham Norton Show is also planning to return to some sort of normality in the autumn, when So Television hopes to move the show back into its Television Centre home. Norton has remained on-air, with the Irish presenter interviewing guests remotely from home.

The producers are working with the BBC on their plans and safety protocols, and each show is being assessed on a case-by-case basis. One of the biggest question marks will be whether audiences will be allowed back into studios, while a lack of insurance is another issue for many producers.

Intense work is also underway on the UK’s most ambitious studio entertainment shows. Syco and Fremantle still hope to stage the Britain’s Got Talent finals for ITV in the autumn, while ITV will also be hopeful it can return to The Voice, which was halted mid-season, but has resumed production in other territories, including Australia.

The BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing is another show targeting autumn. Deadline understands producers have considered quarantining cast and crew on the show so they can work in a bubble, while other ideas that have been floated in various press reports include theatrical masks for performers and sitting audience members around tables to help with social distancing.

These are not concerns for The Gadget Show, which will be filmed at a remote studio in Hartlebury, on the outskirts of Birmingham, without an audience. North One has put in place protocols to ensure that the presenters and crew do not use public transport to reach the DRP studio, while social distancing will be strictly enforced on-set.

The studio will be built and rigged the day before each shoot, while two cameras and one sound recordist will be stationed on the studio floor. There will be no gallery operation — instead, directors and producers will watch on from isolated areas of the studio, and editing and voiceover work will be completed remotely.

Other protocols include the studio having a strict one-way system for movement, and presenters having to apply their own makeup. The safety regime was drawn up using the UK broadcaster and producer coronavirus guidelines published last month.

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Eddie Hearn insists Anthony Joshua would ‘hate’ him if he revealed real reasons he lost to Andy Ruiz Jr – The Sun

ANTHONY JOSHUA would "hate" Eddie Hearn if the promoter revealed the real reasons he underperformed in his loss against Andy Ruiz Jr.

AJ was dropped four times during his first career defeat, which ended in round seven, with mystery then surrounding the Brit star pre and post fight with the heavyweight accused of being concussed. 


Joshua was forced to deny being dropped in sparring and even refute claims he had a panic attack before the headliner on his US debut in New York.

But Hearn admits Joshua has his reasons for coming into the fight sluggish and off his game but unlike Deontay Wilder – who blamed his loss to Tyson Fury on his ring costume – those excuses will not be aired.

Hearn told Sky Sports: "It's nothing to do with sparring or panic attacks but there are reasons that he wasn't firing on all cylinders. He will never tell you, and he would hate for me to tell you.

"He doesn't want excuses like we've seen with Deontay Wilder."

"When I look back now, knowing what was wrong, I can look at his face and say: 'You knew you weren't 100 percent, didn't you?'

"But all week he was fine, smiling. At no point did anyone say: 'He doesn't seem himself'. Looking back now there is something in his eyes that says: 'I'm not best prepared'."

Joshua remained radio silent after his setback, but came out triumphant six months later as he enacted revenge on Ruiz in Saudi Arabia to reclaim the WBA, IBF and WBO titles.

But after career defining win, the 30-year-old hinted that he suffered a health problem before the stunning loss.

Joshua told BBC Sport: "I had some issue with my health which I was going through for a long time.

"I didn't know what was wrong with me. I felt so tired and drained and thought it must be down to training.

"In the changing room before the fight I got a bucket of ice and was putting my head in it thinking 'why do I feel so tired?'

"The responsibilities of being world champion are difficult. All that stuff, feeling so tired, dealing with obligations.

"Now I have energy, I haven't missed a session."

 

Joshua admitted to last year requiring an operation as well as treating the mystery ailment that hasn't affected him since.

He added: "After my check-ups it showed what the problem was and this is what you have to get sorted.

"Even in this camp I had an operation done but as I'd started training in June I had no issues."

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Can hope and happiness cure the incurable?

Can hope and happiness cure the incurable? Psychiatrist examines the relationship between mind and body for healing from terminal illness

  • Psychiatrist Jeffrey Rediger of Harvard Medical School, has penned a new book
  • He examines terminally ill people who’ve confounded medical science to live 
  • Author calls for Western doctors to embrace the ‘medicine of hope’ 

SCIENCE

CURED   

by Jeffrey Rediger (Penguin £16.99, 400 pp)

When Jeffrey Rediger, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, began writing this compelling book about illness and wellness, he can hardly have imagined that it would have been published in the middle of a catastrophic pandemic.

