Black Doves isn’t simply a spy thriller set around Christmas. Sure, series creator Joe Barton wrote this show during the holidays, and he wanted to do something “spy-y,” but this spy-assassin story stands apart due to the framework of a gorgeous friendship. Helen (Keira Knightley) and Sam (Ben Whishaw) have an unconditional platonic love, and they share the special type of bond known to women with gay male best friends. Their bond also relies on shared secrets and a unique understanding of their double lives, and dammit, Knightley and Whishaw have superb chemistry together, too.
Netflix did renew Black Doves shortly before series launched in early December, so let’s get down to (spy) business on what we can expect next.
Plot
For starters, many instances of “hello darling” must happen.
We can also probably expect Black Doves to stick with a six-episode structure for the second season. Also, the first season finale saw Sam act out the vengeance on Helen’s behalf, and they were then (amusingly) seen enjoying Christmas dinner with her family. A second season, however, means that this peace will not last, especially with Sam having recommitted to a life of crime and Helen taking a gamble that Reed won’t try to have her killed again.
What next? Not so fast with assurances of safety, Helen. For starters, Barton confirmed fan suspicions (to Hollywood Reporter) that Helen and Wallace’s nanny, Marie, is an embedded spy for Reed, which suggests that Reed and her “machinations” can never fully be trusted. Additionally, Sam and Helen will remain in each other’s lives, which will be slightly easier now that Wallace has been introduced to Sam as Helen’s friend. That won’t make Helen’s double-duty less awkward while juggling family and espionage.
Keeping with that line of thought, Barton emphasized that Helen’s “look” in the finale revealed that “there’s still a duplicitousness about her … she’s still this other person and the two sides of her haven’t gone away.” And the “platonic love story” between Helen and Sam will remain central to this show’s appeal. Barton added, “There’s a specific relationship, I think, between a gay man and a straight woman, and that interesting dynamic, which you occasionally see,” and “the relationships were our way” into the overall story.
Barton also revealed to Netflix how Helen will also find herself “getting pulled deeper into the world of spies having been so close to leaving.” This will happen as Wallace’s career reaches new heights, possibly even at “10 Downing Street,” meaning that he could become prime minister, which would mean that Helen and Sam’s exploits would become more “dangerous and challenging” to pull off.
Release Date
A release date remains secret for now, but Joe Barton did tell Hollywood Reporter that he would prefer to make the second season a holiday story as well, but that there isn’t enough time to make it happen in late 2025, and it would “just be too long” to “make people wait two years for the Christmas after that.” As a result, “I think inevitably it’s not going to be a Christmas show” when Black Doves returns.
Ben Whishaw recently spoke with Collider, and what transpired suggests that mid-2026 seems probable. As Whishaw described the matter, second season filming is “six months, or seven months away, or something.” Furthermore, “It’s not written,” so he has no idea what will happen, but this actually sounds like what the plan was for the first season, too.
“[I]t wasn’t very written when we did the first season. I was quite terrified because there were not really scripts,” he admitted. “There were scripts, but this was particularly sailing close to the wire. So, somehow, it came together.” Yes it did, darlings.
Cast
Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw will return as Helen and Sam, respectively. Andrew Buchan (as Wallace Webb) and Sarah Lancashire (as Reed) will remain pivotal, along with Molly Chesworth (as Marie). Omari Douglas hasn’t been confirmed to be back as Michael, and the character likely will not be seen again after Sam’s choice to take a new job in the criminal underworld. Andrew Koji also probably will not return unless the series still needs a ghostly Jason to fuel Helen’s taste for vengeance elsewhere.
Trailer
In the absence of footage yet, watching Keira and Ben discuss the “hello darling” and juxtaposition of genres should satisfy those who love this show.