London is a busy city. Hidden between layers of politicians and businessmen, MI5 and several “private” organizations collect information. the Black doves is one of them. This particular spy agency has no political nor ideological purpose. They simply sell intelligence to the highest bidder. Helen Wallace was recruited ten years ago. Her first mark became her husband. He also became the Home secretary, and a potential PM… With access to such a mine of info, Helen’s rate is rather good.
But she falls in love and has an affair with Jason, a civil servant, who ends up dead, along with two others people, not long after the problematic death of the Chinese ambassador and the disappearance of his daughter. Determined to avenge her lover, Helen takes a lot of risks. Too much for Reed, head of the agency, who calls back Sam, Helen’s former trainer and friend, to protect her. While tensions are high between China, USA and UK, the reckless duo will stop at nothing to solve Jason’s murder, whether a war may be coming or not.
Money, money, money, it’s a powerful men’s world
For once, it’s clear. Hitmen and spies don’t pretend to save the world (as in Citadel), they are just doing business. They kill, they seduce, they drug, and at the end of the day they collect data. Point. Whether it is sold to a foreign government, their own, or any mob organization isn’t anybody’s problem. This approach renews the spy series genre. For the rest, the plot follows all the classic codes. I remain sceptical about spies who quietly go about their romantic and family lives in the city where they operate. And guess what? At a certain moment, their loved ones become a target [Duh!].
The suspense is well orchestrated and the investigation well broken down by episode. But the real appeal of this series lies in its superb cast, right down to the secondary characters. We also enjoy rediscovering the streets of London in the run-up to Christmas.
1 season, 6 episodes (55 mn), 2024 – ongoing, on Netflix
WITH : Keira Knightley as Helen Webb, Ben Whishaw as Sam Young, Sarah Lancashire as Reed, Andrew Buchan as Wallace Webb, Kathryn Hunter (seen in Andor) as Lenny Lines, Andrew Koji as Jason Davies, Omari Douglas as Michael, Sam Troughton as Stephen Yarrick, Ella Lily Hyland as Williams, Gabrielle Creevy as Eleanor, Adeel Akhtar as the Prime Minister Richard Eaves, Finn Bennett as Cole Atwood, Luther Ford as Hector Newman, Isabella Wei as Kai-Ming