New Seasons of ‘Black Doves’ & ‘North of North,’ Hallmark’s ‘Mistletoe Murders,’ a ‘War’-Time Mole Hunt

Black Doves

After a nearly two-year absence — in other words, business as usual at Netflix — the very darkly amusing spy thriller returns for an over-the-top second season. Keira Knightley stars as Helen Webb, whose position as the wife of the U.K.’s newly installed prime minister (Andrew Buchan) provides access to intel important to her secret gig as an agent of the black ops covert spy agency Black Doves. When her longtime handler, Mrs. Reed (the great Sarah Lancashire), goes missing, and when veteran Doves start falling, in a storyline reminiscent of the latest chapter of the superior Slow Horses, Helen and her forlorn assassin sidekick Sam (Ben Whishaw) face their greatest challenge as an international peace summit looms that is destined to be anything but. How they keep a straight face against the rising tide of carnage is anyone’s guess. The six-episode season is a quick binge, at its juiciest when revealing the tragic details of Reed’s backstory.

North of North

Welcome back to Ice Cove, the frigid Canadian outpost that’s home to one of the most delightfully exotic escapist comedies since the heyday of Northern Exposure. Anna Lambe shines as the sardonic Siaja, a restless and hapless member of the Inuit community who blew up her life and marriage in 2025’s first season and is still seeking purpose. “I feel like I’m so far behind in life and I’m always trying to catch up,” she laments, adding, “I’m sick of feeling small, and I want more.” Despite the skepticism of her single mom (Maika Harper) and her self-absorbed boss (Mary Lynn Rajskub) at the town’s community center, the ever-optimistic Siaja never stops trying to find ways to put Ice Cove on the map and make life better for her and those she loves. Several romantic triangles keep things toasty in this frosty climate.

Mistletoe Murders

The seasonal mystery returns for a third season, with Christmas shop owner Emily Lane (Sarah Drew) no longer able to hide her past from her closest associates in Fletcher’s Grove. Her partner in crime-solving, Detective Sam Wilner (Peter Mooney), now knows her real name is Grace, having adopted her new identity to cloak her messy involvement with a cybercriminal hacker group and the CIA. One of those hackers, Aaron (Aaron Ashmore), has re-entered her life just as she was starting to get cozy with Sam. At least there are new murders to solve, with Good Witch‘s Catherine Bell guest-starring in the opener as a wreathmaker with a black-widow reputation, accused of having killed her husbands.

War

An especially suspenseful episode of the sleek legal drama finds the underdog firm of Taylor & Byrne frantically trying to root out the mole in their midst. We already know who it is: morally compromised young associate Johnny Warren (Archie Renaux), who’s been working both sides of the high-profile divorce case between tech mogul Morgan (Dominic West) and movie star Carla (Sienna Miller) from the start. After making a careless blunder when passing a document to the ruthless Cathcarts firm representing Morgan, Johnny goes to desperate measures to cover his tracks and divert suspicion away from him. The dirty tricks just get dirtier as the case heads to trial.

Cupertino

Always finding new angles on the legal quagmire of AI, this clever freshman drama scores again when Michael (Mike Colter) and Olivia (Rachel Keller) take on a class-action suit involving a workforce of AI data trainers suing their company for wage and overtime abuse. In another courtroom, where the issue revolves around AI Bo’s (Rob McClure) standing as a whistleblower, the hilarious character actress Jackie Hoffman, recently seen in Best Medicine, is the latest in a string of memorable judges. A new episode airs Sunday.

INSIDE THURSDAY TV:

• Eamon Lynch Has Questions (6 pm/ET, Golf Channel): The premiere of a sports interview program features Golfweek columnist Eamon Lynch grilling outgoing PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan.
• Places in the Heart (8/7c, Turner Classic Movies): We like her. We really like her. A nightlong tribute to Sally Field, in honor of her 80th birthday on Friday, begins with her Oscar-winning performance in the 1984 Depression-era drama.
• Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage (8/7c, CBS): It’s a crowded house when a disgruntled Missy (Raegan Revord) moves in with brother Georgie (Montana Jordan) and his McAllister in-laws.
• 9-1-1 (8/7c, ABC): A good Samaritan makes things worse at an accident scene, while the bromance of Buck (Oliver Stark) and Eddie (Ryan Guzman) is on the rocks after a parenting dispute. Followed by 9-1-1: Nashville (9/8c), where Dixie (LeAnn Rimes) is the latest target of the “Pharaoh,” imperiled on an ill-fated flight with snakes on board.
• The Traitors (8/7c, NBC): A poisoned chalice creates paranoia among the players.
• Hell’s Kitchen (8/7c, Fox): The chefs prepare dishes for a black-tie gala celebrating the show’s 25th season. Followed by a new episode of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test (9/8c).
• Snowbody Like You (8/7c, UPtv): The channel’s first holiday original of the season stars Kelley Jakle and Colton Little as Peyton and Ethan, who reconnect during a Christmas blizzard, years after their bad first date.
• The Real Housewives of Orange County (8/7c, Bravo): The cast rehashes the highs and lows of Season 20 in the first of a two-part reunion.
• Eternally Yours (8:30/7:30c, CBS): Novice vamp Max’s (Jaren Lewison) goodwill gesture toward Steve the Blood Guy (Steve Berg) backfires when Steve leaves Seattle, depriving the coven of their primary blood source.
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (9/8c, NBC): Getting justice for an assault at a wedding reception becomes difficult when key witnesses refuse to cooperate. Followed by Law & Order (10/9c), where a defendant pleads self-defense after the shooting death of a college basketball star.
• Elsbeth (9/8c, CBS): While investigating the link between a golfer’s (Nat Faxon) hole-in-one and the death of a country-club president, Elsbeth (Carrie Preston) and mom Lydia (Christine Ebersole) find time to meet Teddy’s (Ben Levi Ross) prospective in-laws (Erika Woods and Damian Young).
• Grey’s Anatomy (10/9c, ABC): This seems overdue: Jo (Camilla Luddington) attends a birth trauma support group.
• Archive X: Unexplained Phenomenon (10/9c, Sundance TV): The season finale explores cases of alleged demonic or alien possession, unearthing the story of a Vatican exorcist who believed in UFOs.

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