Black Doves – Episode 5 “The Cost Of It All” Recap & Review

The Cost Of It All

Episode 5 of Black Doves begins with us in the past and following Williams as she fled from the scene during her partner being killed at the apartment. She shows up to see Eleanor, who’s down on the barge, and enlists her help almost immediately.

Back in the present, Wallace leaves Dani as he has a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador. The CIA chief is here too, and he’s not happy about the attack against the embassy. The US believes the Chinese are responsible, while the UK are vehemently against supplying military contracts to the Chinese. It’s out the question. This definitely ramps up the political stakes here and right now, we’re at a stalemate.

Meanwhile, Eleanor and William throw through some Marvel humour out, as they prep for the Clark attack. With Kai-ming hiding in the bath, the pair work to try and thwart their attackers.

After stealing a black cab, Sam, Cole and Helen flee from their captors and show up at the safehouse, which is obviously under attack from the Clarks. Helen and Cole remain in the car while Sam scrambles inside. All of this ends with the Clarks getting Kai-ming and Eleanor, while Williams is saved by Sam.

Helen decides they need to hold out at Michael’s place, as it’s the only safe place they have left. Michael is not happy with all of this being brought to his doorstep, but he begrudgingly agrees to help all the same.

The Clarks (whom we now know are behind the ‘Repair Shop’ number) ring and want to strike a deal. They want the digital recording device in exchange for saving Kai-ming and Eleanor. Oh, and if Helen and the others don’t follow through then everyone will die. The wildcard here could be Trent, and if Cole doesn’t follow through, then he could be killed given he’s no use to them.

In secret, Helen speaks to Sam and reveals that she’s messed up her end of the deal, admitting that before his death, she revealed to Jason exactly who she is. Apparently nothing was going to change between them but a week later, Jason ended up dead. It doesn’t seem like a coincidence does it? It appears as if everything is connected here.

Helen is flustered when her nanny calls though, as Wallace and Helen are eventually reunited. He’s not particularly happy about her not being home, and tries to broach the subject of her affair. However, Officer Perryman shows up that night and questions her involvement with the US embassy. Her name has set off a red flag but Helen doesn’t elaborate further, as she needs to put the kids to bed.

It’s clear that Wallace is suspicious and he tells her he loves her and their family together. Helen looks close to actually admitting the truth, but instead she walks out to meet Reed that night, who wants to talk.

Reed admits to working with the Chinese, but similarly she doesn’t seem to be completely forthright. Helen brings up how the Clarks are behind this and they need to take them out. Reed believes they’re way too insulated and she won’t get anywhere with this line of thinking.

The drama here though stems from Jason’s death and the Embassy’s interest in Helen. Reed is concerned that Helen has broken their rules about the Doves, and she gives an ultimatum over handing over Cole before everything escalates into an international incident.

When Helen leaves, Reed rings Sam, right in the middle of his heart to heart with Michael. She has a final job for him – kill Alex Clark. He refuses to do so but Reed is convinced that the Doves need to be protected so this would finish the job. Cole Atwood is also part of this too, and he needs to be brought in. The thing is, Atwood is gone. Later on, we soon learn that he’s returned to the embassy.

Sam shows up to kill Alex Clark, but of course she’s ready for him and knocks him out with her right-hand man. As for Dani, it’s now clear that she’s a dove and Reed decides to “let her off the leash”.

Helen realizes where the recording device is, and finds it at the jewellery store, locked in the vault. However, Dani shows just as she’s about to leave. Helen calls out Dani for being desperate and the pair end up fighting. It doesn’t last long though, as Helen comes out on top.

So what’s on the device? Well, it’s footage of Trent killing Chen after he tried to scare him off from getting involved with Kai-ming. Stephen Yarrick showed up with his goons, deciding to cover it up with a drug overdose, and it’s clear that the PM is also involved in this too.

The Episode Review

So the penultimate episode really tightens the screw, with it now clear that the Clark family are at the top of the podium, and plenty of drama ensuing with our characters as they grapple with the magnitude of what this means across the criminal space of London.

The show does have some issues with its pacing, and the focus on characters like Williams takes away crucial screentime from more interesting players like Helen and Sam. The humour at the start is also a bit out of place, and doesn’t really work right in the middle of the tense firefights, but these moments are small nit-picks in what’s otherwise an enjoyable ride.

Having said that, there’s enough here to make for an enjoyable watch, and the ending definitely hints that we’re about to have a lot more drama come our way in this one.