Black Doves creator confirms identity of mystery woman in final scene

It's a journey that brings about some difficult battles and revelations for the longtime friends, but the Black Doves ending is actually somewhat upbeat, as each of the key players gets to take a break from the fighting and just enjoy the day.

Reed is doing so in her fancy apartment with a glass of bubbly in hand, with a woman sat quietly behind her who you may not have recognised upon first viewing – but her presence is notable indeed.

In an interview with GQ, Barton explained: "That's Marie, she's Helen and Wallace's nanny. She pops up throughout the series, so it's possible to miss. I mean, she looks like she could be Reed’s daughter, they've got a similar haircut.

"But no, she's the nanny, so she's been spying on them the whole time. Basically, everyone's spy."

To be fair on those of us who failed to make this connection – and yes, I am a member of that group – Marie (played by Molly Chesworth) is a relatively small role in the show, although she does have a key scene with Helen towards the end of the season.

That's when she has stayed later than planned with the Webb children as neither Helen nor husband Wallace (Andrew Buchan) came home at the agreed time – an error that causes the politician to become suspicious of his wife.

The reveal of Marie's own Black Dove status goes some way to explaining how Reed knows so many of the intimate details of Helen's life, including her ill-fated affair with MI5 operative Jason (Andrew Koji).

Barton went on to tease what's to come in Black Doves season 2, which has already been confirmed, following the dramatic shoot-out that left powerful gangster Alex (Tracey Ullman) and her son dead.

"It's all about the consequences of their actions, really," he added. "Sam making this personal sacrifice at the end by killing Alex and her son and taking on the burden of that – the moral burden, and also the actual ramifications.

"Obviously, in the flashbacks, you find out that Helen sacrificed her chance to get away to help Sam, so he feels this moral obligation to do the same. It’s all about friendship, really, and how much they love each other, and what they would do for one another."

Black Doves is available to stream on Netflix.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.