Turns out, you can pack a lot of socio-political storyline into just six episodes. Black Doves is a head-scrambler, so we’re here to break the ending down, before discussing what to expect from Season 2.
Netflix has done it again! If Bodies, Fool Me Once, and 3 Body Problem weren’t enough, it’s rounding out 2024 with a spy thriller set in good old Blighty. Black Doves stars Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw, and Sarah Lancashire as characters in a secret organization embroiled in government secrets.
Just like its release date, the new TV show is set during Christmas, which basically means it’s a dystopian follow-up to Love Actually. There are no placards on the doorstep, but lots of people’s heads get blown off instead.
But what actually happens, how does it end, and what might come next? Ahead of the confirmed Season 2, here’s a comprehensive catch-up of the Black Doves story so far. Warning: spoilers ahead!
Episode 1-5 roundup
The crux of Black Doves hinges on our overarching storyline – the Chinese ambassador has been killed, with Chinese officials believing the US is responsible. The CIA is denying it, leaving No. 10 (aka the Prime Minister and his cabinet) at their wits’ end. Helen and Sam find themselves entangled in the mess.
For context, Helen (Keira Knightley) is a Black Dove, which is a mysterious organization of spies who sell sensitive information to the highest bidder. She joined 10 years prior to when our story takes place, which we learn through flashbacks. This is also how she met Sam (Ben Whishaw), who was an “odd job” triggerman for Mrs. Reed (Sarah Lancashire) at the time.
2014
In the story’s chronological order, we learn that Helen – real name Daisy – was brought in for her ability to be able to disappear without a trace. Reed onboards her in 2014, partnering her with Sam when the mark is politician Wallace (Andrew Buchan). He teaches her the ropes of combat and becomes her friend over time.
There’s shared history between the two as Helen was instrumental in rescuing Sam’s boyfriend Michael (Omari Douglas) from a hit gone wrong. We learn Sam was doing work for a woman named Lenny Lines (Kathryn Hunter) alongside stuff for Reed, which began with having to kill his own dad who’d wronged her. His kills go well until he’s tasked with taking four problems down at once. The first three aren’t an issue, but Sam finds the fourth is a child. He can’t go through with it, wrongly telling Lenny the job had been done.
Unsurprisingly, Sam’s tracked down for the hits at his home, putting Michael in danger. Having told his boyfriend he worked in insurance, being shot at came as a surprise. Sam manages to get him to safety after calling Helen for backup. With the help of Reed, she clears up and takes Michael somewhere safe, while Sam flees the country.
Meanwhile, Helen’s had a journey of her own. She’s now in a relationship with Wallace, who is moving up the political ranks, and is pregnant with their first child. However, she doesn’t love him, and this drives her to want to leave the Black Doves altogether. She tells Reed, who says she can arrange her replacement. In order to get Reed to help Sam after the attack, she promises to stay on as an asset.
2024
When we meet Helen, she’s the one in trouble. She’s been having an affair behind Wallace’s back with Jason (Andrew Koji), who is killed along with two other strangers at the start of Episode 1. We learn one of them is tabloid journalist Phillip, while the other is jewelry store worker Maggie. All of them have a connection to Kai-Ming (Isabella Wei), the Chinese ambassador’s daughter.
Not only has he been killed in a suspected attack by the Americans, but also Kai-Ming has gone missing. Helen takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of what’s happened, with Reed calling Sam from Rome to come back to help her out. He’s been gone for eight years by this point, vanishing from friends and Michael without a trace.
Helen first manages to track down the assassin who killed Jason, who refuses to give up who hired him. She goes to Jason’s house to look for clues linking him to the other murders when two assassins arrive to kill her. Sam saves the day by killing one, while Williams (Ella Lily Hyland) flees out the window.
At the same time, Lenny drags Sam over hot coals for the job he never finished all those years ago. The young boy has grown up to be Hector Newman (Luther Ford), who’s now a big fish in the crime ring. When she threatens to get Williams and new partner Eleanor (Gabrielle Creevy) to kill Michael, Sam pledges to get Hector sorted.
Here’s where the two paths first intersect – Hector has got hold of Kai-Ming in his Peckham hideout. By the time Sam gets there, they’re both long gone. He essentially has to enlist the help of Eleanor and Williams to take his team down, and when they do, bigger problems lay in wait.
Essentially, the Ambassador plot – and therefore our sub-plot with Hector and Kai-Ming – is operating on a much bigger scale than anyone thought. As the Chinese continue to accuse the Americans of the attack, it’s alleged video footage exists proving otherwise. CIA agent Cole Atwood is seen leaving the premises on the night of the attack, but he tells Helen and Sam this all comes back to a renowned crime family called The Clarks.
Reed is the only one who seems to have any knowledge of them, but she’s fuming with Helen. By refusing to hand Cole over to her, Reed sees Helen as a liability – but we learn she has done for years. Since her wobble in 2014, Reed has been quietly lining up another agent to take her place, who currently works as Wallace’s assistant. She tells Wallace about Helen’s affair, which he doesn’t believe.
At the same time, Sam is tasked by Reed to kill Alex Clark, but he must complete the job alone. Armed only with an address, Sam is attacked by her henchmen when he gets there, still unaware of her true identity.
