Black Doves - Netflix 6 episodes

[tennissquare]

Anyone starting this today? All 6 episodes released today.
It's with Keira Knightley, Ben Wishaw and Sarah Lancashire - spy thriller.

I've started the first episode but had to stop and may go back to it tomorrow.

Was I the only viewer who could have done without things like the Sam character's bar pickup & bumming scene?

It was unnecessary, thought they just did it to show how progressive the show is.

I'm guessing it was to show that aspect of him - that he had never been sexually involved with Helen and also possibly to reinforce this idea of they don't have a real life. 🤷‍♀️

I still don’t understand why he likes Helen so much though.

Because they are friends

@Radishknot Yes, I didn't really get the whole bonding thing they had going on. That and his deliberate prosecco drinking made me think there were chunks of back story cut out in the edit.

Also, her whole recruitment interview did seem out of place with the mission she was actually undertaking (although it seemed as if her mission was a kind of by-product and she just kind of fell into it?)

If you are training a spy with talents in languages, (Russian, French and German I think?) then you kind of expect that is the way the story will go.

It's a bit like the 'RugRats in Paris' movie when they spend the whole time on some replica of It's A Small World ride set in China. It begs the question. oh. Doris. Where's the Eiffel Tower?

Because they are friends

thats not a normal friendship relationship to me & it was pretty one sided.

@kindlyensure yes, their bond didn’t make sense to me since they met late in life & can’t have spent that much time together.

Don't think I'm going to persist with this. Watched three episodes, not really feeling it. BW is very good (and the main reason for continuing to watch), but I'm finding it vaguely irritating in the same way that Killing Eve was.

yes, their bond didn’t make sense to me since they met late in life & can’t have spent that much time together.

If they'd grown up together or bonded through succession of extreme situations they'd gone through together would have made sense - but alluding to that would have worked the more flash backs of their relationship prior they did less sense their relationship made - perhaps it was all left on the cutting room floor as PP suggested or bad writing over explaining.

I thought he was going to end up being her brother, such was the bond they were implied to have.

I assumed trauma bonding in the sense of neither of them can get close to anyone because of the secret job, but they can get close to another trigger man/woman because they actually get it and can know the ‘real’ them. Baffling how she can randomly invite him over for Xmas dinner with her dim husband though, without a real explanation

oh. Doris. Where's the Eiffel Tower?

@kindlyensure

Season 2 confirmed.

@trivialMorning exactly, if they were raised as orphans in a brutal Soviet style spy starter school then I would buy it. @kindlyensure yes, he had a brotherly devotion to her.

Just watched Operation Mincemeat on Netflix - good film, top cast! - the “Eleanor” actor had a role in it.

I came in here specifically hoping someone else spotted that. Definitely opens up a thread for S2.

Overall I loved it. Loved Lenny as the female version of the fella in Snatch.

Loved the two murderous sidekicks, and that they've adopted the Ambassadors daughter.

Loved Helen's coat and scarf. Loved seeing Sarah L glammed up for a change.

Binge watched in 2 days. Bring on S2.

Just finished it and loved it. I want to be an Irish assassin.

The other bit for season two is that Helen was seen on the TV around the building where they rescused the hit women. Cole says he was seen and you see her husband looking intently at the TV so you know she’s been spotted too.
Now how this wouldn’t be in the papers is a mystery but it opens up to intrigue for series two as he clearly already doesn’t trust her because of his assistant and also the M15 officer coming to their house.

I hope that one lesson they learn from this is that if you are a Black Dove, then you should assume anyone who is linked to you in anyway is also a Black Dove or similar unless proved otherwise.

Anyone recommend anything similar? With female lead ?

Kleo, Netflix. Although (full admission) I didn't actually like Black Doves that much, and gave up after a few eps. But I did enjoy Kleo very much.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15135104/

i really enjoyed it. Loved Sam and Michael, the lush interiors, the trillions of fairy lights, KK's gorgeous clothes. Keira Knightley was a revelation, I had no idea she was such a good actor.

Yes the interiors ! 😂 i need something else just like this. I liked big little lies/white lotus etc for this reason....

I really liked Kiera in it too. Minimal gurning and she is very beautiful but looks late 30s and you aren’t distracted by acres of filler. She was great in it, I liked a meaty part for her. I like Whishaw in everything too.
I also liked that it was very British. I liked the fact that she had to break off at one point from a really tense stand off to go and look after the kids as the nanny was going home.
The slight slapstick actually I loved because it seemed more “real” than just a perfect assassin.
Loved the female triggermen (it’s gender neutral 😄) too. Loved the “would you like a glass of champagne and some chocolate cake?”<forlorn nod>. I thought the dialogue was great.

I think Spooks is quite similar and far superior. Some v strong female leads. Loved Hermione Norris in it.

Loved it. And very Xmassy. I thought I recognised that blonde lady but had no idea where from.