Christmas is over and the Black Doves are getting back to work. Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw and Sarah Lancashire are back for season two of Netflix’s spy drama and are joined by a slew of familiar faces.
The Joe Barton-created series has added Neve Campbell (Scream), Ambika Mod (One Day), Sam Riley (Control), Babou Ceesay (Alien: Earth), Sylvia Hoeks (Blade Runner 2049) Goran Kostic (Canary Black and Ant-Man and The Wasp) and Samuel Barnett (Lee) to the cast.
The first season, set in London, follows Helen Webb (Knightley), a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother — and professional spy. For 10 years, she’s been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the shadowy organization she works for: the Black Doves. When her secret lover Jason (Andrew Koji) is assassinated, her spymaster, the enigmatic Reed (Lancashire), calls in Helen’s old friend Sam (Whishaw) to keep her safe.
In the second season, which has just started production, Knightley’s Helen is still betraying her nation’s secrets to the Black Doves. But after the misadventures of last Christmas, and with her husband Wallace (Buchan), preparing to become Prime Minister, she is walking a more treacherous line than ever.
As Helen’s enigmatic handler Mrs Reed (Lancashire) is ensnared in a ruthless plot to undermine her position in the Black Doves, Helen is reunited with her best friend Sam (Whishaw). The once high-end triggerman is now reduced to lonely drinks in Soho bars and low-rate hits. As they search for answers, loyalties are weaponized, trust is shattered, and the fight to protect the people they love could cost everything.
Mod plays Laila, an acerbic and anarchic Black Doves agent who is sent to help Helen on a mission; Ceesay plays Mr Conteh, a Black Doves executive with suspicious motivations and Riley plays Patrick, an emissary from a mysterious organization, who offers Sam a lifeline. Campbell plays Cecile Mason, Hoeks is Katia Chernov, Kostic is Alexi Chernov and Barnett is Jerry.
Buchan, Kathryn Hunter, Ella Lily Hyland, Gabrielle Creevy, Agnes O’Casey and Molly Chesworth also all return.
The series, which is produced by Sister, was created, written and exec produced by Barton. Exec producers include Jane Featherstone, Chris Fry and Knightley. Julian Farino and Kieron Hawkes direct with Callum Devrell-Cameron as series producer.
Barton said, “I couldn’t be more excited to delve back into the world of our murderous little spy family. To have so many of our amazing cast returning and also being able to add some of my absolute favorite actors into the mix is such a great joy. Downing Street will never be the same again.”
Anne Mensah, VP of Content, Netflix UK, added, “To say we are over excited about welcoming the Black Doves team back to Netflix would be an understatement. This is what happens when best in class writing meets best in class directing and extraordinary acting in a dark alley with guns and champagne. We couldn’t be more thrilled and we know the Black Doves fandom is waiting.”
