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'
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'
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
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