Black Doves Season 1 Ending Explained

After their confrontation with the Clarks, Helen and Sam in Keira Knightley's Netflix spy thriller Black Doves are left unsure about their futures. Black Doves, directed by Joe Barton (The Lazarus Project, Giri/Haji), debuted to a stellar reception and received a flawless reviewer score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes when it was released on December 5, 2024. Ben Whishaw, well known for his role as Q in Daniel Craig's last three James Bond films, and Knightley (Atonement, Pirates of the Caribbean) are the main cast members in Black Doves. Sarah Lancashire's Reed, Kathryn Hunter's Lenny, Ella Lily Hyland's Williams, and Omari Douglas's Michael are among the outstanding supporting cast members of Black Doves.

Following Knightley's Helen Webb, Black Doves centers on the devoted and helpful wife of Andrew Buchan's Wallace Webb, a well-known British politician. Mrs. Reed is the chief of the Black Doves, a shadowy clandestine spy group of which Webb is also a secret agent. Reed confronts Helen about her liaison with Jason (Andrew Koji), a civil servant who was tragically shot and killed at long range in a park. Reed hires a reliable triggerman named Sam Young (Whishaw) to assist Helen in avoiding threats to her life and family because he believes Helen may be involved in a significant criminal scheme.

Who killed Chen, the Chinese ambassador?

In the season one finale of Black Doves, it is revealed that Trent Clark killed Chinese Ambassador Chen by mistake when he threw him over a couch. Maggie, an MI5 secret operative who had been surreptitiously filming Chen's daughter Kai-Ming, put a covert camera at the scene, where Chen struck his head and passed away. Maggie's camera caught the deadly error made by Trent Clark and Stephen Yarrick, a close friend and political colleague of Wallace Webb, Helen's husband and Minister of State Defense. After Ambassador Chen accused Trent of being a drug dealer and told him to stop seeing his daughter, Trent, who was then dating Kai-Ming, attacked him.

Why Sam Killed Trent & Alex Clark

Sam begs Helen to put down the pistol after she concealed it in Trent's coat pocket and pulled it on Alex Webb, believing she was the one who gave the order to kill her secret lover Jason. Helen learns that Trent hired Elmore Fitch, a former SAS sniper who is now an assassin, to kill Jason, not Alex Clark, a strong and well-connected crime family head, who actually ordered the hit. As Helen's rage and desire for retribution increase, Trent begs for forgiveness and tries to justify his actions. Sam intervenes and eliminates the Clarks' bodyguard before removing Alex and Trent so Helen won't have to deal with their blood before Helen does anything foolish.

The Reason Trent Clark Employed Fitch to Murder Jason

After realizing his grave error in unintentionally killing the Chinese Ambassador, Trent hurried to hide his identity. He contacted Stephen Yarrick, who realized that Trent's mistake would very probably spark a world war. In order to kill Jason, Maggie, and a tabloid reporter named Phillip, Trent, who is obviously foolish and unprepared despite being the heir to the Clark crime family conglomerate, hired a professional assassin named Elmore Fitch. They were also targeted by Fitch because Maggie had recorded Trent killing Chen and shared it with Phillip and Jason. When Fitch attempted to murder Helen in her own house, she defeated him and killed him in her garden shed.

Did Jason and Maggie both work for MI5?

At the conclusion of Black Doves season 1, Mrs. Reed informs Helen that Jason was a covert MI5 operative employed by the British government. Jason and Maggie were both MI5 agents, which is how Jason learned of Chen's death and obtained the recording device that showed Trent killing him, as Helen also learns. As part of her disguise, Maggie worked at a jewelry store, which offered Jason the opportunity to hint at Helen the day before he passed away by giving her an opulent bracelet. Helen discovers the recording device kept in a safe after tracking down the bracelet Jason gave her back to the jewelry store.

After Sam killed the Clarks, who gave him a call?

Who phoned Sam and threatened to murder him after he killed Trent and Alex Clark is one of the most important unsolved questions. Although the identity of the individual on the other end of the phone is unclear, it is reasonable to assume that he is either a Clark or a senior associate of the Clarks. The man may be an associate or possibly a mid-tier level operator in the Clark family conglomerate telling Sam that his murders have been witnessed, based on how emotionless he sounded on the phone. It might also have been someone from the Prime Minister's office, who assisted in the cover-up of Chen's death and attempted to blame the Americans.

Hector's Reason for Being at Michael's Apartment

Hector arrived at Michael's flat with a job offer for Sam. Even while Sam and Michael appear to have a happy ending, Sam will undoubtedly face direct competition from other Clark family members and partners in the upcoming season. Hector would have already killed Sam if he didn't knew that he wasn't a real threat. Hector wants Sam to fill the vacuum in his muscle since the Clarks killed dozens of his soldiers earlier in the series. In agreement, Sam assures Lenny that he will not be murdering Hector. Next season, the two criminals will probably work together to try to destroy the already fragile Clark crime family.

Why Mrs. Reed Was With Helen's Babysitter

The fact that Helen's babysitter sits in Reed's house looking ready to work is one of the biggest surprises in the last scenes of the Black Doves season 1 finale. Although the scenario indicates that the two characters are connected, the details are still unknown when the credits have rolled. The babysitter could very well be a relative of Mrs. Reed, possibly even her granddaughter, given that the episode ends on Christmas Day. Reed might have approached her with an offer to become a Black Dove in order to monitor Helen in season 2, but it's also possible that the two are unrelated.

What Sam Was Seeking in Lenny's Gaze

At the conclusion of Black Doves season 1, Sam puts a gun to her face in response to Lenny's suggestion that she kill Hector. Sam informs Lenny that he will examine her eyes and use the information he gathers to decide whether or not to kill her. Lenny has been merciless and aloof throughout the season, which is how she persuades Sam to collaborate and pursue Hector in the first place. Sam has a nice heart despite his line of work, and he wants to find out if Lenny is equally kind or if she is good at heart. It's also possible that Sam was assessing whether Lenny was correct to have Sam murder his own father, Frank, for his first hit after Frank had "crossed a line."

Was Jason and Helen genuinely in love?

Helen questions whether Jason truly loved her or if he was just manipulating her like she had Wallace after learning that he was an operative. Jason's approach of "spilling a drink" on Helen to start the affair was undoubtedly manipulative. Getting close to her and gathering information to provide to the British government was part of his mission. However, once Helen told him that she was a Black Dove—a fact that Helen vehemently denies to Reed because acknowledging it would be a death sentence—Jason had the opportunity to turn against her. The fact that Jason covered for Helen suggests that he did fall in love with her in spite of the false pretenses, as he never told the British government who she really was.

Potential Events for Season 2 of Black Doves

Wallace's appointment as England's next prime minister is one scenario that is anticipated to occur in Black Doves season 2. Even before Prime Minister Richard Eaves was exposed for trying to frame the Americans and hiding the truth about Ambassador Chen's death, Wallace had a solid reputation and was likely among the top contenders for the position. Reed informs Helen that Wallace is set to become the next prime minister, which is fantastic news for the Black Doves, and that Eaves will have to step down a few months later.

However, since he is aware of Helen's true identity, CIA agent Cole Atwood might endanger Helen's cover. In Black Dove season 2, Helen might develop a stronger bond or mentoring with Black Dove Dani, while Sam and Williams ought to come back to help Hector pursue the Clarks.