Joe Barton’s Netflix series Black Doves torches the manual on how spy craft is typically depicted on TV.

This action-packed thriller has its share of intrigue in the best British spy tradition, but its splashy, over-the-top take on intelligence gathering sets it apart. Cloak-and-dagger tropes collide with the unconventional, capped with a splatter-fest in the heart of London that has been headlining office kitchen conversations.