Listen up, Sarah Lancashire fans! The Happy Valley star’s hit Netflix thriller, Black Doves, is returning to our screens later this year, making now the perfect time to catch up on the gripping first season.

The 61-year-old actress stars opposite Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw in the fast-paced spy series, which follows three operatives of a covert organisation embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy.

Keira plays Helen Webb, an operative for the clandestine Black Doves organisation, who has spent ten years leaking her politician husband’s secrets to spymaster Reed (Lancashire). But when Helen’s secret lover Jason is killed, Reed suspects her top spy might be in danger and recruits a former colleague, the exiled assassin Sam (Whishaw), to uncover the truth behind the murder.

While Sarah is perhaps best known for bringing tough, no-nonsense northern women to life on-screen – from resilient police officer Catherine Cawood in the Yorkshire-based crime drama Happy Valley and the sharp-tongued Raquel Watts in Manchester soap, Coronation Street – the acclaimed actress takes on a strikingly different role in Black Doves as the ruthless and sophisticated spymistress, Reed.

Keep reading to find out more about the series, as well as what to expect from season two.

What is Black Doves about?

Taking place in London during the festive season, the story follows Helen, a sharp, dedicated wife and mother who also happens to be a professional spy.

For the last ten years, she’s been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the shadow organisation she works for, Black Doves, headed up by spymaster Reed.

The synopsis continues: “When her secret lover Jason is assassinated, her spymaster, the enigmatic Reed, calls in Helen’s old friend Sam to keep her safe.

“Together, Helen and Sam set off on a mission to investigate who killed Jason and why, leading them to uncover a vast, interconnected conspiracy linking the murky London underworld to a looming geopolitical crisis.”

The series, which premiered in December 2024, received rave reviews from critics, while viewers hailed it as “binge-worthy” and “excellent”.

What happens in season two?

In the second season, Helen continues to feed national secrets to the Black Doves. But as her husband, Wallace (Andrew Buchan), gears up to become the prime minister, her double life has become more perilous than ever.

The synopsis, via Tudum, reads: “As Helen’s enigmatic handler, Mrs. Reed (Sarah Lancashire), is ensnared in a ruthless plot to undermine her position in the Black Doves, Helen is reunited with her best friend, Sam (Ben Whishaw). The once high-end triggerman is now reduced to lonely drinks in Soho bars and low-rate hits.

“As they search for answers, loyalties are weaponized, trust is shattered, and the fight to protect the people they love could cost everything.”

Who stars in Black Doves season 2?

Keira Knightley stars as Helen, alongside Ben Whishaw as Sam and Sarah Lancashire as Reed.

Reprising their season one roles are Kathryn Hunter, Ella Lily Hyland, Gabrielle Creevy, Agnes O’Casey and Molly Chesworth.

© Netflix

Meanwhile, some new faces have been added to the cast, including Ambika Mod (One Day) as Black Doves agent Laila, Babou Ceesay (Alien: Earth) as Black Doves executive Mr. Conteh and Sam Riley (Firebrand) as Patrick.

Neve Campbell (Scream, The Lincoln Lawyer), Sylvia Hoeks (Blade Runner 2049), Goran Kostic (Canary Black, Ant-Man and the Wasp) and Samuel Barnett (Lee)  have also joined the cast.