Netflix’s hit action thriller with 96% on Rotten Tomatoes back for S2

JOE spoke to three of the show's stars, one of whom is Irish.

Before we get into that conversation, we'll do a spoiler-free review of the new batch of episodes. For those unaware, the show stars Keira Knightley as an operative for a covert spy organisation called the Black Doves.

Their goal is to obtain secrets that they can sell to the highest bidder. As part of this, Knightley's character created the identity of Helen before seducing, marrying and having children with rising UK politician Wallace Webb (Andrew Buchan).

In season two, Wallace is now the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, meaning Helen is more likely to get useful information for the Black Doves, but is at higher risk of her cover being blown.

Yet, just as she needs Reed (Sarah Lancashire), her enigmatic handler, most, the mentor disappears. Helen's quest for answers into Reed's vanishing lands the PM's wife and her old friend, the lonely hitman Sam (Ben Whishaw), smack bang in the middle of a dark new conspiracy.

JOE's Black Doves Season 2 Review

If you can get over the preposterous plot - particularly the PM's wife regularly being involved in public fights and shootouts without ever being identified - Black Doves remains a highly entertaining action spy thriller. In fact, S2 may be an improvement on the already excellent S1.

The spy plot is tighter; the action is more impressive; the new cast additions are all excellent (particularly Ambika Mod, Babou Ceesay, and Sam Riley). Plus, the standout characters of season one - Sam's live-wire assassin allies/rivals, depending on the day, Eleanor (Gabrielle Creevy) and Williams (Irish Ella Lily Hyland) - get more screen time and banter this time around.

Really, the best part of Black Doves remains creator Joe Barton's sparkling, witty dialogue. It's so strong that it manages to just about humanise his motley crew of characters, many of whom have psychopathic tendencies and regularly kill in cold blood. The series is an odd mix of laugh-out-loud humour and genuine spy intrigue, and yet it mostly works with flying colours, comparable in this regard to Apple TV hit Slow Horses.

JOE's Black Doves S2 Interview with Ambika Mod, Ella Lily Hyland, and Gabrielle Creevy

JOE interviewed Ireland's own Ella Lily Hyland (star of the recent Tall Tales and Murder), as well as Ambika Mod (One Day) and Gabrielle Creevy (the upcoming BBC series The Witch Farm), about Black Doves S2.

The trio talked about their assassin characters, and how Love Island legend Maura Higgins almost inspired one of their performances. Ella Lily Hyland also discussed her Irish crime comedy Tall Tales and Murder, which recently premiered on the BBC.

This conversation can be read below. It's been edited slightly for clarity and length.

JOE: In the press notes for Black Doves, creator Joe Barton says his favourite characters to write for are your three characters [Eleanor, Williams, and Laila]. How much of a joy is it to hear that and deliver that sparkling dialogue? And also, Ella, I'm from Ireland, and I'm always really surprised at how well Joe Barton writes Irish characters and their dialogue.

Ella Lily Hyland: It is mad. He does. Sometimes he puts things in [the script] and you're like: 'How did you know that was a thing?' He's so observant, and he does his research really well.

It's all on the page. We don't really add anything or change anything except sometimes maybe the odd thing, but yeah, he's fantastic.

JOE: Ella and Gabrielle, I read online that Eleanor (Gabrielle's character) and Williams' (Ella's character) dynamic… the way it is now in the show wasn't always the plan, in that Williams was initially more of a villain. I also heard, Ella, you were thinking of playing her more in a sort of Maura Higgins-inspired style. Is that true?

Ella Lily Hyland: Well, I actually originally auditioned for Eleanor. But then I think they saw you and they were like: 'She's Eleanor.' And I brought the Love Island thing for Eleanor. That was the idea. Is that weird to mention? [Laughing]

Then they were like: 'Would you go for this character instead? And I was like: 'Well, I don't feel like I should do Williams like Maura Higgins. So she's more so based on kind of like my da. [Laughing].

JOE: And Ambika, you've joined the show now, and I'll confess that I spent an early part of season two being like: I can't wait for [Ambika's character] Laila to meet Eleanor and Williams. I hope that happens.'

I don't think it's a spoiler to say that it does eventually happen, but what was it like eventually filming those scenes and joining that dynamic?

Ambika Mod: It just feels like the most natural organic combo, right? We're like a fucked up [Powerpuff Girls]. We were always meant to come together, and I can't wait for season three where they inevitably have a flat share. They're going to live together. They have to live together. It's so much fun.

Ella Lily Hyland: They're just a delight to be together. As soon as you came in [gesturing to Mod], it was like: 'Oh my god, love her.' Yeah, I love you anyway, but I just love [Laila]. She's so slick.

Ambika Mod: They're also different. I think they're all so similar, but they're also different.
Like they're all like chaotic assassins, but they're also individual in their own right, which I think is really rare.

There's a version of this show where they're all just kind of homogeneous, but I think they're all so distinct in the way they look and the way we present ourselves. It's a real treat.

Gabrielle Creevy: It shouldn't work, but it does weirdly. I don't know how or what it is, but I love it. Good vibes.

JOE: And it's a particularly busy month for both Ella and Gabrielle. Ella, Tall Tales of Murder just premiered on the BBC. What was that like, and how cool is it to get a big Irish drama airing on the BBC internationally?

Ella Lily Hyland: It's brilliant, and I hope it lands here because I think it did at home, which is so great, because that's always the audience you want. What I definitely feel most nervous for is the Irish audience.

But yeah, it'll be interesting to see how it lands over here. It just feels really exciting, and I'm so happy for the show and for [director Chris Addison] and [writer Stuart Carolan] and everyone who created it.

JOE: Gabrielle, I'm very excited for The Witch Farm. Is there anything you can tease about that? That's coming out later this month [on the BBC], right?

Gabrielle Creevy: Yes, it's coming out on the 22nd, I believe. I can't tease much because I would probably get into trouble, but it's scary, I think… I would recommend listening to the podcast [it's based on]. It's very good and very scary and a true story.

Black Doves Season 2 is streaming on Netflix worldwide now.