Black Doves Recap ‘To Love Then’: Assassin and spy go on a vengeance hunt for love

Ben Whishaw is an assassin and Keira Knightley is a spy in Netflix's Black Doves.

Black Doves Season 1 Episode 1 Recap and Review

Espionage has gone commercial. Gone were the days of a decades long Smiley v Karla duel. Now, the Black Doves spy for money, some of them very successfully, right to the heart of the British government. 

It was an interesting premise, and casting Ben Whishaw and Keira Knightley guaranteed an audience. But, and it pains me to write this, this pilot episode is not a particularly strong addition to the tradition of British espionage tales (John le Carrè, early seasons of Spooks, Slow Horses, etc). What it is is a fun spy tale for Christmas, so as long as you keep your expectations suitably managed, you’re in for a treat. 

To the outside world, Helen Webb (Ms Knightley) was the perfect politician’s wife. She raised their twins (son and daughter), she hosted their parties, she looked sensational. Her husband was now the Defence Secretary, but everyone knew he was being eyed as the next Prime Minister. She was a spy who was in too deep, and though she fell in love, she could not possibly leave her post, not when her organisation was making a lot of money off her work, and was poised to hold more power as soon as her husband reached the top spot. 

The lover was Jason Davies, a hot civil servant who opened the series on the phone with a tabloid reporter, Phillip Bray, a jewellery shop assistant, Maggie Jones, and an unnamed female he could not reach. Before the night ended, Jason, Phillip, and Maggie would be executed. 

Helen’s handler Mrs Reed wanted her to lay low, but of course she did not, could not. She went to Jason’s apartment and talked her way in so she could search it. She found a hard drive hidden in the wall, as certain a sign as any that her lover was hiding something. Then, two assassins dressed as cops walked in.

Having her daughter call Helen just before the fight was a nice touch, along with Sam’s (Mr. Whishaw) entry via shotgun blast. Helen and Sam clearly had a history; Sam returned to London for her, though he had been away for seven years. Helen asked Sam to keep her family safe, and to keep her alive long enough so she could find out who killed Jason and take her revenge.

That was this pilot episode’s weakest point, that it was built around this supposed great love between Helen and Jason, which was largely unconvincing. ‘To Love Then’ was stronger love-wise when it pivoted to Sam’s past love, Michael, seen only in brief glimpses on this episode but already carrying the weight of history and deep, abiding affection. Since the last time they saw each other, Michael had gotten married, had a daughter via surrogacy, and had gotten separated. The connection between Sam and Michael was palpable. Sam’s friend Arnie immediately told Michael that Sam was back.

The tale of espionage love was enmeshed with geopolitics, with Helen’s husband struggling to handle the fallout from the death of the Chinese Ambassador Jun Chen. Beijing had already issued a statement rejecting the UK Coroner’s report that he died of a drug overdose. They were also looking for the Ambassador’s daughter, Kai-Ming, who was missing. Incidentally, the number Jason had been calling the day he died happened to belong to Kai-Ming Chen. 

‘To Love Then’ was a sleek update to the espionage genre that was lifted by its talented cast. There was enough intrigue here to merit a full season watch. 

What worked:

💌 Ben Whishaw was shot so beautifully, I paused a few times just to a admire the framing. Well deserved for one of the best British actors currently active. 

💌Mrs. Reed (Sarah Lancashire) as Helen’s handler. 

💌The commercial spies concept. 

💌The music store as a secret weapons shop. Georgina at the mall selling makeup who also happened to be a one-stop shop for prints and DNA analysis. 

💌Arnie and Zach, Sam’s architect friends from before he left London. Also, the Michael references and flashback.

What needed more work:

💌 Helen and Jason’s love story. 

Strays

💌Helen told Mrs. Reed that if she was pulled out, she would take the children.

💌The two assassins who attacked Helen were Kent and Williams. Only Williams survived. 

💌Helen and her husband Wallace had been married for ten years.

💌Jason and Phillip was discussing someone named Sy on a video footage, which was supposed to be huge.

💌Sam’s friends thought he worked in insurance.

💌Apart from the situation about the Chinese Ambassador, there was also something about talk with the Saudis heating up. 

💌The fingerprint on the bullet casing that Sam found belonged to Elmore Fitch. Sam expected Helen would want to come with him to confront Jason’s likely assassin. 

💌Helen's husband had a flirty new assistant named Dani.

Rating: B+

Episode Title: To Love Then

Episode Writer: Joe Barton

Episode Director: Alex Gabassi

Original Air Date: December 5, 2024

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