Black Doves season 2 gets a new tease from Ben Whishaw, who shares more details about Sam’s mindset in the new episodes. Created by Joe Barton and released in December, the hit Netflix spy thriller series stars Keira Knightley as Helen, a member of the titular Black Doves spy organization who teams up with Sam to unravel a deadly conspiracy following the murder of her lover. Season 1 was a critical and viewership success, and Black Doves season 2 is now confirmed to be on the way, with both Whishaw and Knightley reprising their roles.
In a recent interview with ScreenRant at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, Whishaw previews some of what’s to come from Sam in Black Doves season 2, teasing that the character could be in a challenging position moving forward. While Whishaw doesn’t let any specific details slip about Sam’s upcoming arc, he does reveal that the character isn’t out of trouble just yet, and there’s more violence ahead. Check out Whishaw’s comment below:
I guess they’re going to be quite tough. I mean, he’s survived, so that’s something! But for how long?
Yeah, I think he’s going to have a new lease on life. And I think he’s got some more killing to be doing, sadly, before he can change direction.
What Whishaw’s Update Means For Sam’s Black Doves Season 2 Arc
How Season 1 Sets Up A Dangerous Journey For Sam
Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Black Doves season 1 finale.
The Black Doves season 1 ending features Sam with a lot of blood on his hands. Though it’s Helen who is out for revenge throughout the season, the final episode sees Sam take her revenge for her, sparing her from feeling the weight of these killings. Sam kills Trent Clark (Angus Cooper) and Alex Clark (Tracey Ullman), putting a target on his back with the remaining Clark family crime members.
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The final episode of Black Doves season 1 also, however, sees Sam accept a job from Hector (Luther Ford). In his capacity as a fixer for Hector and with the Clark family presumably out for blood, it’s no wonder that Sam will have more killing to do in season 2. As season 1 affirms, Helen and Sam are now closely linked, and it’s likely that Whishaw’s character won’t be alone as he faces off against the dark forces of London’s criminal underground.
Our Take On Sam’s Black Doves Season 2 Story
Whishaw Is Perfect As Sam
Though both Helen and Sam are strong Black Doves characters on their own, the show really sings when the two are on-screen together. Helen gets a relatively happy ending in season 1, but it’s clear that she’s also not quite out of the woods just yet as an operative. Hopefully, season 2 will feature plenty more of Helen and Sam working together as the two come to realize just how essential they are in each other’s lives.
For Whishaw, specifically, Sam is an exciting character because of just how action-oriented he is. Whishaw, who is mostly known for dramatic work, hasn’t really played a violent spy character before, and it’s interesting to see the actor mix his skills with emotional character work with gunning down bad guys. Though things sound like they’ll be tough for Sam in Black Doves season 2, the new episodes certainly seem like they’ll be continuing this strong balance for Whishaw.

Black Doves
- Release Date
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December 5, 2024
- Network
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Netflix