Black Doves Recap: Droll for Three A.M.

As a seasoned investigator with a penchant for unraveling the most intricate of plots, I find myself utterly captivated by this thrilling narrative unfolding before my eyes. The web of deceit and danger spun across these first two episodes is as complex as the tangled yarn I once found myself entangled in while trying to knit a sweater (a story for another time).

As a special bonus, let’s delve into the backstory of “The Little Black Dove”. If you weren’t already captivated by Helen and Sam’s playful relationship in the series debut, this episode offers a glimpse into their initial encounter in 2014. From the start, they clashed and vied for dominance, eventually finding a common ground that blossomed into genuine camaraderie and affection. This installment marks significant firsts for both characters: it’s Helen’s first mission where she meets Wallace, her future husband, and it’s also the night Reed informs Sam that he’s being handed over to someone called Lenny, who will be his mentor as a hitman, marking his initiation into this dangerous profession. Time truly flies when you’re growing up!

Throughout the episode, these beats intersperse with the primary action as the re-united team, friends and professionals, chase after Elmore Fitch, an ex-SAS agent whose fingerprints were accidentally discovered by Sam on a sniper’s platform. The ease of finding this casing raises concerns, and it is Helen who voices them, questioning if it isn’t unusual for a sniper to leave behind a shell casing, especially one with fingerprints? And moreover, one that leads to an identifiable address linked to a real name? In other words, aren’t snipers generally known for their precision and discretion rather than carelessness?

It appears a bit fishy and potentially hazardous, yet Helen doesn’t step out of her home without reason, swapping her comfy shaker-knit sweater for a sleek turtleneck and black leather belted trench. They proceed to pay Mr. Fitch a visit at his apartment. Unfortunately, the silence (no one was home) escalated into deafening explosions (the place was rigged with a bomb). It seems like Helen has persuaded Sam to follow her Attention-Grabbing and Suspicion-Arousing Strategy (or AASAS for short); Fitch’s apartment exploding is even less discreet than the state they left Jason’s place in last night. It’s heartening that Sam remains dedicated to helping Helen accomplish her objectives, staying alive long enough to find Jason’s killer and seeking revenge — he did promise, rather convincingly if conditionally, “Darling, I will certainly make an effort”; it’s all for one and one for all. However, they might have hesitated before using the information Sam has about Fitch if he hadn’t had so much wine and taken a line of what could have been cocaine or possibly ketamine at Arnie and Zack’s place. In fact, he wonders aloud, it might have been ketamine; the truth may remain elusive.

The difference between this uneventful night and their initial experiences in 2014 could not be more obvious. At that time, everything was straightforward. Helen effortlessly captured Wallace’s attention with her honeytrap, and she was delighted to find herself liking this attractive, sincere Conservative – he even had a sense of humor! – unaware that she was anything but the intelligent, humorous, and popular political figure she presented herself as. For Sam, his first contract killing, a single shot to a man who Lenny (a small, fierce, tracksuit-wearing character played by the extraordinary Kathryn Hunter) said had committed an unforgivable crime, left him shaken but generally okay.

Currently, they’re finding themselves in a trap that’s quite obvious and also underestimating Fitch’s home visit to Helen, which seems surprising given no alarming security system is heard or seen as Fitch sneaks through the (apparently unsecured) back door. However, despite the delightful action sequence of their heated kitchen altercation, it suggests that perhaps Helen and Sam, who were once at the top of their game, might be showing signs of aging, struggling to execute this type of operation effectively. For instance, one wonders why there’s no security system to alert them of Fitch’s arrival. Yet, we still witness flashes of the agile and skilled operative Reed initially hired, such as when Helen effortlessly subdues Fitch, showcasing that she hasn’t lost her touch despite likely not having had to use hand-to-hand combat for years. If I were a gambler, I would bet that Helen will make it through the season, while Sam’s fate remains uncertain.

