Everything you need to know

Keira Knightley, actress synonymous with period dramas, returned to the action genre with Netflix Black Doves. Created for the small screen by Joe Barton, the spy series concerns a secret agent, Helen (Knightley), whose double life is almost exposed when her new boyfriend is killed by London's criminal underworld. To protect their assets, the Black Doves send Sam (Ben Whishaw) to protect her. Perhaps best known for her more dramatic roles Black Doves It's a change for Knightley, who is trying to achieve action stardom once again in the 2020s.

Black Doves It's not only a testament to Knightley's versatility as an actress, but it also signals Netflix's commitment to producing high-quality, captivating entertainment. Knightley's involvement in the project has generated considerable excitement, featuring her in a role that promises to blend the dramatic depth she is known for with the dynamic pacing of a spy thriller. The best Netflix original shows are always a combination of high production value and excellent writing, and Black Doves they both have spades. Perhaps most intriguing of all, Black Doves was renewed for season 2 even before the first season premiered.

Critical reception of the first season of Black Doves

Another big win for Netflix

Despite taking a risk and creating yet another high-profile spy thriller, Netflix struck gold with Black Doves'first season. The reaction to the show was extremely positive, with Screen speech declaring this”another winner for Netflix.” Particular attention was paid to the series' performances, and Knightley received high marks for her ability to balance the series' disparate genres. Likewise, Ben Whishaw received praise for his deadpan but good-natured performance.

What received perhaps the biggest praise was the show's non-dark tone, something of a surprise after a series of promotional material that made it seem too serious (via The Guardian). However, The twist-filled plot is appropriately complicated for a spy thrillerand Vulture was particularly impressed by the clever world-building that made the series feel big and lived-in.

Black Doves Cast Details

Several recognizable actors join Knightley and Whishaw

Although she is best known for starring in period films such as Pride and Prejudice, Keira Knightley was chosen to lead Black Dovesand dust off your action hero skills last seen in Pirates of the Caribbean series. Knightley plays the role of Helen, a secret agent for The Black Doves, who goes undercover as the wife of a successful politician to gather information. About that, Paddington and Fall from the sky star Ben Whishaw plays Sam, a skilled Doves agent who is sent to protect Helen after her cover is nearly blown..

The cast of Black Doves features a mix of established stars and rising talent. Alongside Knightley and Whishaw, the series features the involvement of Andrew Buchan (large church), Omari Douglas (Rye Street), Andrew Koji (Warrior), Kathryn Hunter (Poor things), Sam Troughton (The Ritual), Ella Lily Hyland (Silent Roar), Adam Silver (Masters of the Air), Ken Nwosu (Killing Eve), Gabrielle Creevy (On my skin) and Sarah Lancashire (Happy Valley).

Actor	Black Doves Character
Keira Knightley	Helen Webb
Ben Whishaw	Young Sam
Sarah Lancashire	reed
André Buchan	Wallace Webb
Omari Douglas	Miguel
André Koji	Jason
Kathryn Hunter	Lenny
Sam Troughton	Stephen
Ella Lily Hyland	Williams
Adam Silver	Arnie
Ken Nwosu	Account
Gabrielle Creevy	Leonor
Adeel Akhtar	Prime Minister Richard Eaves
Tracey Ullman	Alex
Finn Bennett	Paste
Luther Ford	Hector

Black Doves Trailer

Watch the full trailer below

Just weeks before the show's release, Netflix revealed a full trailer to Black Doves which offers an effective tease for the season. It begins with Helen (Knightley) as she discovers her cover has been blown and her lover has been killed. This puts her (and her family) in mortal danger, and she must team up with a killer, Sam (Whishaw), to stay safe and find out who is trying to kill her.

Black Doves ending and spoilers

A subdued ending to an explosive first season

The end of Black DovesThe debut season was fittingly final, though the show's early renewal proves the story is far from over. With the major plot points concluded and dusted off in the final episode, the actual season finale depends more on character growth than an explosive twist or cliffhanger. While there are things that will need to be addressed in Season 2, it's clear that Season 1 has slowly turned into a bigger adventure in the follow-up.

Black Doves Season 2 Setup

Season 2 has already been confirmed

Considering the fact that Black Doves was renewed even before releasing its first episode, It's safe to say the plan was always to tell a longer story. As such, the Season 1 finale serves a dual purpose as it wraps up major storylines and sets the stage for the arrival of a potentially greater threat. With Helen returning to normalcy (so to speak), this allows for new missions to emerge, especially as her “husband” continues to climb the political ladder to higher and higher positions in government.