Hideo Kojima Admits He Never Finished ‘Black Doves’ Season 1, but He’s Back for More

Hideo Kojima’s social media feed has long doubled as a window into everything he’s watching, and Netflix’s ‘Black Doves’ just landed on his radar again. The Metal Gear creator once held a Guinness World Records title for the most followers on Twitter for a video game director, so when he talks about a show, plenty of people notice.

His posts often come with surprisingly candid confessions, too. Back in 2022, he admitted on his official account that he had “quit after 3 episodes of season 1” of ‘The Boys’, and that it didn’t sound like he stopped because he wasn’t enjoying it. Fans have even learned to read his short, flat movie posts as a kind of silent review system.

Now, he’s sharing a similar admission about a very different show. In a new post, Kojima revealed that with Season 2 of ‘Black Doves’ now out, he’s heading back to Season 1, which he never finished watching, sharing both the Japanese and English key art for the series alongside it.

The timing makes sense. Netflix released all 6 episodes of ‘Black Doves’ Season 2 on Thursday, November 5, with Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw back as Helen and Sam. The first season originally debuted on December 5, 2024.

For anyone who hasn’t caught up yet, like Kojima, the premise is easy to get into. The British series follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), an undercover operative for a top-secret, for-profit espionage agency called the Black Doves, and her best friend Sam Young (Ben Whishaw), a hitman who used to work for the Black Doves and is now a dissolute freelancer.

Now that Season 2 is out, I’m going back to Season 1 of “Black Doves,” which I never finished watching. https://t.co/uJN3Rl41Zd

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) November 5, 2026

The stakes are even higher this time around. Helen returns as an undercover spy whose husband’s rise to prime minister puts her right at the heart of British power, and keeping up appearances at 10 Downing Street is a full-time job.

The cast has grown, too. Sarah Lancashire, Andrew Buchan and Ella Lily Hyland reprise their roles from the first season, while newcomers include Ambika Mod, Neve Campbell and Sam Riley.

Kojima’s return to Season 1 comes as the show’s reviews are glowing. TheWrap praised creator Joe Barton’s spy thriller for having the colorful, hyper-stylized feel of a graphic novel that mashes genre tropes into something original, and declared that the new season is even better.

Old secrets. New faces. Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw star in Black Doves Season 2, premiering November 5. https://t.co/SqLwbLGrzO

— Netflix (@netflix) September 24, 2026

Tom’s Guide was similarly impressed, calling it a thoroughly entertaining return with plenty of twists, sharp humor and terrific performances from Knightley and Whishaw. The series is clearly building on a strong foundation, since the first season earned a near-perfect 92% Rotten Tomatoes score, and early Season 2 reviews initially gave it a perfect 100% score based on 8 reviews.

Netflix’s confidence in the series has been clear from the start. The streamer confirmed Season 2 before the first season had even premiered, and Knightley serves as an executive producer alongside Jane Featherstone and Chris Fry.

The future is still up in the air, though. Netflix has not yet renewed the show for a third season, so new viewers catching up now could help make the case for more. If Kojima’s history with ‘The Boys’ is any sign, a show he circles back to might end up becoming one he can’t stop talking about.

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