Black Doves is about to be the hottest new Netflix show of December 2024! The year is almost over, but thankfully, Netflix has a new spy thriller to cap off a solid year of TV!
Black Doves premieres on Thursday, Dec. 5, at 3 a.m. ET / 12 a.m. PT only on Netflix! All six episodes of the first season of the Netflix original series will be released at that time. Don't worry about any two-part or three-part Netflix releases (looking at you, Cobra Kai season 6!).
Because it's a new show, we don't know how many people will actually be interested in watching as soon as it's available. I have a feeling this show is going to be super popular eventually, but it might take a few weeks to get there.
Black Doves cast
Black Doves has an incredible cast led by Keira Knightley as Helen Webb, a spy and wife of current British Defense Minister, Wallace Webb, played by Andrew Buchan.
We shared the full cast for the new Netflix original series:
- Keira Knightley as Helen Webb, a spy for the Black Doves
- Ben Whishaw as Sam, an assassin who has a history with Helen
- Sarah Lancashire as Reed, Helen's boss of sorts with the Black Doves
- Andrew Buchan as Wallace Webb, Helen's husband and the Minister of Defense
- Andrew Koji as Jason Davies, Helen's lover
- Ella Lily Hyland as Williams, an assassin
- Gabrielle Creevy as Eleanor, an assassin
- Omari Douglas as Michael, Sam's ex
- Adeel Akhtar as Richard Eaves, Wallace's boss and the UK Prime Minister
- Kathryn Hunter as Lenny Lines, a mob boss
- Luther Ford as Hector
- Finn Bennett
- Isabella Wei as Kai-Ming
- Sam Troughton as Stephen Yarrick
- Agnes O'Casey as Dani
- Ken Nwosu
- Adam Silver
- Tracey Ullman
Trailer and synopsis
Created by Joe Barton, Black Doves tells the story of Helen, played by Knightley, who is pulled into an international incident after someone close to her is murdered. Helen is a spy for the Black Doves, an organization that gathers information and sells it to the highest bidder. As Helen learns more, she begins to question her place in the world.
As mentioned, there are six episodes in the first season of Black Doves, so it's going to be a quick binge-watch for most fans. And, it's going to be addicting, so watch out for spoilers. I know some fans will probably finish this show before the weekend even starts.
Netflix is very particular when it comes to its spy and assassin shows. You can expect something like The Night Agent, The Recruit, and The Diplomat with Black Doves. By the look of the trailer, there is quite the web weaved in this one.
We shared the synopsis, via Netflix:
"Set against the backdrop of London at Christmas, Black Doves is a sharp, action-filled, and heartfelt story of friendship and sacrifice. It follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother — and professional spy. For 10 years, she’s been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the shadowy organization she works for: the Black Doves. When her secret lover Jason (Andrew Koji) is assassinated, her spymaster, the enigmatic Reed (Sarah Lancashire), calls in Helen’s old friend Sam (Ben Whishaw) to keep her safe. Together, Helen and Sam set off on a mission to investigate who killed Jason and why, leading them to uncover a vast, interconnected conspiracy linking the murky London underworld to a looming geopolitical crisis."
What to expect
Well, well, well, as you can see in the trailer and synopsis, there's a lot going on in this series! I have incredibly high hopes for Black Doves. It's not every day that we get a holiday-themed spy series with a cast like this from a creator like Joe Barton. So, I can't wait for everyone to settle in with their favorite holiday snacks and tune in for this series.
Overall, you can expect a lot of big action sequences, but as you can also see from the trailer, Knightley's character is also going through a crisis of sorts. She's channeling her grief into revenge, which as we all know isn't the best foundation. As Helen discovers more and more about the inner workings of some of the institutions, she might not like what she finds.
I love a twisty spy series! Throw in a few assassins and a political crisis, too? For free? In this economy? Yeah, it's going to a must-watch this holiday season.
If you're looking for a spy/assassin series that takes place over the holidays and is surprisingly emotional and heartfelt, Black Doves is absolutely the show for you on Netflix!
Black Doves is already renewed for season 2 on Netflix, which is obviously good news.
Watch Black Doves on Netflix on Thursday, Dec. 5.