Keira Knightley’s Netflix Spy Thriller Returns With 6 Pulse-Pounding Episodes

Published Nov 5, 2026, 11:45 AM EST

Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant with expertise in new streaming releases. He's published over 3000 articles at SR, including weekly recommendation guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions.

Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston.

Keira Knightley's acclaimed spy thriller officially returns to Netflix with six episodes of dangerous alliances, dark humor, and high-stakes political intrigue. Following its explosive 2024 debut season, which earned 59.4 million hours viewed worldwide in its first week on the platform, Knightley's hit series is finally back, dropping its 6-part new season on Thursday, November 5. With its star-studded cast, action-packed story, and complex secret society premise, Black Doves season 2 is ScreenRant's top pick for what to binge on Netflix right now.

Keira Knightley's Netflix spy thriller series Black Doves returns with six new pulse-pounding episodes that place Knightley's secret agent protagonist, Helen Webb, back in her most valuable and vulnerable position yet as the wife of the newly appointed British Prime Minister. If you love spy thrillers with darkly comedic elements like Apple TV's Emmy-winning series Slow Horses, there is truly no better new series for you to binge on Netflix tonight. Based on its season 1 popularity, Black Doves is sure to be one of the most-watched new shows on Netflix this weekend and will hope to match or improve on its near-perfect 92% season 1 Rotten Tomatoes score.

Netflix’s Black Doves Season 2 Puts Helen's Double Life At The Center Of A Political Crisis

Netflix

Black Doves season 1 quickly established who Helen Webb's shadowy society of assassins are and what their mission is, which should only make Helen's season 2 objectives more high-stakes and full of tension. Despite being based in London, The Black Doves don't operate for any one nation or ideology. Instead, they work for the highest bidder, carrying out various tasks of espionage, including information gathering and taking out designated targets, for whoever floats the top-paying bill. This doesn't necessarily make Helen an enemy of her own state, but her allegiance to the Black Doves is far more significant than her loyalty to Wallace, the new Prime Minister.

Beyond these complications, Helen's most trusted ally within her organization, Sam Young, played by Ben Whishaw, is a highly trained assassin who reveals that he killed a fellow member of the Black Doves during his most recent assignment. This suggests that a hidden conspiracy is brewing within the society that places their entire operation at risk, forcing Helen and Sam to question who they can actually trust moving forward.

What's more, Helen's Black Doves supervisor, who recruited her to the organization many years before, Reed, played by Sarah Lancashire, is suddenly thrust out of the picture, and she is given a new handler in the form of Robert Conteh, played by Babou Ceesay. Another season 2 newcomer, U.S. diplomat Cecile Mason (played by Neve Campbell), further shakes up the plot as she begins to work closely with Wallace, much to Helen's concern.

Black Doves Returns With The Explosive Action & Dark Humor That Made Season 1 A Hit

Netflix

While the premise and general tone of Black Doves season 2 make the series seem like a serious spy thriller on the level of a James Bond film, the series still retains much of the dark humor that made it such a success in season 1. In fact, the dark comedy employed throughout the series has become such an integral part of the fabric of Black Doves that abandoning this aspect after its first season would be a major uncharacteristic shift. Fortunately, Black Doves season 2 has brought back several of the key figures who contribute to the more lighthearted qualities of the series, including supporting characters like Williams, played by Ella Lily Hyland, and Eleanor, played by Gabrielle Creevy, two witty freelance assassins.

If the early reviews are any indication, Black Doves season 2 has already matched, if not exceeded, the quality and entertainment value of its acclaimed first season. Black Doves season 2 debuted with a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score based on eight reviews at the time of writing. ScreenRant gave the series 7/10 stars, noting, "If Black Doves season 1 was Casino Royale, meaning a clever and emotional reinterpretation of the spy genre, season 2 is Spectre: a slightly underwhelming return to form." With this added attribute, Black Doves is nicely positioned to become Netflix's most-watched new series this weekend as it looks to claim the streamer's #1 global viewership spot.

Black Doves - Season 2

7/10