Black Doves

It's a strange mix of quality. I don't need a genre to stick to one thing, so the tonal variety doesn't bother me-but the execution? That's another story. The camera work and acting? Top-notch. The set design and writing? Not so much. Okay, maybe not *terrible*, but definitely weak. The vibe I got was: "People are dumb; they won't question this."

They'll imply a bomb with some visual cliché or stage a massive public murder, and-surprise!-no cops show up. Just our sly sleuth protagonist poking around for clues like it's a murder mystery brunch. It's the kind of lazy stuff that makes a pedant want to cry.

That said, if you can shush the little voice in your head whispering, "That's not how the world works," you might actually enjoy yourself.

I just finished watching Black Doves and want to see more. Black Doves currently has a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes so it's obviously a hit with both critics and the audience. It stars Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw and Sara Lancashire. All 3 and the rest of the cast were all terrific. I won't be surprised to see this show get nominated for multiple awards come award season. It has plenty of action, drama, comedy and twists and turns to entertain everyone. There are so many spy shows and some especially great ones this year so you have to be good enough to stick out of you want people to notice and Black Doves definitely does that. It's a must watch for any fan of spy series.

This was a good enough little miniseries, though it seems that it may not be this mini as more may come. I'm not sure more is needed or even wanted, but the two leads are very good and both are entertaining, so if there is more, there are a lot worse things that could happen. It's a spy thriller, along with various love stories, and it is the latter that sort of works best as the spying stuff is a bit convoluted with spies & killers popping up from anywhere & everywhere at any time, and sometimes I just stopped trying to follow the entire path and just enjoy the moment. These two genres frequently clash and this series does not lack action.

While this is not his finest moment, I've always been a fan of Ben Whishaw. He is so very talented, it amazes me how long he has mostly worked under the radar, Bond aside. His role here is a bit unique being a leading man who is a gay killer. I've always liked Keira Knightley when out of corsets. I find her to be at her best with more lighthearted fare. This isn't that, but the way it's played, it almost is and she is good here. I don't recall ever seeing her in such a kickass mode before, but she's good at it. There are a few other good performances in this most notably Ella Lily Hyland as one of the endless deadly spies, young as she may be. She is a hoot. Sarah Lancashire Is effectively ominous & mysterious while Andrew Buchan, the only person I've mentioned not killing people, as Knightley's sincerely kind, nice and honest husband is excellently gentle & warm. Just imagine a series in which the nicest person in it is an important politician! He is a true sweetheart. Much like a gay killer, you don't see this much either.

This is a bit of fun and I suppose if there is more, I might watch, but if that is two years from now, I kinda doubt it.

Black Doves ended up being a very solid spy thriller. I'm a big fan of this genre so went into this with high hopes even though I was skeptical of Keira Knightley playing a bad a$$ seeing she only weighs 100lbs soaking wet. I was wrong, she killed it. Same goes for Ben Whishaw, who also looks like he's 100lbs. Both of them were totally believable in their roles. I had a blast watching this and binged all 6 episodes over the weekend. I was addicted once I started watching it. I'm glad they plan on doing a second season because one is not enough. I want to see more of these characters and the world they built here.

Season 1 of Black Doves is a stylish spy thriller with a darkly comedic edge that never quite decides what it wants to be. It's a decent watch, especially if you're craving espionage antics while waiting for the next season of *Slow Horses*. The show delivers high-quality visuals and well-paced action sequences that mostly avoid the dreaded "over-produced CGI" trap. While it doesn't hit the same sharp highs as its genre counterparts, it does manage to blend intrigue and humor reasonably well-just don't expect it to redefine the spy-drama formula.

Unfortunately, *Black Doves* has a few feathers out of place. The pacing drags in the middle and even stumbles toward the finale, leaving some episodes feeling bloated. Netflix's insistence on repetitive flashbacks doesn't help either; it's as if they're worried viewers might forget what happened five minutes ago. This approach might work for casual viewers jumping in mid-season, but for anyone paying attention, it quickly becomes tiresome. And while the mix of dark comedy and espionage is enjoyable, the tonal shifts sometimes feel like the show is stuck in an identity crisis-leaning too far into one genre only to abruptly pivot back.

Still, there's enough here to make *Black Doves* worth a one-time watch. The pairing of Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw adds credibility without overshadowing the story, and the production quality is undeniably sleek. It's not top-tier spy drama, but it's entertaining enough to keep you engaged. A solid 6.5/10 feels fair (watch once, recommend to friends)