Keira Knightley (Love Actually, Pride & Prejudice) has made a triumphant transition to television, and what better platform to debut on than Netflix? We expected December to be filled with traditional holiday fare, but Black Doves has pleasantly surprised us, offering a refreshing departure from the usual Hallmark-esque content.
While Black Doves still fits into the Christmas category, it defies traditional holiday genre conventions, making it a worthwhile watch. You can still cozy up for a binge-worthy experience.
Here’s our review of Netflix’s latest spy thriller, Black Doves, created by none other than Joe Barton (The Lazarus Project, Giri/Haji).
Keira Knightley Makes a Successful Television Debut
For starters, we have to talk about Keira Knightley, who plays the role of Helen Webb in Black Doves. We aren’t just talking about her because she’s the protagonist of this spy thriller series but also because this is her television debut.
This transition is a remarkable milestone in the career of the beloved Hollywood icon, and she delivers an exceptional performance. Whether on the big screen or small, Knightley consistently impresses with her talent.
Keeping Knightley’s performance aside for a minute, Black Doves as a series does an above-average job of keeping the viewers hooked from start to finish, with almost no dull moments. Helen has been employed by an organization called Black Doves, run by Sarah Lancashire’s character, Reed.
Lancashire is yet another brilliant addition to the Netflix series, elevating the overall quality. We have to admit, the cast had us glued to our screens more than the actual premise, which continued in the backdrop. It was the ensemble that really made this series work – Ben Whishaw, Andrew Koji, and Andrew Buchan included.
6 episodes of Black Doves felt like the magic number because at no point did we feel too overwhelmed or underwhelmed by the content presented to us, and while it was an intense watch, it still fit into that Christmas slot we’ve been looking to fill every day in December like an advent calendar.
Helen and Sam’s characters on screen together were one of the bigger highlights and a pivotal part of the narrative, too. While Knightley and Whishaw were stellar on their own, the masterful blend of these two characters just made a lot of sense.
Nevertheless, we want to see more of Helen, and Netflix is making that happen in a shocking move where the streaming giant renewed the spy thriller for another season ahead of its release. Astonishing, isn’t it? It goes to show the faith in Black Doves and, notably, faith in Knightley.
Conclusion
Black Doves as a series checks all the boxes when it comes to a successful spy thriller, and it’s no wonder we’ll be graced with another season. This series had the right amount of passion, energy, suspense, and a plethora of wonderfully written characters, what more could one want?