Keira Knightley’s new holiday thriller Black Doves is now streaming on Netflix, and it’s so much better than Knightley’s other spy thriller role from 2014. Black Doves is a six-episode series starring Keira Knightley as Helen Webb/Daisy Bradshaw, a spy who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. In fact, despite being set during Christmas, the show is quite a brutal affair, with a number of major deaths in Black Doves season 1.

Black Doves season 2 is confirmed, so there is more to come following the Black Doves season 1 ending. Even with the story continuing, though, this new show has already proven to be a major improvement on Keira Knightley’s previous thriller role in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, one of several Jack Ryan adaptations. Although Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is another spy thriller starring Knightley, it falls short precisely where Black Doves really shines.

Keira Knightley Played Cathy In Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Opposite Chris Pine

Unlike In Black Doves, Knightley Was Not A Spy In Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

In Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Keira Knightley plays Cathy Muller, a med student whom protagonist Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) meets when he is being treated for injuries sustained during his time in the Marines. Ultimately, the two become engaged, but she has no idea that Jack is secretly working for the CIA. This is quite a reversal from Knightley’s character in Black Doves, as, rather than playing the secret agent herself, she is the partner who has no idea her significant other has a massive secret.

However, Cathy’s response to the revelation that Jack is secretly a CIA agent is surprisingly minimal. When Jack finally confesses that he is really in the CIA, Cathy says, “Thank God. I thought you were having an affair.” This response is in keeping with Cathy’s characterization throughout the movie, which sees her in a supportive girlfriend role, very quickly embracing Jack’s secret and wanting to help him. Clearly, this couldn’t be more distinct from Knightley’s role in Black Doves, in which she is a highly skilled killer.

Keira Knightley’s Helen Hides Her Work From A Partner In Black Doves, Like Jack Ryan

Helen’s Job Is A Secret From Almost Everyone In Her Life In Black Doves

Part of the tension in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is regarding Jack’s fears about Cathy discovering his secret. The same is technically true of Black Doves, although it looks quite different in that show than it does in Shadow Recruit. Ironically, given Cathy’s comments in Shadow Recruit, Helen was having an affair in Black Doves, and only one of them learned her secret. Among Black Doves’ cast of characters is Helen’s husband, Wallace Webb (Andrew Buchan), and her lover, Jason (Andrew Koji).

With Wallace, Helen keeps her work as a spy entirely hidden, going to great lengths to make sure Wallace doesn’t suspect anything. Arguably, this is also because she and Wallace have two children together, and she is very concerned about keeping them safe. However, Black Doves also makes it clear that Helen has much stronger feelings for Jason, and while she doesn’t necessarily reveal everything to him, she does tell him that she has a false identity and indicates that she is not what he believes her to be.

Why Black Doves’ Relationship Storyline Succeeds Where Shadow Recruit Failed

Black Doves Takes Its Time With Both Of Helen’s Relationships

Generally, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit was not very well received, whereas Black Doves has proven very popular since its December 5, 2024, release. This comes down to a number of factors, although certainly one of them is the extent to which these relationships were realistically executed. In Shadow Recruit, the revelation of Jack’s true job and Cathy’s response to this news both feel rushed. This couldn’t be further from the truth in Black Doves.

Black Doves truly takes its time, not only with Helen’s complex relationships with Jason and Wallace but also with the overarching mysteries. The show also takes the impact of this revelation much more seriously. In Shadow Recruit, the fallout from Jack revealing his affiliation with the CIA is minimal, but in Black Doves, Helen believes for most of the show that Jason must have died because she revealed more about her true identity.

With Black Doves season 2 coming, Helen’s relationship with Wallace could change.

In part, this could also be a matter of tone. Although both Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and Black Doves are considered spy thrillers, Black Doves feels like the much more serious of the two. Of course, with Black Doves season 2 coming, Helen’s relationship with Wallace could change, perhaps revealing either a new layer to Helen’s deception or a change of heart regarding what she reveals to Wallace. Regardless, Black Doves is a far superior spy story compared to Keira Knightley’s decade-old movie Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.