5 shows like Netflix's 'Black Doves' to stream after watching season 1

Keira Knightley in "Black Doves" on Netflix
(Image credit: Netflix)

Hell hath no fury like a spy scorned. With Keira Knightley as the star, “Black Doves” was bound to be a hit for Netflix. She doesn’t just play your run-of-the-mill spy, though.

On top of being a general savage-when-needed badass, Knightley’s character Helen is a doting mother, giving the character nuanced depth. She’s a politician’s wife — which is kind of an odd choice for an undercover role since being in the public eye isn’t typically conducive to keeping a secret identity, well, secret. But then again, it does put you in a pretty good position to acquire government information. Then, Helen's lover is assassinated and she puts her job on the line to get vengeance.

“Black Doves” stands out in the thriller spy genre as not only a compelling women-led series, but it even sprinkles in some Christmas festivity (rare for the genre) and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Of course, the excellent cast doesn’t hurt, either. The Joe Barton-created show boasts names like Ben Whishaw (Sam), Sarah Lancashire (Reed), and Andrew Buchan (Wallace). Luckily, “Black Doves” isn’t the only women-led spy thriller you can stream. Once you’ve finished binging that, you can check out these shows like "Black Doves."

'Killing Eve'

Killing Eve Season Extended Trailer | Rotten Tomatoes TV - YouTube Killing Eve Season Extended Trailer | Rotten Tomatoes TV - YouTube
Watch On

Like "Black Doves," the 2018 British series “Killing Eve” kicks off with an assassination — which makes sense, given that one of the two main characters is an assassin. This setup is really starting to sound familiar. In this case, the show has a cat-and-mouse structure as Eve (Sandra Oh) is chasing the psychopathic and very aptly named killer Villanelle (Jodie Comer).

As you might imagine from the premise, “Killing Eve” is a tongue-in-cheek dark comedy. It still has plenty of the staples you’d expect from a spy thriller, though. And the chaotic chemistry between the leads is fascinating to watch, while still maintaining the action and gore you would expect from the genre. The best part of the show, however, is the gradual exploration of queer identity that is revolutionary for this genre.

Watch on Netflix

'Agent Carter'

Agent Carter Season 1 - TRAILER | ENGLISH | TV SHOW | 2015 - YouTube Agent Carter Season 1 - TRAILER | ENGLISH | TV SHOW | 2015 - YouTube
Watch On

Like “Black Doves” the Marvel series “Agent Carter” is a bit … quirkier than most of its counterparts. Of course, that’s mostly because it’s set in the world of superheroes and tells the origin story of the in-universe secret agency S.H.I.E.L.D. Given that Hayley Atwell reprised her popular role as Peggy Carter from “Captain America: The First Avenger,” it’s no surprise that it became a fan-favorite.

The show stands on its own even if you haven’t watched a single other Marvel/MCU project. But for hardcore fans, the appearance of Tony Stark’s father Howard and his butler Jarvis are nice editions — as are the rest of the Easter eggs and Marvel lore in the series. Yet despite being in the Marvel universe, it still feels like a classic 40s detective/spy show with a film noir vibe that’s far superior than the insufferable one-off noir episodes that almost every long-running genre show seems to attempt these days.

Watch on Disney Plus

'Nikita'

We love a compelling story about an assassin who switches sides. The 2010 The CW show “Nikita” is an adaptation of the ‘90s movie and subsequent TV show “La Femme Nikita.” So, there's plenty of lore for the writers to pull from. Naturally, the series centers on Nikita (Maggie Q), an assassin out for revenge against the organization that made her who she was when she was a vulnerable teenager. Yeah, I’d probably turn against the people who bred me to be a killer, too.

Given the whole childhood trauma manipulation aspect of the series, it’s slightly more hard-hitting than some of the other titles. As is always the case for these shows, Nikita’s revenge spree comes on the heels of an assassination. In her case, it was her civilian fiance.

Watch on Prime Video, Roku Channel or Tubi

'Covert Affairs'

It’s never fun to realize that you landed a big job not because of your stellar skills but because of someone in your past — especially when you’re a CIA agent. Fresh-faced Annie (Piper Perabo) thinks she’s the agency's shiniest new recruit because of her linguist skills. Yeah, it’s a bit more complicated than that.