Rediger offers many clinically documented examples of people stricken with terrible, often terminal, diseases and sometimes given just weeks to live, who confounded medical science and got better. He tells us how they did it, or at least how they appeared to do it.

In one way, the coronavirus makes these stories less than timely. Nobody is suggesting that changes in diet, exercise, eliminating stress, or finding love (all of which are used to explain various cases of ‘spontaneous remission’), can overwhelm the dreaded Covid-19.

Jeffrey Rediger of Harvard Medical School, explores the relationship between mind and body in a fascinating new science book (file image)

Yet in many other ways, Cured couldn’t be more timely. In this crisis, we are all thinking about our health like never before and the notion that we might, in some circumstances, be able to chase away life-threatening diseases ourselves, feels more resonant than ever.

Rediger introduces us to Claire Haser, who was 63 when, in 2008, she was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. Told to expect no more than 12 months, she declined dangerous surgery in favour of letting ‘nature take its course’. But she resolved to focus not on dying, but on living ‘with as much zest and happiness as I could for however long I had left’. The year passed. Then another.

In 2013, she was hospitalised for a scan of her abdomen, unrelated to her cancer. Doctors were astonished to find the tumour had vanished.

Nobody knows for sure what made the tumour disappear. Diet was perhaps part of it; Claire had started eating much more healthily, but she’d altered her mindset, too, confronting certain fears and obstacles that had always held her back in life. All these factors, Rediger argues, allowed her immune system to do its job again.

Rediger has spent 17 years examining cases of spontaneous remission all over the world, looking for common ground. Many of the people he met, whose remarkable stories are explained by science as ‘flukes’ and by religion as ‘miracles’, had radically changed their lifestyles. This connection between mind and body has never been encouraged by Western cultures, but it is at the heart of Eastern medicine.

CURED by Jeffrey Rediger (Penguin £16.99, 400 pp)

Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health are all irrevocably entwined and, just as they can combine to make us ill, so they can sometimes combine to make us better.

If you’re unconvinced by how powerful the mind can be in generating physical wellbeing, consider the placebo effect. Rediger recalls the case of a Mr Wright in 1957, who, dying from cancer of the lymph nodes, begged his doctors to try experimental drug Krebiozen.

As soon as they did, his astonished doctor reported that his tumours ‘melted like snowballs on a hot stove’. Two months later, reports circulated that this supposed miracle drug was a fake.

Mr Wright immediately relapsed, but as he lay on his deathbed, his doctor told him the reports were wrong and he had a double-strength version of the serum. He injected it. The tumours vanished again. But the doctor had injected only water.

Rediger wants Western doctors to embrace the ‘medicine of hope’.

He isn’t trying to dissuade us from seeking medical intervention. He accepts that, more often than not, there is no simple, non-medical equation; that ‘eat right’ plus ‘fall in love’ does not usually add up to a cure for cancer, or any of the other conditions that his spontaneous remission patients overcame.

But how reassuring it is, especially in these horribly uncertain times, to know that sometimes it does.

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Ollie Robinson says he can succeed ‘role model’ James Anderson when England seamer retires

England prospect Ollie Robinson says fellow seamer James Anderson has been a “role model” for him – and that he hopes to take the 37-year-old’s Test place when he eventually retires.

Sussex paceman Robinson has been named in England’s 55-man back-to-training group for the summer, after taking 137 wickets across the last two seasons in County Championship Division Two.

The 26-year-old worked with Anderson – England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker – at a bowling camp in South Africa in late 2019 and says the veteran’s work ethic has inspired him.

“Being with Jimmy in South Africa this winter showed me a new way forward, seeing someone at the top of their game and how hard they still work,” Robinson told Sky Sports News.

“I think most English bowlers around the country look up to Jimmy – he has taken that many wickets and played for that many years that it’s hard to look past that.

“He’s definitely someone I look at as a role model and hopefully in the future I can almost take his place and fill the void. That’s definitely what I am aiming for.

“Ever since I started I have wanted to play Test cricket for England so the goal is red-ball cricket for me and my stats lean more that way as well.

