I was feeling so many feelings about one killer character…

As I write this story, Netflix’s Black Doves is playing in the background, and I’m hearing Ben Whishaw’s sweet voice. Without thinking about the words he’s saying, I can only picture the lovable bear he’s best known for voicing, Paddington. However, when I take a moment to listen to his character Sam’s dialogue, I quickly realize he’s not the most wholesome character ever. He’s playing an emotional and occasionally cold-hearted assassin. To put it lightly, that shift is jarring.

So, as I binged the Netflix series the first time, I couldn’t help but feel quite confused by Ben Whishaw’s role in this show. However, I simultaneously adored it as it subverted my expectations of both him as an actor and the spy genre in general.

Ben Whishaw standing in a bar looking forward with a straight face.

As A Paddington Fan, Seeing Ben Whishaw As An Assassin Confused Me And Threw Me Off Guard

Let’s start with why I was confused. I’m one of the many people in the camp who agree with the Paddington 2 reviews that say it’s a perfect film. So, whenever I see or hear Ben Whishaw, my mind immediately associates him with that wholesome bear.

There are plenty of reasons to see John M. Chu’s film adaptation of “Wicked,” chief among them being this stellar cast’s renditions of some iconic tracks. Since the film first started screening, people haven’t been able to stop gushing about Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s live vocal performances. This is guaranteed to produce some memorable and emotional moments, especially if you were on set at the time of filming and a choir of birds decided to join in. I recently spoke with John M. Chu himself, and when describing his biggest “goosebumps moment” during production on “Wicked,” he told a beautiful story of when Cynthis Erivo as Elphaba sang one of the musical’s most emotional songs, “I’m Not That Girl”, with help from some feathered friends.

However, he’s quite literally the opposite of wholesome in Black Doves, and each time he was on my screen, I had to jump over a hurdle to disassociate him from Paddington.

That led to a lot of confusion throughout the entire show. Which, let me make this clear, is not Ben Whishaw’s fault or problem, this is 100% on me. He’s wonderful in this show! However, when he appeared on screen with a gun or he was flirting with a guy or he was handling a truly violent situation, I was over here having to say “Riley, he is not Paddington, he just sounds like him.”

This silly confusion of having to re-wire my brain to think of Ben Whishaw as an assassin, not a kind and sweet being actually worked in the show’s favor though. This feeling is not bad, it’s fantastic because my preconceived notions of both the Women Talking actor and the spy genre were totally subverted by seeing him play this cool, calm and mostly collected assassin.

Ben Whishaw in Black Doves holding a gun up and looking down the barrel.

However, It’s That Subversion Of Expectations Of Both Ben Whishaw And The Spy Genere That Makes Me Love Black Doves

In this 2024 Netflix release, there are two different subversions of expectations going on.

On one hand, the character Sam allows Ben Whishaw to play someone totally opposite of the characters we’ve come to know him as. Whether you are used to him being the playful and kind Paddington or the nerdy genius Q in James Bond, you likely associate the actor with quieter and softer roles. Well, Black Doves is a total departure from that.

Sam is willing to kill just about anyone, he’s quite sassy and, in a lot of ways, he fits in that cold-blooded trope we’ve come to associate with assassins and spies. And Whishaw delivers his iconic one-liners with ease, he’s effortlessly charming and his action sequences are epic.

However, in a true Ben Whishaw way, he also adds a gentleness to Sam that makes him more emotional and vulnerable than your typical assassin.

Sam’s humanity plays a big role in this show, and his desire to be loved is a challenge he grapples with all season. The Skyfall actor brings his lovability and vulnerability to his character, and ultimately that makes him a mesmerizing and lovable figure in this story.

That is part of the reason why Black Doves is so acclaimed, and it’s why I love this wild spy thriller so much. So, if you haven’t checked it out yet, now is the time to use your Netflix subscription to see the magnificent Ben Whishaw play an assassin in this fun, violent, cheeky, creative and at times heartfelt series.