The big bads were revealed in the Black Doves ending
Helen and Sam rescued the others in the Black Doves ending, learning who The Clarks really are (a very brief cameo from Tracey Ullman as matriarch Alex Clark here). Sam kills Alex and Trent before Helen gets a chance for her revenge, putting a fresh target on his back. The footage of the ambassador’s death ends up with the “highest bidder,” which is the CIA.
When Helen hears Reed has sent Sam to kill Alex Clark on his own, she’s livid. She demands Reed gives her the address, which she refuses. In lieu of evidence, Helen goes on a hunt of her own. She remembers a bracelet Jason gave to her as a gift, leading her to the jewelry store Maggie used to work in. In the safe, she finds the pinhole camera with the video footage.
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We learn it wasn’t Cole who killed the ambassador but Trent Clark, Alex Clark’s son and Kai-Ming’s boyfriend. Footage shows him pushing the ambassador over a sofa, hitting his head on a table. He calls his mum in a panic, who sends Stephen Yarrick (Wallace’s colleague who had previously been killed) over to sort it out. This also confirms the Prime Minister knew the truth the entire time.
Helen uses the footage as leverage against Trent, who she tracks down by tracing the logo on his cap, to get hold of Alex. She agrees to meet, leading Helen and Williams directly to Sam, Eleanor, and Kai-Ming. Trent reveals he killed the ambassador to Kai-Ming, while it’s also revealed that it was Trent who called the assassins to kill Maggie, Jason, and Phillip rather than Alex. While Alex is dismayed at having to clear up so much of her son’s mess, Helen threatens to kill the pair after sneaking a gun into Trent’s pocket.
With Lenny’s anger seared into his mind, it’s Sam who kills them both. By this point, both Chinese and US officials have arrived looking for the tape, and when the group escapes, Helen manages to give it to Cole. This pleases Reed, who has had both of her jobs completed, but an ominous voice calls Helen to tell her Sam will pay for what he’s done.
When Helen and Reed meet for the final time, Reed reveals all she’s learned about Jason. Helen was actually being used in a set-up – when her name was flagged by a secret MI5 sub-group, Jason was tasked with filing a report on whether she’s actually a spy. Surprise! Jason was MI5 the entire time. However, Reed tells her Jason risked his life by stating on record no evidence was found to suggest she was, even though Helen flat-out told him. Reed suggests Jason really did love her back.
As for Sam – he’s managed to patch things up with Michael throughout the series, and they’re back living together. Michael now knows everything about Sam’s true life and one evening spots Hector waiting for Sam on their sofa. Hector explains he’s never been sure if Sam was his guardian angel or worst enemy, but he has a job offer. If Sam stays in the UK, it’s to work alongside him.
Sam visits Lenny, telling her about Hector’s offer. Convinced they can put the past behind them, he leaves her unharmed, heading to Helen’s for Christmas Day. She’s slotted safely back into family life without raising suspicion, with the two discussing if they’ll meet again in the future.
Who’s been killed off?
Thankfully, none of the main Black Doves cast has been killed off. However, the same can’t be said for Kent, Trent Clark, and Alex Clark – not to mention our ambassador and an infinite number of dead assassins and bystanders.
This leads us to believe that all surviving cast should return for the second season, which was confirmed before Season 1 even aired. Helen, Sam, and Reed are almost a dead cert, as are Williams and Eleanor.
Other supporting cast remains to be seen. Kai-Ming’s plot has essentially wrapped up, though she’s now made friends with Williams and Eleanor. Lenny Lines likely hasn’t seen the back of Sam either – she’s definitely not over Hector still being alive.
Helen and Sam could easily split from their partners, meaning Wallace and Michael are out of the picture too. This is less likely for Wallace, given how much time he spends at No. 10.
Season 2 plot theories
Helen and Sam are likely to face serious consequences for killing the Clarks, while Sam begins working with Hector. Reed is also setting up Helen’s journey to Downing Street, with Wallace in position to be the next Prime Minister.
While a new sub-plot is yet to be determined, it’s almost certain the fallout from the Clarks’ murder will tie together Season 2. We don’t know who was on the phone to Helen in Episode 6, meaning the Black Doves have only uncovered the tip of the iceberg.
As Sam has agreed to work with Hector in order to stay in the UK, that’s a guaranteed plot too. It’s unclear whether the pair will get on, but it feels as though there’s an air of respect between the two. Their success likely hinges on whether Sam and Michael can stay together as well.
If I had to guess, Reed is hiding something. Six episodes down and we know next to nothing about her, and we don’t really have an answer for why she betrayed Helen against the Chinese. Hopefully, Season 2 gets to the bottom of this.
Helen is unlikely to be completely faithful to Wallace either – certainly not politically, as she’ll be feeding secrets to the highest bidder from inside No. 10. But after the ambassador’s death, does Wallace have clean enough hands to run the country?
As an aside… it would be really fun if Kai-Ming trained to be an assassin too. She’s struck a lovely bond with Williams and Eleanor, and she’s got a lot of rage for her dead dad and boyfriend.
Black Doves is on Netflix now. Check out more upcoming shows like Virgin River Season 6, Squid Game Season 2, and Wednesday Season 2. Or, why not try their true crime and documentaries?
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