Why did Sam kill his father in Black Doves? Explained

Modified Jan 12, 2025 16:32 GMT

Still from the trailer (Image via Netflix)

Black Doves is a spy thriller series written and created by Joe Barton. It consists of a compelling narrative in six episodes, directed by Alex Gabbasi and Lisa Gunning.

The story focuses on Helen Webb, played by Kiera Knightley, a secret spy for a spies-for-hire organization called the Black Doves. They retrieve political and diplomatic secrets and sell them to the highest bidder. Helen is caught up in a web when her lover is killed, putting her secret identity in danger.

She seeks help from her old friend Sam, a contract killer with a troubled past. It is later revealed that Sam had to kill his own father to complete his first mission.

The series premiered on Netflix on December 5, 2024, and has already been renewed for a second season. Besides Knightley, it stars Ben Whishaw, Sarah Lancashire, Andrew Buchan, and Andrew Koji in prominent roles.

Sam killed his father to complete his first mission

Sam Young, played by Ben Wishaw, is an assassin who aids and assists Helen throughout the storyline of Black Doves season 1. His reason to protect Helen is an old favor he owes to her. Helen once saved someone close to him, and now it was his turn to save Helen.

Sam is an incredibly complex character who lives in the world of assassins and espionage but with a moral code. A flashback in episode 3 indicates that Sam killed his father, Frank, to become the man he is now.

Sam was raised by a master assassin father who trained him to become a contract killer. In his first job, his employer, Lenny, tasked him to kill his father, explaining that "he crossed a line" and must be put down. Lenny used this opportunity to test if Sam was serious about getting into the assassination business.

Despite Lenny's simple and short explanation, Sam understood that his father stepped outside his moral code, which means he killed an innocent, and this was enough for Sam to take him out. He looked into Frank's eyes and went through the task.

Throughout the series, Sam only takes those lives that he thinks will benefit society. He always looked into his victims' eyes before killing them, signifying an intimate act that deeply affected him. He protects Helen until the end, not only because he owes her but also because he cares for her.

As season 2 has already been confirmed, maybe the storyline would further elaborate on the exact reason behind the hit on Frank and why the price on his head was so high.