Black Doves season two: Keira Knightley spy caper will cure your Slow Horses withdrawal

Perhaps it’s that the first season of Black Doves had to spend time establishing its credentials, or maybe it’s just a matter of timing. But it wasn’t obvious until now that this Keira Knightley spy thriller has a lot in common with Slow Horses.

Both shows are British, six episodes long, has operatives working outside the law, and feature over-the-top shoot-outs with high body counts, especially of the faceless, black-clad mercenary variety, that seem almost cartoonish for London and its surrounds.

There’s also a reliance on that dry humour, although Slow Horses is nastier and more personal. This season of Black Doves also has a storyline that harkens back to a Cold War-era operation that’s now come back to bite everyone on the arse.

With Slow Horses’ sixth season wrapping up a fortnight ago, Black Doves season two is here to help with that withdrawal.

Created by Joe Barton, Black Doves refers to a secret, illegal espionage organisation unconnected to any government, and one of its key operatives is Helen Webb (Knightley), who was tasked many years ago with getting close to an upcoming politician.

In this season, her now husband (Andrew Buchan) has just been voted by his flailing party as prime minister, and Helen and their two children have moved into Downing Street. Her secret identity is still safe, although her ability to lie is more challenged thanks to a frequent marriage counselling sessions.

Her new position even helped her with a plot in Paris that involves breaking into the safe of a Russian powerbroker, but afterwards, her handler, Mrs Reed (Sarah Lancashire), vanishes, which leaves her with a new Black Doves shot-caller (Babou Ceesay).

She also has to contend with the demands of her husband’s peace summit, which brings the likes of characters played by Sylvia Hoeks and Neve Campbell (arguably a thankless role) into her orbit. However, for someone who’s the PM’s wife, she has a lot of latitude in terms of slipping out without a security detail.

Separately, sort of, her friend, assassin Sam (Ben Whishaw), is set up on an assignment and then blackmailed by a mystery man (Sam Riley) into killing four targets which link back to the Black Doves.

He again seeks the help of a pair of smart-mouthed lesbian contract killers, Eleanor (Gabrielle Creevy) and Williams (Ella Lily Hyland), while Helen comes into contact with one of Mrs Reed’s agents, Laila (Ambika Mod), who seems to have perfect aim.

All these story points will entwine, while a fifth episode extended flashback explains exactly how all the pieces fit together – and it’s surprisingly tightly plotted and satisfying, even if it’s ludicrous.

This season feels more confident than its premiere chapters now that the emotional contours of especially Helen and Sam have been sketched out, which leaves Knightley and Whishaw to work their thespian magic.

Both characters are compelling – she with her grit and he with his pervasive sadness – because Knightley and Whishaw are just so good, and they mostly have the material to back them up.

The ensemble cast also works to bring some freewheeling chemistry, and the addition of Mod, in her best role yet, adds a different spark, and when those three share set-pieces with the leads, there’s a likeable chaos that keeps the momentum going.

Black Doves might be Slow Horses-lite but it’s high-octane and compulsive, and that’s a good enough reason to devour the whole thing.

Black Doves is streaming on Netflix