Hawkeye is another recent example of a streaming-released festive TV show that became essential viewing for the holiday season, and this year, it may be competing with Black Doves for those viewing numbers. These are two excellent series, and while Hawkeye certainly ranks among the MCU’s best TV shows, Black Doves is an equally strong option for this year’s Christmas viewing parties.
Keira Knightley’s Black Doves Is An Action Series That Takes Place Around Christmas
Black Doves’ Festive Season Is Important To The Story
While Black Doves may not seem like the most Christmas-y and sentimental of shows on the surface, its setting of Christmastime does play a role in the otherwise gritty and intense story. The narrative centers around two ex-spies, played by Knightley and Whishaw, whose old lives finally catch up with them when the former’s lover is killed by a mysterious hitman with apparent connections to their past. What ensues is a deadly game of cat-and-mouse as the main characters try to solve the mystery in the shadows.
The story of Black Doves takes place just before Christmas, with Knightley’s protagonist Helen being torn between enjoying the festivities of the season with her family and exacting revenge against the people who’ve put their lives in danger, even if it means being absent. It creates plenty of interesting drama among the characters, speaking to the importance of family during the holiday season, a recurring theme in Christmas offerings.
Hawkeye Is A More Christmas-Themed Show (But Black Doves Could Pull A Die Hard)
The MCU’s Hawkeye Is A More Traditional Holiday Series
Admittedly, those looking for something more traditional for their holiday watch party would likely be more interested in Hawkeye, which places the holiday season front and center of the narrative. The show follows Kate Bishop upon her encounter with Clint Barton, an old member of the Avengers, and her becoming his pupil when dangerous forces begin to hunt them from the shadows. But despite the danger, Hawkeye always maintains a comedic tone and keeps the story lighthearted, which makes it a fun and breezy Christmas watch.
However, that doesn’t mean that Christmas films and series have to be lighthearted. Black Doves is dark, but so are films like Die Hard and Black Christmas — but these make for great holiday screenings all the same. Die Hard is also famously the ultimate “Christmas movie that isn’t really a Christmas movie,” another theme Black Doves could tap into. It merely comes down to preference, as these two shows have both sides of the holiday coin safely covered.
