Netflix’s best new show has a near-perfect critic score

Despite watching previews for Black PigeonsI had pretty much no expectations for the new Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw series, which looked like a potential Netflix miss. But it turns out the exact opposite is true, and so have Black Doves star reviews after the debut.

Black Doves currently reviews at 97% on Rotten tomatoes based on a not inconsiderable 31 critic reviews, meaning only one was negative. You rarely see numbers this high for new Netflix series, and you can compare it to the consistent #1 on the Top 10 list, The Madness, with only 76% from critics. The audience score for Black Doves is lower at 67%, but that’s only with a handful of reviews, and considering it’s 9 in the morning, I doubt most people have actually finished the just-released show yet.

Here is the official synopsis of Black Doves:

“Helen begins a passionate affair with a man who has no idea what her secret identity is; Caught in the crosshairs when her lover falls victim to London’s dangerous underworld, Helen’s employer calls on Sam to protect her.”

Two things to note here, firstly Black Doves is not based on an existing book or anything like that. Rather, it was created for Netflix by Joe Barton, who is known for the excellent Giri/Haji series from a few years back. Second, the even better news is that Netflix renewed the show for Season 2 before Season 1 even aired. They must have really liked what they saw, and the critics agree. Here’s what some of them say:

• Decides – “Black Doves isn’t going to blow you away with a revolutionary spy story. But the story is exciting enough and is enhanced by the chemistry between Knightley and Whishaw, with a big assist from Lancashire.”
• Chicago Sun-Times – “There is a lot to unpack in “Black Doves”, but the various manipulations and shock developments are handled in a clear way that makes it relatively easy to follow along.”
• Vanity Fair – “On Black Doves, matters of the heart stand toe to toe with all the bloody intrigues. The idiosyncrasies of characters, their perfunctory humor in the face of mortal risk, are charming, where so much else in the spies-with-personal-lives mini-genre feels canned.”

Apart from Knightley and Whishaw, I’m also happy to see supporting actors Andrew Koji and Sarah Lancashire from Warrior and Happy Valley respectively here, as they are the leads of two of my favorite shows from the last few years. I will definitely check out Black Doves as a result.

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