Some exes leave you with baggage and others leave you with spy credentials. Discovering sus origin stories about people you used to know (or date) is rarely a good omen in the spy game. Cue a lot of action, drama, and more than a few fake identities for Annie.

Watch on Peacock

'Alias'

It’s a tale as old as time: Your evil spy agency kills your fiance and you become a double agent. Well, that’s Sydney’s (Jennifer Garner) origin story in “Alias.” To make matters worse, she finds out that the CIA wasn’t her actual employer. Instead, she was taken for a ride by a rogue terrorist agency with a hankering for world domination (that’s super dramatic, guys, come on).

Of course, that little realization leads to her actually working for the CIA to take down the fake org. Anyone else getting a migraine here? “Alias” also has the added component of the double agent spy family business. Because who doesn’t want to take down an evil organization with their estranged father? There’s gotta be a Hallmark card for that somewhere.

The 2001 series ran until 2006, spanning five seasons. “Alias” was an early J.J. Abrams project, so it’s not surprising that it remains a fan favorite nearly two decades later.

Watch on Disney Plus

More from Tom's Guide

Xandra Harbet
Writer

Xandra is an entertainment journalist with clips in outlets like Salon, Insider, The Daily Dot, and Regal. In her 6+ years of writing, she's covered red carpets, premieres, and events like New York Comic Con. Xandra has conducted around 200 interviews with celebrities like Henry Cavill, Sylvester Stallone, and Adam Driver. She received her B.A. in English/Creative Writing from Randolph College, where she chilled with the campus ghosts and read Edgar Allan Poe at 3 am. 

Read more
(L-R): Eddie Redmayne in "The Day of the Jackal" on Peacock; Kiera Knightley in "Black Doves" on Netflix; Michael Fassbender in "The Agency" on Paramount Plus with Showtime.
We're in the golden age of spy thriller shows — here's the 5 best to stream right now
Noah Centineo in The Recruit
7 best shows like 'The Recruit' to watch after you finish season 2
(L-R): Eddie Redmayne in "The Day of the Jackal" on Peacock; Kiera Knightley in "Black Doves" on Netflix; Michael Fassbender in "The Agency" on Paramount Plus with Showtime.
There's 3 killer spy shows on streaming right now — here's the 1 you need to watch
Agent Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) in "Paradise"
5 best shows like 'Paradise' to watch now
Keira Knightley as Helen in "Black Doves" (2024), coming soon to Netflix
Netflix’s top 10 shows has 3 worth watching — and one of them is a gripping spy thriller
(L-R) Ashley Walters as Josh Buchanan and Rosalind Eleazar as Detective Inspector Kat Donovan in "Missing You" now streaming on Netflix
The 7 best thriller shows to stream after 'Missing You'
Latest in Streaming
Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso in Ted Lasso season 3
‘Ted Lasso’ season 4 is official — here’s what Jason Sudeikis revealed
Cristin Milioti in "Black Mirror" season 7 coming to Netflix
‘Black Mirror’ season 7 trailer teases some of the darkest episodes yet — here’s when you can stream it
Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred in "The Wheel of Time" season 3
Prime Video top 10 shows — here’s the 3 worth watching right now
Google Chromecast
Google has a fix for broken Chromecasts as long as you didn't factory reset
Adam Scott and Britt Lower in "Severance."
'Severance' season 2 episode 9 sets the stage for an epic season finale — here's why
Electric State; Anora; Wheel of Time
9 top new movies and shows to stream this weekend on Netflix, Prime Video and more (March 14-16)
Latest in News
iPhone 17 Pro render
iPhone 17 Ultra just tipped to replace Pro Max in new leak — with these key upgrades
RCS messaging on an iPhone
Forget green bubbles — iPhones will soon get encrypted RCS messaging to Androids
CAD renderings of the Google Pixel 10 Pro
Latest Google Pixel 10 leak could make you want to skip it altogether
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 — analysts say it will be massive hit even with price hike
Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso in Ted Lasso season 3
‘Ted Lasso’ season 4 is official — here’s what Jason Sudeikis revealed
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 shipments rumor hints at possible release window