Forget ‘Slow Horses’—This Is TV’s Best Spy Show

The Daily Beast · Nick Schager · 2026-11-05 08:01 UTC

Keira Knightley’s “Black Doves” is an exceptional espionage adventure in its second season.

With all due respect to the Gary Oldman-led Slow Horses—and the Michael Fassbender-starring The Agency—Keira Knightley’s Black Doves is the best espionage series on television, and it fortifies its king-of-the-hill position with a superb second season.

Melding hard-hitting action, serpentine storytelling, and empathetic character drama with a deft hand and a dry sense of humor, Joe Barton’s Netflix hit (Nov. 5) is a rare TV affair that wholly avoids lulls, its writing as brisk and cutting as its performances are nuanced and compelling.

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