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Black Doves season 1 is a spy thriller series created by Joe Barton, featuring Keira Knightley, Sarah Lancashire, and Ben Whishaw in leading roles. The series premiered its six episodes on Netflix on December 5, 2024. Moreover, the spy series was renewed for a second season in August 2024, months before the season 1 premiere.
The show's official logline, as per Netflix, reads:
"When a spy posing as a politician's wife learns her lover has been murdered, an old assassin friend joins her on a quest for truth — and vengeance."
Black Doves season 1 began with the death of Jason Davies, who was killed to cover up the murder of Chinese ambassador Chen.
Who killed Jason Davies in Black Doves season 1?
Jason Davies was a low-ranking civil servant working in the Department of Justice. He and jeweler Maggie discovered a recording showing Trent Clark accidentally killing Chinese ambassador Chen. The two decided to team up with tabloid reporter Phillip to expose Trent's crime.
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After learning about the recording, Trent hired assassin Elmore Fitch to kill the trio before they could implicate him in Chen's death.
Furthermore, Jason's true identity was revealed in the finale episode of Black Doves season 1. Through Reed, Helen learned that Jason was an MI5 agent assigned to determine whether she was behind the leaking of government secrets. He got close to Helen to reveal the truth. During their brief dalliance, Helen confessed to him that she was a spy working for the Black Doves.
Nevertheless, Jason claimed in his official report that Helen was not a spy, proving his love for her wasn't a ruse. In the end, Helen received a hard drive from Reed with everything she could find on the real Jason. However, the former tossed it into the Thames, preferring to preserve their shared memories together.
Why did Trent Clark kill Ambassador Chen in Black Doves season 1?
The Chinese ambassador's death was a central plot in the festive spy series. The Chinese believed the ambassador was killed by an American operative and were willing to make that information public, potentially leading to a geopolitical crisis.
However, the truth was that Trent Clark was dating Chen's daughter, Kai-Ming Chen. He unintentionally killed Chen after the latter confronted him about supplying his daughter with drugs. Their heated argument turned fatal when Trent accidentally shoved Chen, causing him to hit his head on a table and die.
He immediately called his mother for help, who sent in Stephen Yarrick, the London Metropolitan Police Commissioner, to cover up the crime with the Prime Minister's awareness.
Sam and Helen's backstory explained in Black Doves season 1
The second episode of Black Doves season 1 delved into Helen and Sam's backstory. Their journey began 10 years ago when Helen was newly recruited by Reed into the Black Doves organization. She bonded with Sam, a hired assassin, as she started her first assignment—getting close to the rising politician, Wallace Webb.
In addition to working for Black Doves, Sam also took on hit jobs for Lenny Lines. When Lenny ordered him to kill the Newman brothers, including a very young Hector Newman, Sam reluctantly complied. However, the warm-hearted Sam could not get himself to pull the trigger on a scared child and spared Hector's life.
After the killings, the Newmans (a criminal gang) tracked Sam down to his house, which he shared with his boyfriend Michael. To save Michael, who believed Sam worked in insurance, Sam asked Helen to take him away to a safe place. He then left the country and settled in Rome before being called back to help Helen.
Also Read: Where was Black Doves filmed? All shooting locations explored
What happened to Helen and Wallace at the end of Black Doves season 1?
Helen stayed with her husband, Wallace Webb, a Tory member and Britain's defense secretary, at the end of the series. She married Wallace due to his political position, which enabled her to steal sensitive government information. She passed this information on to the Black Doves, who sold it to the highest bidder for financial gain.
Although she didn't love Wallace, Helen decided to remain in the marriage, as it made her a lucrative asset to the Black Doves. A flashback scene revealed that she made a deal with Reed to help Sam escape to Rome in exchange for continuing her work with the secret organization.
After Prime Minister Richard Eaves's complicity in covering up Ambassador Chen's death became known, Helen learned that he would be forced to resign by the following New Year, with Wallace poised to take on the role.
Black Doves season 2 may potentially see Wallace heading to 10 Downing Street as the next Prime Minister. In that case, Helen would be the Prime Minister's wife, having close proximity to the world's most sensitive information and putting her in a powerful position with the Black Doves.
Did Helen find Jason's killer in Black Doves season 1?
Throughout Black Doves season 1, Helen was consumed by the desire to avenge her lover's death. After she found the incriminating tape left behind by Jason, she sought out crime lord Alex Clark, believing her to be Jason's killer. The two came face-to-face in a London warehouse, where Alex had held Sam, the assassin Eleanor, and Kai-Ming Chen (the ambassador's daughter) hostage.
However, Helen found out that Trent (Alex's son) was the one to order the hit behind his mother's back. When Helen pointed her gun at Trent to exact her revenge, she was disarmed by Alex. In the ensuing fight, Sam ended up shooting both Alex and Trent to spare Helen from dealing with the fallout of killing the leader of a criminal gang.
Meanwhile, the American and Chinese intelligence arrived at the warehouse to obtain the tape, which went to the CIA (Black Doves's highest bidder). With the CIA in possession of the tape that proved their innocence in the Chinese diplomat's death, Sam and Helen inadvertently helped avert a major geopolitical crisis.
Sam stayed in London after his mission
Elsewhere, Sam was visited by Hector Newman (the kid whose life he spared years ago) with a job offer. Hector asked him to work under his criminal organization in exchange for protection from the revenge-seeking Clarks. Sam also met up with Lenny, and the two hashed out their past differences.
Sam decided to stay in London and resumed his relationship with Michael after coming clean about his true identity. In the end, the two were seen celebrating Christmas together.
Also Read: Black Doves soundtrack: A definitive guide to every song in the series
Stay tuned for more updates about Black Doves season 1.
