Black Doves is a symptom of the malignancy in modern storytelling

Modern storytelling has a massive problem. At this point we are more than 100 years into motion pictures and a couple decades away from that mark in television. In the venn diagram of those two mediums is a second plane; there have been three, maybe four generations of audiences who have consumed this artform and its cliches, and we know where too many plot, character, and narrative tracks are leading. I’m flipping tired of it.

Netflix recently released a British set spy show called Black Doves. It’s getting a rather heavy push online and apparently people are digging it. I thought I was part of that crowd until halfway into episode four. Turns out, Black Doves is just another spycraft show where spies can get do anything in full daylight, survive any trap, and ultimately discover the world is a web of counter spies and somehow shadowy figures that pull the strings. I thought this bird had its feathers plucked bare 15 years ago, but apparently no. If you can snag a top shelf talent, hand them some guns, and run them through some unbelievable twists garbage like Black Doves can still fly high.