Penned by Joe Barton who created The Lazarus Project, Black Doves was a smash hit on Netflix, introducing Keira Knightley and Sarah Lancashire as an undercover wing of British intelligence. Throwing former Q branch casting into the mix with Ben Whishaw as a cool-headed assassin only deepened the drama, reminding audiences just how good this actor could be with the right material.
Season 2 not only brings Helen and Sam closer together, revealing a connection that goes deeper than friendship, but also expands on the role of Mrs. Reed. Whitshaw has always be good at playing conflicted characters and Sam is no different. Although his feelings for Helen can only ever be platonic, this hard-edged gun for hire with a paternal streak is extremely protective.
Helen is closer to Sam than her husband Wallace, even though he now occupies the highest political office in Britian. That proximity to power holds no allure for her, yet she knows any value she holds hinges on the marriage staying together. On the other hand, Sam lives a life of intentional isolation, broken only by casual encounters with one-night stands that never allow emotions to escalate.
Image Courtesy of Netflix
Black Doves is an extension of the central preoccupations behind every spy thriller, raising questions around how someone can kill with impunity and still create meaningful connections which amount to more than just being a mark. It is the dichotomy of this conundrum that draws audiences in time and again, whether characters come from Cold War backgrounds or something more contemporary.
As Season 2 expands and explores past decisions on both sides, everything that audiences suspected about players in this game begins to change. The glacial Mrs. Reed, played with stone cold detachment by an excellence Sarah Lancashire, begins to show signs of frailty. More psychological than emotional, this rabbit hole creates more tangents that move away from Sam and Helen, giving Black Doves a genuine ’70s vibe.
Taking some of the power away from these protagonists also changes things up, introducing new elements who hold all the cards and know which buttons to push on both. For Black Doves Season 2 to flourish this needed to happen, because Sam and Helen were threatening to plateau in terms of character arc without these crucial obstacles. Injecting fresh blood into the equation and retaining vital moments of black comedy effectively maintains momentum without going back over old ground.
On a gut level Black Doves succeeds because it steers clear of traditional archetypes, and instead, grounds this spy thriller by focusing on human connections. Audiences are invested in those central relationships, and this becomes the fundamental driving force behind the show. Something that supersedes any subterfuge and neatly sidesteps any double dealing or unavoidable fatalities, allowing those other elements to shine through.
What Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw, and Sarah Lancashire do in Season 2 is communicate the importance of those relationships but crucially illustrate the price they pay for being in that position. Running around and keeping the nation safe from nefarious forces clearly continues to exact a high price.
Black Doves is available on Netflix now.