Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw’s Black Doves is back for its second season, but the British spy thriller sacrificed a lot of its depth in trying to emulate James Bond and John Wick. Nearly two years after the ending of Black Doves season 1, Helen Webb’s troubles have continued on to 10 Downing Street as her husband becomes Prime Minister of England. As she gathers intelligence on the highest rungs of the English government, her titular spy agency, the Black Doves, comes under fire from a mysterious force from Reed’s (Sarah Lancashire) past.
Meanwhile, as the trailer for Black Doves season 2 showed, Sam Young and the “psychotic girl gang” get wrapped up in the middle of the attack on the Black Doves. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been before, yet Black Doves season 2 has a very high bar to reach after the excellent performance of season 1. Unfortunately, the new season can’t quite match its debut outing, but it does still find a way to be very entertaining.
Black Doves Season 2 Sacrifices Its Own Identity In Favor Of Emulating Other Spy Thrillers
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Image via Netflix</figure>
Black Doves season 2 has, simply put, lost some of the magic that made the first season so acclaimed. Black Doves season 1 was the hit that it was because it was so unique. It blended elements of spy thrillers and action movies and wrapped it all up in a surprisingly heartwarming and earnest tale about love, friendship, guilt, depression, and Christmas. Black Doves season 2 has largely flattened these elements out into something far less unique.
It’s perhaps most useful to liken Black Doves to Daniel Craig’s James Bond films. If Black Doves season 1 was Casino Royale, meaning a clever and emotional reinterpretation of the spy genre, season 2 is Spectre: a slightly underwhelming return to form. Like Spectre, Black Doves season 2 traded in nuance, deep character work, and a very grounded plot based on spycraft for spectacle, surface-level emotion, and a false belief that bigger always means better.
If Black Doves season 1 was Casino Royale, meaning a clever and emotional reinterpretation of the spy genre, season 2 is Spectre: a slightly underwhelming return to form.
Black Doves season 2 is largely focused on expanding the mythos of the Black Doves as a spy organization to rival MI6. The new season introduces rival espionage groups from around the world, broadens the scope and structure of the Black Doves themselves, and establishes a history for the corporation that extends back to the Cold War. The Black Doves become a much more tangible force this season, at the expense of Helen’s story.
Helen’s story was a highlight of Black Doves season 1. She was balancing her work as a spy, her feelings for Wallace, her grief and desire for revenge, her commitment to her children, and her history with Sam all on the edge of a knife. It was the perfect blend of emotional and physical stakes, suspense, and tension. This season traded all that in for a rather one-note story about her searching for Reed and vaguely worrying if Wallace still loves her.
As it starts to feel like Craig’s later 007 films, Black Doves season 2 also tries to emulate Keanu Reeves’ John Wick, which isn’t always a good thing. Like John Wick, Black Doves season 2 doubles down on action set pieces, a fantastical world filled to the brim with spies and assassins operating a secret society of sorts, and a complete disregard for real-world consequences. Unlike John Wick, Black Doves doesn’t have the budget nor the competence to make those leaps of logic worthwhile.
John Wick largely works because the franchise has an unparalleled mastery of fight choreography, martial arts, and gunplay. Black Doves season 2 does not have that same mastery. Gunfights often feel stiff and unexciting as Helen and Sam mow through throngs of unnamed bad guys, and the dated CGI and VFX do nothing to help that. Even Black Doves itself realizes these situations aren’t that exciting or dangerous, as it will routinely have characters carrying out conversations while tossing grenades and dodging bullets.
The “John Wick-ification” of Black Doves also has some smaller but still important effects on the show. There seems to be no consequences for the enormous body counts these characters rack up, for example, which makes secrecy feel pointless. That’s not a great quality for a spy thriller to have. There’s also far less spycraft as a result of the show’s interest in action. That means problems that would have been solved through gripping interrogations, suspenseful undercover missions, and social engineering in season 1 are instead solved by shooting everyone and everything.
In leaning further into the action side of the series, Black Doves has lost sight of what made it such a hit in the first place. None of these problems are damning on their own. Black Doves season 2 is still a great spy thriller, but it can’t compare to the highs of the first season. Unfortunately, it also can’t compare to the established thriller franchises it desperately wants to be. The end result is a season that could and should have been better than it was.
Black Doves Season 2 Isn’t As Good As Season 1, But It’s Still A Solid Show
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Image via Netflix</figure>
As previously mentioned, none of Black Doves season 2’s shortcomings make the show bad in any way. Black Doves season 2 is still thrilling, action-packed, fun, humorous, and emotional, and that deserves a lot of praise. While it can’t compare to the first season, Black Doves is still a very competent and entertaining spy and action thriller that is more than worth the time it takes to watch.
While Helen’s story took a hit this season, other characters were more of a highlight. Ben Whishaw puts on another great performance as Sam, bringing even more of his sad-eyed depression and emotional turmoil to the role. There are genuinely moving and tragic moments in Sam’s story, and Whishaw does his best to make sure they land. Additionally, Eleanor and Williams take a much more active and emotional role this season, to great effect.
The actual story of Black Doves season 2 also mostly fires on all cylinders. The mystery surrounding who is attacking the Black Doves provides a lot of momentum between episodes and keeps viewers guessing. Many viewers may also find themselves binging Black Doves season 2, as its story is expertly paced. It even found a way to make Mrs. Reed into a character I actually wanted to be saved, which is saying a lot given her malicious intentions from the first season.
Black Doves season 2 also does an excellent job with casting. Several newcomers this season, particularly Ambika Mod, Sam Riley, and Babou Ceesay, absolutely nail their roles and play very interesting characters. Black Doves season 2 also has a prolonged flashback to Reed’s youth where she’s played by Lauren Moakes, who is both a spot-on visual match for Lancashire and who commands every scene she’s in. The wardrobe department of Black Doves season 2 also deserves their flowers for dressing all of these characters in remarkable outfits that both signal their personalities and simply look stylish.
Perhaps the biggest strength of Black Doves season 2 is its humor. Once again, Eleanor and Williams are the perfect comedic relief, but they also get some help from newcomers. Even Helen and Sam are funnier this season than last as they get more comfortable poking fun at their colleagues. The writing is witty and clever, jokes are delivered well, and moments of humor and comedy never feel out of place. It may not be a masterpiece, but Black Doves season 2 is a lot of fun.
All six episodes of Black Doves season 2 are currently available to stream on Netflix.
Black Doves – Season 2
- Black Doves season 2 is endlessly stylish, exciting, and smart.
- Ben Whishaw gives a standout performance as assassin Sam Young.
- Black Doves season 2 majorly expands the show’s lore and worldbuilding.
- Black Doves season 2 lost the show’s careful balance of genres and tones.
- Black Doves season 2 places much more emphasis on its action, but fight scenes aren’t executed well enough to justify that.
- Helen’s excellent emotional story has been replaced by a weaker one focusing on Mrs. Reed.
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