“It’s very pleasing to get the nod – it’s something I have been working hard for for a few years. It’s always nice to get the recognition especially after a good couple of years in county cricket.”

Robinson’s stellar domestic form, including 63 scalps at 16.44 for Sussex in the 2019 Championship, saw him travel to Australia with England Lions this winter.

Australia was a really good tour for me and the group and we were raring to go so it’s a shame we haven’t been able to play cricket and push on ever further. Bowling the ball for the dog is not quite the same!

Ollie Robinson

The seamer picked up seven wickets in the match at the MCG as the Lions recorded a first-ever win over Australia A – but has now not bowled competitively since March due to the coronavirus lockdown, although he has returned to individual training at Hove.

“After having 10 weeks off as a bowler it is quite challenging getting the workload back in quickly. It will take time,” added Robinson, who also revealed when he may be able to test himself against batsmen in the nets.

“I bowled 16 overs last week and my body felt quite good so hopefully it only takes a couple of weeks [to regain peak fitness] and then it’s about maintaining that and hoping the body stays good for a long period of time.

“We had a chat on Zoom, about 60 of us, setting out each phase [of England’s back-to-training programme].

I have two sets of stumps, six balls and my own markers. No one is allowed to touch any of my kit – it’s almost like you are your own coach. But it’s just nice to be back bowling and back outside

Ollie Robinson

“I think it was three weeks on your own and then, Government-permitting, training in small groups, so the Sussex lads can join up with the Kent boys or the Surrey lads and do a bit of bat and ball.

“I think England are going to pick a smaller squad in five weeks and hopefully I will be involved in that.”

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Spoilers: Joy as Elly is freed but will Andrea let her leave alive in Neighbours

It has been so touch and go for Elly Conway (Jodi Anasta) for a while in Neighbours and for a moment there it looked like she’d lose everything; her freedom, her baby, and even her life, if Andrea (Madeleine West) had her way. But hero Toadie (Ryan Moloney) saves the day and finds a way to get her out of jail. It’s great news all round, but of course, that is if she makes it to release day.

Toadie’s work pays off, he manages to orchestrate her release from jail after a bit of careful investigative work having noticed something was up with her sentencing. He tries to push her release through as quickly as possible, but will he manage to arrange it in time?

He has no idea how much danger she’s in – while he’s busy with the paperwork, Elly finds herself the centre of a dangerous tussle, caused by none other than Andrea. Her freedom is right there within her grasp, but Andrea could be about to take it right away.

The violence escalates and it’s looking like Elly might not make it to her release, but at the last minute she is saved when a prison officer comes to tell her about her release and is forced to break up the fight.

Now comes the big news for her and the bombshell is dropped; not only does she learn she’s free, but also that Claudia tried to steal her baby, and that Shaun didn’t die in an avalanche after all. How will a fragile Elly react to all of this huge news? While she might be free physically, mentally it might not be the case.

Huge changes are a foot for Elly as she gets used to the idea of no longer having to pee in front of other people, as Shaun gallantly returns beautiful baby Aster to her family so she’ll be ready and waiting for her when she gets out.

Realising the gravity of what she’s done, Claudia takes herself off to the police station. And when she’s later confronted by the Kennedy women, it further sinks in and she realises just what’s become of her. Perhaps she’s not entirely evil after all as it appears she does actually have a conscience.

Elly now has to face the reality of leaving prison and returning to life on Ramsay Street. She has a lot to get her head around, and so does Shaun. Shaun feels cut off when the family rush to comfort each other, leaving him to fend for himself despite what he’s also lost and adjusting to.

But he picks up on something – whenever Elly has the chance to leave the house, she quietly declines. Is there something wrong here?

Scenes air from Monday 8th June on Channel 5.

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Beatles best album poll: Here is the BEST Beatles album – and it’s not what you think

Express.co.uk readers are thoroughly discerning and have made their decision on which is the best Beatles album. Various magazines have ranked the Beatles albums in the past, and there is often a fight among the top three. However, the winner of our Express.co.uk poll is quite surprising, leaving one of these three completely out of the running.

According to Express.co.uk readers, Revolver is the best Beatles album.

The album received 18 percent of the votes, and truly split fans as they threw their weight behind different albums.

