Credit: Netflix

Ha, what a considerate way to end the third season! After making us wait almost two years, Black Doves finally returned to Netflix, only to leave Helen Webb between the devil and the deep blue sea.

You see, just when her husband finds out that the woman he’s married isn’t quite who she claims to be, the credits roll. Thanks for that, Joe Barton. Some of us were hoping for a little closure, not another year of wondering whether this marriage will next be seen in the divorce courts.

Netflix released the second season of its British spy thriller on November 5th and brought Keira Knightley’s Helen and Ben Whishaw’s Sam back for another thoroughly unpleasant face-off with London’s criminal underworld.

And considering the can of worms they opened and left, you’d think a third season was a foregone conclusion. Well, not quite, people, although the show’s creator has offered a glimmer of hope.

Has Netflix renewed Black Doves for season 3?

Officially, not yet. Netflix hasn’t officially commissioned a third instalment, but Barton revealed during a November 2nd appearance on the Pilot TV podcast that discussions are underway. He said, “There’s a writers’ room. Netflix are really behind it,” explaining that the platform has expressed enthusiasm for another season.

Barton even joked that Netflix had indicated it would love to recommission the series, prompting him to wonder what was stopping them. The man has a point! He did, however, acknowledge that commercial considerations could influence the decision.

Now, having a writers’ room doesn’t guarantee another season, but it does suggest that the creative team isn’t preparing to bid farewell to Helen and Sam just yet. For starters, Wallace has become Britain’s prime minister, and his wife has finally admitted that much of their marriage has been built on lies, although she’s still got plenty of explaining to do. The finale ends just as Wallace asks her to start with her real name, and Barton reckons the fallout is far too juicy to leave unexplored.

And poor Mrs Reed! As if dealing with her long-lost daughter Vita wasn’t enough, their devastating confrontation has left her entire organisation in shambles. Vita is dead, Patrick is still on the loose, and the Black Doves have one hell of a mess to clean up.

Barton has also expressed interest in exploring Williams and Eleanor’s backstories, with further chapters from Helen and Sam’s pasts remaining unexplored.

So, while Netflix hasn’t given season three the green light, the groundwork is underway. Well, they have to because after leaving Wallace waiting for an explanation from his wife, cancelling Black Doves now would be nothing short of cruelty.