Black Doves heard my complaints about the Season 2 premiere and then decided to wow me because this episode had so many moving parts that I loved. Absolutely loved all the new information that we got about Reed. I absolutely loved the scene between Helen and Laila where they mouthed off at each other and kicked butt. I even loved what happened with Sam at the end of Black Doves Season 2 Episode 2 “Put Your Head on My Shoulder,” despite the fact that it was sad. Oh and let’s not forget the conversation between Helen and Wallace.
It’s like Episode 2 remembered that intrigue was what made me watch in Season 1 and heaped it on by bucket loads. But also Episode 2 made sure the focus was on the love that Helen and Sam still keep in their hearts. And while that guy Patrick might think it’s a weakness, it’s not. Love is what’s going to make sure Helen and Sam make it through. After all, it’s how they survived Season 1.
MORE: Where did we last leave of in Season 1? Read our review for Black Doves Season 1 Episode 6 “In the Bleak Midwinter.”
Helen’s Conversation with Wallace
The reason that Helen seemed so shaken up in the conversation with Wallace in “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” was because he clocked her a little too well. She’s supposed to be a super spy wife in Black Doves. He’s not supposed to see who she really is. He’s only supposed to see what she wants him to see. And this episode showed clear and concise proof that he knows her in a way that even shocked her.
Helen’s response to Wallace where she is listing out how long they’ve been married and what her cheating would actually mean for their marriage, is also the most honest that she’s ever been with him. Because she is sad, she did cheat, and she was planning on leaving him. As for the leaving, it wasn’t one time she was planning on leaving. It was twice as far as we know. And she knows that she’s on the precipice of losing everything she’s worked for over these 12 years.
I’m still bothered about how easily Helen is able to get away from Downing Street as the Prime Minister’s wife considering all the security that the US ambassador has in Netflix’s other show, The Diplomat. But I really liked the scene between Helen and Wallace, because it feels real, honest, and heartbreaking. It also feels like Helen is at a turning point in her relationship with Wallace. And I feel like if she would have told him, giving him a grain of honesty, they could have come back from the freefall they’re currently in.
MORE: Black Doves Season 1 Review: Keira Knightley is Still That Girl
Sam Trying to Find Something Worth Living For
In my review for the previous episode I noted that Sam seemed a little bit lost. There was no sign of Michael and he was drinking excessively. It’s almost like he gave up. But “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” sees Sam take a small step forward in maybe trying for something new. Leave it to Patrick, his new boss of sorts, to totally destroy that.
As a viewer, I think what Patrick put Sam through with killing the new guy that he was getting to know, was absolutely cruel. It was Patrick’s way of trying to kill any love or hope that Sam has for his future. As a writer, this was absolutely diabolical and delicious writing that twists a character up in a way that makes sense for the story, the overall show, and just Sam’s current psyche. And then there’s the added layer of Sam knowing what he’s about to do and still telling Williams to go for it when it comes to her feelings for Eleanor.
This test that Patrick put Sam through is proof of the power of love, despite its perceived weakness. Because he could have said no. He could have let Helen’s life completely crumble around her. But she’s the one thing that he loves with all his heart as much as she loves him. It’s this shows guiding light. And I know that in my last review I theorized that Helen would be one of those names given to him by Patrick. Thank God it didn’t happen. But the fact that they have Sam under their thumb like this, they’re using his love for Helen in a more nefarious way.
Too bad for Patrick and Sam’s love for Helen is just going to make him stronger and fight harder.
Learning More About Mrs. Reed
In Black Doves Season 1, Reed was purposefully kept apart from the main storyline having to do with Helen. And putting her in this overseer kind of position made it so the show didn’t have to dive too deeply into her. I’m happy that in Season 2, Black Doves is exploring who she is, how she started, and this one mission that has now absolutely derailed her life years later. Because Kestrel is still here. And it’s ruining Reed’s life but also Sam’s.
This is exactly the kind of world building that Black Doves needs to continue investing in. Because it keeps the central focus on characters we know and love but gives their past context to understand their current behaviors. And whatever Reed did in the past, it shook her in a way that I’m having trouble understanding, for now. But with the way that this episode focused on love, I think she’s protecting someone. Because if Kestrel is looking for a survivor, what if it’s someone involved in the organization or even a child?
Something messy is brewing here and it has collapsed around Reed in a monumental way. But the fact that she’s holding on so tightly means that she still cares and that person or thing that she’s hiding, it’s still very present in her life. Unfortunately this is also the big bad that is putting Helen and Sam’s life in danger. Laila too, who is a force of nature that I want to know everything about. They’re all involved in whatever Reed did. And they’re paying for it with me having absolutely no idea where the show is going in the most delightful way.
Black Doves Season 2 is now on Netflix.
