Black Doves–”Slow Horses” meets “The Americans”?
The six-episode Netflix mini-series Black Doves is being promoted as a Christmas holiday spy thriller, full of such fun scenes as explosions, intense gun-fight street battles and stylish upper-class British banter to mix up with the tinsel and ornaments.
Helen Webb (Keira Knightley of “Pirates of the Carribean”, “Pride and Prejudice” and “Bend It Like Beckham”) is an unlikely agent in a highly secretive espionage group called the Black Doves. Selling intel to whomever is willing to pay for it, Black Doves has no allegiance to the British.
Married to the Defense Minister, Wallace Webb (Andrew Buchan of “Broadchurch”, “Garrow’s Law” and ”The Spanish Queen”), Helen lives the privileged life as mother of twins during the day and as ruthless spy after the kids go to bed. With access to information given to her husband, Helen is indispensable to the Black Doves.
Her erstwhile partner, Sam Young (Ben Whishaw of the James Bond movies, “Women Talking” and “The Power of the Dog”, Is a “triggerman” for the organization who has recently quit.
Hesitant to get sucked back into the mayhem that is Black Dove’s reason for existing, Sam and Helen nevertheless compulsively take on the investigation into multiple murders, kidnapping, and assassinations. Their boss, Reed (Sarah Lancashire of “Happy Valley” and “Last Tango in Halifax”, coerces them out of their reluctance to kill.
Murderously and dangerously, the intelligence pair get involved in street-gang gunfights in residential areas,–usually in self-defense– buildings are blown up, and the police are never in sight. Even with blood dripping down their faces and shirts drenched in human tissue, no one seems to witness their crimes against humanity.
More characters enter the scene than bullets flying in the streets: a mob boss, two emo young girl assassins, Chinese business predators, and a few lovers. Relationships become convoluted, past backstory is scarce to nonexistent, especially for Helen Webb, amidst the running, panting, gunshots, car chases, and choreographed knife battles.
With the immensely talented actors Knightley, Wishaw, and Lancashire, the strong performances are insufficient to fill all the plot holes and ridiculousness of the spy capers. This is NOT “Slow Horses” (November 19, 2024 review) or “The Americans” (December 18, 2024 review), even though Black Doves seems a wannabe.
Pass on this one.
Availability: Netflix
Note: This series has been well-received by many critics, including the New York Times.
Susie Berteaux
I watched the trailers and decided not to begin watching the series; too much violence, too predictable, not believable.
After seeing reviews on different social media networks, I thought I should at least watch one episode. I watched the first episode and yes, too much violence, too predictable and not really believable, BUT… I was hooked. Got the husband to watch with me and ended watching 2 more episodes. The next day we started early in the evening and binged to the end.
We may have to make this series a Christmas Series to watch for the next Holiday Season(s)
Black Doves was a pleasant surprise for this Holiday Season!
Diana Paul
So glad you enjoyed the series. I really like both main actors (Knightley and Whishaw) but this one just didn’t do it for me. I’m definitely not in the majority of reviewers’ assessment of this thriller. Appreciate your sharing your opinion, especially how you slowly became committed to watching and then liking it so much!