After two years away from our screens, the Netflix thriller Black Doves is back for season two with more twists, bloody shootouts and big laughs.
In the new episodes, Keira Knightley’s undercover spy, Helen, and Ben Whishaw’s gun-for-hire, Sam, duo are forced to confront their murky pasts, after handler Mrs Reed, played by Sarah Lancashire, goes awol.
Fans of the show can rejoice as critics are saying this second outing is more than worth the wait. So far, the new episodes have received near-universal praise from critics for its performances, humour and poignancy.
With a “top notch cast”, “fast pace” and “witty dialogue”, season two of Black Doves looks set to be your next binge obsession.
Here is what critics are saying about season two of Black Doves…
“Black Doves is a blend of the fresh and the old-fashioned. Its balance of irreverent comedy and violence feels original, while the stakes are constantly high, danger always near. But its commitment to the viewer feels almost traditional, like old-school linear telly, with every episode ending on a giant cliffhanger. And after all, there’s no genre more time-honoured than a juicy spy thriller you can sink right into.”
“Series two of this rambunctiously entertaining espionage drama might be implausible. But it’s a magnetically acted tale of friendship, with moments of genuine poignance.”
“What really sets Black Doves apart are its lovable characters and its beguiling mix of laughs and tears, which flirt with existential despair without ever fully tipping into it.”
“It’s funny and gruesome, a riot of slapstick and doomy death, and the fast pace helps. But if you stop for a minute and think seriously about these people, and how they live their lives, it falls to pieces. Moving? Deep? Nice try. This is a rollercoaster show, an adrenaline ride. Just enjoy it. It’s fun. Honestly.”
“British to the bone, the series is kippers for breakfast, rooftop chases in M&S cardigans, and the chintz of No 10 sitting cheek by jowl with Kathryn Hunter’s cockney crime boss.
“The tone is arch, the plotting ludicrous. Gripping, too. Forget doves being a symbol of peace – this lot are far more fun at war.”
“This new batch of six hour-long episodes is sharp, pacy and features even more explosive action than the first.
“What makes it such an easy-to-devour binge is the funny, likeable characters, led by tough, conflicted Helen and sad-eyed Sam, whose sparky repartee continues even when they’re taking heavy fire.”
“The characters are still flawed and complicated – we can question whether they are good people while still caring for them – and season two centres around defining love as a strength rather than a weakness, with clear sentimentality in its messaging. Well, it is still a Christmas show.”
“With [Keira] Knightley and Ben Whishaw spearheading a stellar cast whose repartee is sharp and chemistry is sharper, and an intricate tale of regret, vengeance, and betrayal that organically intertwines the personal and the professional, it’s a superior cat-and-mouse game that expertly sets itself apart from its genre compatriots.”
“After two years of waiting, Black Doves season two doesn’t disappoint. I was tempted to give it five stars, but the first half was stronger than the second. Nonetheless, this show is brilliant and deserves a future.”
“Black Doves season two feels perfectly packaged as a gripping weekend binge, with every new hour dropping another revelation that makes its central mystery that much more tangled.
“As propulsive as its action set pieces are, raising the bar set by its quietly impressive first instalment, the series never forgets to embrace the humour and occasionally messy humanity that keeps the story from slipping into overly grim territory.”
“If Black Doves season one was Casino Royale, meaning a clever and emotional reinterpretation of the spy genre, season two is Spectre: a slightly underwhelming return to form.
“Like Spectre, Black Doves season two 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.”
Black Doves season two is available to stream on Netflix now.