Before leading Fitch towards the garden shed where he was supposed to meet his end (not implying anything suggestive), it also transpired that he had inquired about a pinhole camera with significant footage on it, and was searching for Kai-Ming Chen. This coincides with Kai-Ming’s known links with Maggie and Philip. Since her deceased father was the only likely local person to be seeking her out in a compassionate manner rather than for nefarious purposes, Helen concludes that Kai-Ming is at the heart of this predicament.

As a dedicated cinephile, I must admit that if Sam could solely guard Helen, they’d likely find her swiftly. However, an unexpected encounter at the pub during my casual lunch has thrown a spanner in the works. You might recall Lenny? She, accompanied by Williams and their new accomplice, Eleanor, unexpectedly visited Sam. Their announcement was quite the shocker: (1) Sam owes Lenny a life debt, requiring him to eliminate Hector Newman, the target he abandoned before; (2) if he refuses or fails to do so, Williams and Eleanor will harm his seemingly charming ex-boyfriend Michael; and (3) Williams intends to avenge Kent’s death by taking Sam’s life as well. Phew! This scene, with its Martin Blank vs. Grocer at the diner feel, serves as the most obvious link so far between Grosse Pointe Blank and Black Doves.

Similar to Martin Blank, Sam seems overly attached to his ex, and there’s another exchange filled with playful dialogue between him, Williams, and Eleanor when they encounter Sam lingering sorrowfully outside Michael’s apartment, observing heartwarming moments between father and daughter. Williams reminds Sam (as he did when they first met Helen) not to get too emotional about Michael (or perhaps anything else). This advice, though sensible, is beyond his capacity to follow. However, Sam remains capable of executing a murder-for-hire, making it disappointing that other assassins have already struck Hector’s warehouse.

The video camera they abandoned contained videos of Hector interrogating a dazed Kai-Ming Chen, suggesting they escaped the scene. This discovery brings some comfort as Kai-Ming is still alive, but overall, it’s a troubling development. There are several reasons for this: first, Sam must continue his secondary task, which delays his primary duty of safeguarding Helen; second, it becomes clear that the murderer(s) are relentless and numerous; third, locating and rescuing Kai-Ming Chen from this dangerous situation will be challenging.

Let’s make sure Helen doesn’t get complacent with her past achievements. We learn through flashbacks that she has just disclosed to Jason that her identity as Helen Webb is fake. She admits that she’s not a real person and that he wouldn’t approve of the woman beneath the role she’s played for years. You might recognize the name Black Dove, as this wasn’t an accidental revelation. She deliberately chose to disclose it, and now she’s lying to Reed about it. It’s hard to believe that Jason kept this information secret; he was a civil servant with a low ranking in the Department of Justice and would have felt obligated to report his lover as a significant security risk. This doesn’t seem like something that would lead to his murder by an expensive and skilled contract killer, nor does it explain the deaths of Maggie, Philip, and Ambassador Chen. The four murders required substantial financial resources, and untangling this web is becoming increasingly challenging.

As a passionate movie buff, I find myself drawn into another layer of intrigue as I witness a heated discussion between Wallace and his acquaintance, London Metropolitan Police Commissioner Stephen Yarrick, which Helen manages to record. The Chinese authorities not only dispute the heroin overdose theory regarding Ambassador Chen’s death but also suspect it was orchestrated by U.S. government agents. However, Stephen gracefully counters their skepticism with the evidence his team has amassed. As for why Philip Bray contacted Wallace about a story he was preparing on Chen’s demise, backed by footage that included Stephen himself, I don’t quite have an answer, but if the Chinese were to publicly accuse us, it could escalate far beyond a typical international incident.

Closing Doors, Opening Windows

If I had the chance to text Sam, I’d share Séamas O’Reilly’s classic, endlessly amusing Twitter thread detailing how he once mixed up his work schedule, leading him to find himself in a room with my boss and the President of Ireland, all while under the influence of ketamine.

A nod to the skillful choice of Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” echoing strangely at Sam’s gruesome find in Newman’s warehouse. At first, it sounds ominous and hard to recognize, but as he uncovers the room where it’s still playing from a small cassette player, it becomes clearer.

2024-12-05 17:54

Black Doves Recap: Droll for Three A.M.

Closing Doors, Opening Windows

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