If you’re a fan of high-stakes spy thrillers, you may have already seen advertisements for the latest Netflix original series, Black Doves. The show premiered on Dec. 5 and has already earned massive critical praise as well as a season two renewal from the streamer. Centering on Keira Knightley’s Helen Webb, the project dives into a political conspiracy that threatens to upend all of London and concludes with more than a few bodies hitting the floor. Fans quickly took note of the show, leaving binge-viewers with a lot of off-the-wall plot lines to ruminate on as they begin the wait for season two. In the interim, we’re here to make sure you have all the necessary details with our comprehensive guide to the plot, characters and conclusion of Black Doves‘ first six episodes. Additionally, we’ve got a look ahead at what series creator Joe Barton has planned for Webb and company.
Needless to say, the following write-up will be rife with spoilers, so please be sure to bookmark this page and return later if you haven’t finished watching all six episodes yet. Those of you who have stuck around to see the bloody conclusion of Black Doves should also be sure to keep this page locked and loaded to brush up on the narrative once more when season two does finally come around.
What Happens in ‘Black Doves’?
As stated above, Black Doves centers on Keira Knightley’s Helen Webb. Though she presents herself as a run-of-the-mill homemaker, Webb is secretly a spy working for a mysterious mercenary agency known only as the Black Doves. Throughout the season, we see intercutting narratives showcasing Webb’s initial decision to join the organization back in 2014, alongside her current mission, which sees her going rogue to avenge the murder of her lover, Jason. When the series first kicks off, we learn that Webb was cheating on her spouse with Jason, when the latter and several of his associates are murdered in a conspiracy involving the Chinese ambassador. As Helen begins to investigate his untimely demise, she comes to learn that Jason was a close associate of the ambassador’s daughter, who has been kidnapped.
At first, it seems as though the death of Jason and the kidnapping of the ambassador’s daughter are the result of a complex CIA plot, though the American government vehemently denies any connection to the scandal. As Helen and her Black Doves associate Sam come to learn, however, the truth is significantly more complicated. Together, Helen and Sam locate the assassin who killed Jason, though he refuses to name his employers. Just when it seems like the man is finally going to reveal the information, however, Helen is accosted by another pair of assassins, presumably operating on the same payroll as Jason’s killer. Sam and Helen manage to fight these assailants off with little time to spare, though they ultimately come to find that the conspiracy extends much farther than they ever could have predicted.
Who Are the Clarks?
After conferring with Cole Atwood, a CIA agent, Helen learns that the Chinese ambassador has been murdered, and that video footage supposedly exists exonerating the American government of any involvement. Needless to say, the CIA is very interested in tracking this footage down to mitigate an international incident with the Chinese government. Eventually, the CIA, Black Doves and even England’s MI5 are drawn to a local crime syndicate known as The Clarks, headed by Clark family matriarch Alex. Though Alex Clark seems to be pulling the strings behind the entire conspiracy, her motivation remains largely unclear. We come to learn that her son Trent had been dating the Chinese ambassador’s daughter before she went missing and that the family’s organized crime syndicate has been on the radar of British intelligence all along.
It isn’t until the final episode of the season that we learn who truly ordered the murder of Jason and company, and why. Apparently, Trent Clark killed the ambassador by accident during a heated exchange and called upon his mother to help him cover up his crimes. When the ambassador’s daughter learned about her father’s demise, she justifiably panicked, causing Trent to continue taking out anyone who may have been too close to the ambassador in the days before his death. During the investigation, we also learn that Jason was an MI5 agent actively investigating the Clarks in the days leading up to the incident. Helen vows to kill both Trent and Alex, though her boss at Black Doves HQ assigns the project to Sam with the demand that he eliminate the Clarks alone.
How Does ‘Black Doves’ Season 1 End?
As Sam heads to the Clarks’ compound, unknowingly leading the CIA and MI5 forces right to their door, Helen continues the search for the elusive video displaying the ambassador’s death. Her search eventually leads her to a jewelry store owned by the Clark family, where she cracks a safe containing the footage. From there, she manages to get a hold of Alex and blackmails her with the footage, all while plotting to kill her and Trent once they eventually meet. Alex gives away her location, allowing Helen to bring in the cavalry, though she ultimately shows up too late to get her satisfaction. Just as Chinese and U.S. forces descend upon the Clark compound, Sam successfully slays both Alex and Trent Clark. Helen is distraught that she didn’t get to avenge Jason’s death herself, though she does manage to curtail an international conflict by handing the footage over to Cole Atwood.
In the final moments of the season, it seems as though things are fully wrapped up. Jason and the Chinese ambassador’s respective murders are solved, Chinese and U.S. relations are back to normal and the Black Doves have remained an under-the-radar spy force with mysterious origins. Though Helen and her husband Wallace have both come to learn that they are keeping massive secrets from one another, they agree to remain married and share a genuine sense of kinship. Neither seems to view the other as the love of their life, but their compromise sees them sticking together for political and personal reasons. Just as Helen begins to settle back into her routine posing as a standard civilian, she receives a call from a blocked number. The caller, who remains unseen, offers a cryptic message, stating that Sam will pay for what he has done to the Clark family.
What Can We Expect in Season 2?
Thankfully, most of the major plot points are wrapped up in the season one finale. Still, the series begs the question of what will become of Sam moving forward now that he’s got a massive target on his back. Likewise, the question remains as to whether Helen will formally leave the spy life behind, or go out guns blazing when Sam is inevitably attacked. Netflix preemptively confirmed a second season of Black Doves before the first six episodes were released on the streamer, which seems to confirm that series creator Joe Barton has more big tricks up his sleeve.
Season two will likely see some kind of gang war incur on the streets of London following the power vacuum left by the Clarks, with some loyalists planning to hunt down Sam, and possibly other Black Doves in order to get his information. Fans are also expecting that the next season will shed some additional light on the organization overall, including the mysterious motivations of Helen’s boss, Reed. Any way you slice it, there’s still plenty of international espionage left for this series to crack, meaning season two and beyond are already set up for success.
