When it comes to spy shows, most tend to sacrifice character for action and shadowy intrigue. Netflix’s Black Doves goes the other way with it. In what essentially amounts to Red Sparrow but British, this thriller is at its best when focusing on the humourous partnership and backstory of Helen and Sam (a great Keira Knightley and an even better Ben Whishaw, respectively). The mystery itself is fine, if a little convoluted, and there are the typical gunfights and whatnot, but witnessing the evolution of the two spies and the personal cost of the job is what makes this quick Christmas-tinged series (six episodes) a winner.