Black Doves - Season 1: A Promising Spy Thriller

Dec 8, 2024

3 min read

With a promising premise, a great cast and a terrific first episode, Black Doves seemed destined to be the next great show on Netflix. Although still good, the show never quite lives up to its potential, trying to do too much and pushing the boundaries of believability. While not all it could have been, it is well worth watching.

Helen Webb, the wife of a prominent British politician, is secretly a member of the Black Doves, an organization that sells government secrets to the highest bidder. After the man she is having an affair with is killed, she is bent on revenge but finds herself a target as well. The Black Doves call in a friend and former colleague to protect her, and the two find themselves caught in a mess of political conspiracies, criminal organizations and a lack of people they can trust.

Black Doves starts out exceptionally well. The first scene alone is great TV as we learn that a Chinese diplomat is dead, his daughter is missing, and we see a civil servant walking through the streets, convinced he is being followed. The immediate events that follow set the stage, and the remainder of the first episode is excellent as it introduces the key players. It’s an excellent setup for a paranoia-based, spy thriller, and I was immediately hooked.

When Black Doves sticks to the spy thriller aspect, it is very good. It does weave in plenty of personal drama as well that, while adding depth to the characters, does water the show down at times. It also generally falls flat when it tries to introduce too much humour, mainly through a couple of assassins that are very flippant about their choice of career.

Still, the story is quite good, even if a little uneven. It establishes an atmosphere where no one is sure who they can trust, and loyalties are put to the test. The Black Doves organization itself has no loyalties, which can make them both an ally and enemy to Helen. Add in some criminal organizations and government conspiracies, and there are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. And although the conclusion strays a little too far towards unbelievability, it is still satisfying.

As Helen, Keira Knightley delivers a terrific performance. You easily believe her unrest and anxiety in the double life she leads. And even though she is selling government secrets, she quickly becomes a sympathetic character as she struggles to find vengeance while keeping her family safe. I wish she did more roles like this as she handles the drama and the action equally well.

Ben Whishaw, as her assassin friend, is also quite good. He has great chemistry with Knightley, and their friendship is quite believable. It adds a layer to the plot without the mistake of trying to make them love interests. His character is a little too easily distracted (via the above-mentioned personal drama) and walks too easily into traps to have lasted 7 minutes, let alone 7 years as an assassin. But that’s an issue with the script, not his acting.

I quite liked the rest of the cast as well. Sarah Lacashire is particularly good as Helen’s handler. Andrew Buchan as Helen’s husband, who may or may not know more than it seems, and Ella Lily Hyland and Gabrielle Creevy as assassins, round out a great cast.

Black Doves can fall back on a few too many tropes at times. It also commits the mistake of having people who needs to keep secrets constantly talking about their secrets in crowded public places. Maybe that’s how it is with real-life spies, but it seems you wouldn’t want to discuss how long you’ve been an assassin in a crowded bar. But I suppose those are small issues.

Overall, Black Doves is an entertaining spy thriller. It does tend to drift too far into personal drama, at least for my taste, but it always rights itself. A great cast and an intriguing story that keeps you guessing is more than enough to overcome some unevenness in the story. It may not reinvent the genre, but it is an engaging show and well worth watching if you’re a fan of the spy thrillers.