Black Doves Season 2 Episode 3 “P is for Poison” sees Helen have this complete shift when it comes to her life. She’s no longer stuck as the Prime Minister’s wife with two kids and a big spy secret. She wants this life, this home, this family. And it’s interesting to watch as her motivations change and her fight shifts priorities, even as she’s still looking for Reed anyway she can.
As for the Sam of it at all, I’m really worried for him. Because he’s giving out advice to Williams in a manner that is reminiscent of someone who is settling their affairs before they take their life. And I know that Sam is fighting for Helen, this giving him direction at the moment. But what happens afterwards? When Sam has to face himself again? Because I don’t think he’s just going to be drinking like he did in Black Doves Season 2 Episode 1. I think it’s going to be worse and I don’t want that. And I bet Helen doesn’t either.
MORE: Black Doves Season 1 Review: Keira Knightley is Still That Girl
Helen Actually Fighting to Keep This Life
When we’re introduced to Helen in Black Doves Season 1 Episode 1, the death of her affair partner Jason broke her. And then Episode 3 of Season 1 we come to find out that this isn’t the first time that she’s planned on leaving her husband Wallace. When she was pregnant, she was also planning to leave him. Both times prove that she wasn’t really in love with her husband or the life that she was leading. Why? Because it was a lie.
So why the switch up in Season 2 in “P is for Poison”? I think it has to do with everything that happened with Jason in Season 1. But also what happened in Black Doves Season 1 Episode 6. By the end of that episode she saw her best friend kill the guy who killed Jason but also the killer’s mother. Helen saw what her revenge cost. And I also have to believe that it made her think about what this could cost her when it comes to her children and her husband.
I don’t know if I’m 100% sold on Helen’s love for Wallace in Season 2 Episode 3. But she cares enough for him to want to make this marriage work, and not just because she doesn’t want to lose the kids. Because she’s seen what her life could be without her family. And she doesn’t like it. So everything that she’s doing right now, it’s different for her. Because she’s fighting for her marriage but she’s also dealing with uncomfortable feelings of “I tried to run away from this for so long and now I want to keep it.” That would shake anyone up, even a spywife like Helen.
Love the Addition of Ambika Mod
Laila is so far the best edition in Black Doves Season 2. I love her fashion sense, her attitude, and how she’s not here to get into the middle of whatever mess Helen and Sam are in. It’s not her business and she’s just here to do her job. And somehow she meshes so well with our two leads in a way where I don’t want her to go anywhere and I want to know everything about her.
When it comes to Laila and Helen, I think she unnerves Helen. Because Helen has tried to be mysterious for so long. And here comes Laila, absolutely clocking her from the very start. Then when it comes to Laila and Sam, even though they’ve just met each other, the connection is instant. But that isn’t as surprising because apparently Ambika Mod worked with Ben Whishaw previously on This is Going to Hurt.
I also want to note that Laila joins a cast of characters that are really centered around what looks like a woman dominated field. And I’m not just talking about the spywife role that Helen is in. I’m also talking about Eleanor and Williams. Even Reed and Dani. These are the women that are changing the game day in and day out. And I absolutely love that Laila knows how to throw it down when it comes to fights.
So keep doing what you’re doing Black Doves when it comes to highlighting these women. Women get it done!
That Helen and Sam Argument
Because I like Helen, I’m able to call her out when she crosses the line. And in “P is for Poison,” she crossed the line with Sam. He’s trying to be honest with her about what he’s going through. But her problems are always bigger, from her perspective, so she absolutely steam rolls him. That was wrong. And I understand that she apologized, which shows that she recognizes how wrong she was. But I was bothered at that moment and couldn’t help feeling that she was being really self-centered.
At the end of the day, Black Doves is a love story between Sam and Helen. They proved that in Season 1 over and over again. And just in Season 2 Episode 2 Sam proved that again by killing someone he was getting close to. But how does Helen reciprocate that when it comes to Sam? Because I know she made the ultimate sacrifice by protecting Michael and not running away with the kids in Season 1. But I can’t help but think of that phone call in Black Doves Season 2 Episode 1. Sure, Helen was in a stressful situation. But so was Sam. And she forgot about him.
I feel like if I were having this conversation on social media, I would get destroyed for having an opinion like this. But it has to be said because friendships are complicated. And when you throw in death, murder, and mayhem, it has to get even more complicated. But at the core of it, all friendships are grounded in love. That’s what Sam and Helen’s relationship is grounded in. But sometimes friendships become imbalanced. So I hope there comes a moment beyond this one where Helen recognizes how much Sam is struggling to even find a spark of hope or future in his life before it’s too late and Sam does something that can’t be fixed.
Black Doves Season 2 is now on Netflix.