This is quite a surprise, given this album was not the favourite of any Beatles members, most famously John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

In a 1971 interview with Rolling Stone, Lennon said one of his favourite albums was The White Album, and gave a pretty harsh reason as to why.

He said: “[Paul] wanted it [The White Album] to be more a group thing, which really means more Paul. So he never liked that album.

“I always preferred it to all the other albums, including Pepper, because I thought the music was better.

“The Pepper myth is bigger, but the music on the White Album is far superior, I think.”

Lennon’s favourite, The Beatles, known as the White Album, only just made the top four, being beaten by Ringo Starr’s favourite, Abbey Road.

Abbey Road gained 16 percent of the vote, and the third place spot went to Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, with 15 percent of the vote.

Generally speaking, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is considered one of the greatest albums of all time.

This album was in fact Sir Paul’s favourite album, as he told Bob Costas in a 1991 interview: “It wasn’t entirely my idea but to get us away from being ‘The Beatles’ I had this idea that we should pretend we’re this other group.”

Sir Paul did, however, say this was one of his favourites, with each album representing a different moment in their lives.

READ MORE

  • Beatles albums: Which is the best Beatles album?

Sadly for Sir Paul, this album only made the top five, coming third with 15 percent of the vote, and it beat Lennon’s favourite White Album, which gained 13 percent of the vote and came fourth.

George Harrison’s favourite, Rubber Soul, won the fifth place with just shy of 12 percent, and Harrison spoke out regularly about this album being his favourite.

In 1990 Harrison said: “Rubber Soul was my favourite album, even at that time. I think that it was the best one we made.”

“The most important thing about it was that we were suddenly hearing sounds we weren’t able to hear before.

READ MORE

  • The Beatles: Guess which John Lennon song Bob Dylan felt copied him?

“Also, we were being more influenced by other people’s music and everything was blossoming at that time — including us.”

After these favourites, the albums came in this order:

A Hard Day’s Night – 9 percent

Please Please Me – 5 percent

Help! – 4 percent

Magical Mystery Tour/With the Beatles – 2 percent

Let It Be – 2 percent

Beatles For Sale – 1 percent

Yellow Submarine – 1 percent

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Pollen count: What is it today? How to allergy proof your home to help hay fever symptoms

When the pollen count is high hay fever sufferers will often experience worse symptoms. Pollen count is based on the measurement of the number of grains in a cubic metre of the air. The Met Office have forecasted VERY HIGH for most parts of the UK including Wales. Some areas in the North of England, including some parts of Scotland will see MEDIUM levels of pollen while Northern Ireland will see HIGH.

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  • Pollen count: Doing this twice a day to keep hay fever symptoms at bay

A very high count means that hay fever sufferers could experience worse symptoms. These include sneezing, itchy eyes and a runny nose.

It is advised to take antihistamines when the count is high to try and alleviate symptoms.

When the pollen count is high or very high, it is advised that hay fever sufferers stay inside as much as possible to stay away from the pollen.

From drying laundry inside to using extractor fans, there are a number of ways to minimise allergens in the home according to Tobin James, MD at Tempur UK.

Regular cleaning

A common tip but often one that can help the most to stop pollen particles spreading around the home.

Hoovering often and dusting surfaces with a damp cloth can help remove pollen, dust particles and pet dander that can aggravate allergy symptoms.

Using a damp cloth will ensure that the dust is being picked up rather than being spread around the room. You should also dust before you hoover as dust may drop onto the floor.

Don’t forget to clean areas like behind sofas and in the corners of the room as these places can harbour dust.

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Extractor fans

Tempur recommends using an extractor fan in the kitchen and bedroom to remove moisture and particles wherever in use.

Switch the extractor fan before preheating the oven and leave it running while you cook and for a few minutes after you’ve finished.

Also, check your heating and cooling system, and ensure that ducts are clean and proper air filtration is in place.

You should also check your car ventilation system and make sure it has the cleanest possible air flow.

READ MORE

  • High pollen count and thunderstorms could trigger this condition

Clothing & laundry

Tempur says that you should wash clothes as soon as you get home from being outside and have a shower too.

This is because pollen can easily become stuck to items like your clothes and even in your hair.

Drying your clothes inside too will keep your laundry protected from pollen particles sticking to your clothing.

However those with an allergen to mould should not dry their clothes inside as this will create too much moisture in the home.

