Looking for an intriguing series to binge over the holidays? Checkout the new espionage thriller on Netflix, BLACK DOVES starring Keira Knightly and Ben Crenshaw. Set around the Christmas holiday in London (with ten year flashbacks). Knightly plays Helen, the wife of Britain's Sec. of Defense and mother of their eight year old twins). Helen is a code name for Daisy (which may also be a code name). She's recruited into an int'l spy ring known as the Black Doves that gathers intel sold to the highest bidder. "Will I be breaking the law? Will I have to betray my country?" Helen asks her handler, Mrs. Reed (an icy Sarah Lancashire) before accepting the offer. "Yes. And, at times," is the cool response she receives before taking the job offer as an espionage agent we knew she would from the glimmer in her eyes. We know little about Daisy, a.k.a. Helen other than what's vetted at her original job interview as a diplomatic interpreter. She's highly intelligent, a polyglot, a risk taker and with no family ties other than a step-sister in jail for killing her dad, Daisy's step-father. Knightly is half the reason to watch this glossy, violent, sexy, INTRIGUING spy thriller. Knightly is not only convincing as a ruthless killer, she exemplifies a loving, albeit frustrated mom also in love with the man she's having a torrid affair which is cut short by an assassin's bullet. The other reason to tune in is to watch Ben Whishaw as Sam, a contract hitman who trained Helen to be proficient in the essential skills essential at killing as well as self-defense. Fortunately, Helen happens to have a natural talent for fighting and flair for duplicity. The two actors are captivating and convincing in their multi-layered, intoxicating roles, ranging from sociopathic to doting parents, devoted lovers and die-hard friends with each other. We learn Sam's story with his lover early on and why he needed to disappear for years. Look for Kathryn Hunter as Lenny who is all but unrecognizable and unforgettable as a menacing mob boss in tracksuit and oversized glasses whose banal appearance belies the ominous, omnipotent control she wields. Lenny tells Sam "You're a cold killer with a soft heart This is not a good combo to have." But, Ho Ho that's the jolly rub, seeing the extreme spectrum of Sam and Helen's personas. There's only six hour long episodes. Each is packed with an abundance of tension, tenderness, mystery and mayhem to hold the viewer hostage. If there are questionable holes in the plot, the top notch leads, assorted enticing characters, suspense, romance and action to cover up any cracks or inconvenient corpses. DIE HARD has just been replaced as the favorite Christmas thriller. BLACK DOVES has it beat in spades. Knightly and Whishaw will make you wish for a second season. It's circumspect whether it's set during Christmas or not.
watched in Ireland, there will be a season 2. They both demand attention on screen
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