Ventilation

Hay fever sufferers should keep windows and doors shut as much as possible, particularly during high pollen count days.

The pollen counts are highest between 5am and 10am, so limit exposure outside during these times, particularly if the morning is warm and dry.

You should open windows and doors in the evening to prevent locking pollen and irritants into rooms.

Good day ventilation is crucial for hay fever sufferers to disperse any particles that have built up in the home.

Bedding

Tempur says that pillows should be changed every 18 months. Pillows can become breeding grounds for dirt, oil, dead skin and dust mites.

You should also use allergen-proof barriers covers on the mattress, duvet and pillows to prevent allergens and regularly washing all bedding will prevent any pollen transfer.

Washing your best sheets on a 60 degree wash will make sure that it kills any bacteria that has bred on your bed sheets.

It is advisable to also change your mattress every eight years as this can also be a breeding ground for different types of bacteria.

You can check the accurate pollen count here: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/seasonal-advice/pollen-forecast#?date=2020-06-01

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The ‘Killing Eve’ Season 3 Finale Proves Eve & Villanelle Are Not Done With Each Other

Spoilers ahead for the Season 3 finale of Killing Eve. Season 3 of Killing Eve may be over, but its central question of who killed Kenny is still unanswered. He may have been pushed off the roof by Konstantin or tumbled by accident when Konstantin confronted him. If you want to get philosophical about it, perhaps Carolyn killed Kenny in a long run of dominoes that started falling when she recruited her son into espionage. That the mystery of Kenny’s death isn’t resolved is frustrating, but also revealing. The central question here was never the most important one. As it has been with every season so far, the only question of consequence is the will they or won’t they between Villanelle and Eve.

The Season 3 finale of Killing Eve ends with Villanelle and Eve staring at each other from 40 paces on Tower Bridge, as far as they can compel themselves to walk apart before turning back. Have they reached the gravitational limits of their yoked hearts, or is it simply a last look?

Until now, there have been plenty of reasons why Villanelle and Eve couldn’t work as a couple. When we meet Villanelle, she’s a murderous sociopath; her most recognizably human impulse is that she forms an overpowering crush on someone she hardly knows because she has nice hair. That’s not the case anymore. Across this season, Villanelle developed a deeper emotional sensibility and maybe even the beginnings of a conscience. She doesn’t want to kill anymore. In fact, she can’t even bring herself to finish off Dasha. When she finally suggests that she and Eve go their separate ways into the London night, it’s the safest she’s ever seemed.

Neither are the would-be lovers divided by work. Villanelle has quit The Twelve, and Eve’s job… well, what is Eve’s job? She started Season 3 as a line cook and finished it as an unpaid sleuth. When she was an MI-6 agent, her mission was to end Villanelle’s murderous spree. With both women effectively retired, another barrier that prevented them being together has dissolved.

The most compelling reason for Eve to avoid Villanelle has always been what that relationship would ultimately cost her. Besides her job, Villanelle posed a threat to Eve’s normal life and Eve’s normal, loving husband. But Niko, of course, was last seen in a hospital in rural Poland, recuperating from injuries incurred at the hands of The Twelve and telling his estranged wife to “piss off.” Eve’s already paid the price she struggled to avoid. If she’s not going to take a chance on Villanelle now, what was the point of her enduring so much ruin?

Eve’s stated reason for walking away in the finale’s last moments is that she doesn’t like the side of her that Villanelle brings out. “I think my monster encourages your monster,” Villanelle tells Eve, who responds honestly: “I think I wanted it to.” But Eve’s had scant contact with the assassin all season and her MO hasn’t changed at all. Act recklessly first, think later. She leads danger to Niko’s doorstep without any help from Villanelle at all.

It’s what Eve says next to Villanelle — “Help me make it stop” — that it’s hard to understand. She’s sacrificed so much already. Villanelle, at least as she behaves with Eve, is practically transformed, so much so that Villanelle doesn’t fight Eve’s request at all. Instead, she’s the one who starts to walk away.

But the decision to walk away is momentary; the decision to stay away, like a couple’s decision to stay together, has to be made again and again. The episode leaves it unresolved, but it’s hard to imagine that two people who can’t endure the breadth of the Thames between them without looking back to check on each other are ready to make the commitment required for a true, lasting goodbye.

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