Quick answer: The Somerset House sequence in Black Doves Season 2 is a standout because it turns a real London art venue into an active part of the action. In Episode 2, Helen Webb and Laila Joshi are pursued through the landmark’s gallery spaces, alleyways and riverside corridors. Keira Knightley later revealed that director Julian Farino chose to film the sequence as a oner — one continuous shot — and the cast completed it in five takes.
The title calls it a shootout, but the sequence is more accurately described as a chase that turns into a close-quarters fight. That distinction matters: its impact comes less from a conventional exchange of gunfire than from the way the two agents move through a public art setting, improvise with their surroundings and keep the danger moving forward. It is one of Season 2’s most memorable action ideas because the location is not just a backdrop. It shapes the choreography.
Where the Somerset House sequence happens
The sequence appears in Episode 2, titled “A Little Black Dove.” Netflix’s official Season 2 location guide identifies Somerset House as the real place where Helen and Laila flee from disguised pursuers. The guide describes their route through the gallery, an alleyway and riverside corridors, making the building’s varied spaces part of the scene’s geography. The episode’s earlier tension begins nearby at St. Mary le Strand, where Helen and Laila meet before the attempted abduction of Laila.
Somerset House is an 18th-century neoclassical complex on the Strand in central London. Its large courtyard, formal façades, covered passages and river-facing side give filmmakers several contrasting visual environments within a compact area. That range helps explain why the location works so well for a chase: the action can move from an open public space into tighter architectural passages without feeling as though the characters have suddenly changed worlds.
Why shooting it as one continuous take mattered
In an interview with Keira Knightley and creator Joe Barton, Knightley explained that the director decided to attempt the chase as a oner even though she and Ambika Mod had not had much time to rehearse the fight. Knightley said the team managed to complete the sequence in one continuous take after five attempts. That behind-the-scenes detail gives the scene a useful context: the apparent fluidity was not an effortless accident, but the result of timing, coordination and repeated work.
A oner changes how viewers experience action. Conventional editing can hide transitions between movements, reset geography or compress the passage of time. A continuous shot instead asks the performers, camera team and stunt crew to sustain the scene’s rhythm without a visible cut. The audience has to follow the movement as it unfolds, which can make the pursuit feel immediate and slightly unpredictable.
That approach also places extra pressure on blocking. The performers must know where they are moving, where the camera is positioned, when a stunt begins and how each beat leads into the next. A missed cue can affect the whole take. Knightley’s account of five attempts makes the achievement more tangible without pretending the scene was done in a single effortless try.
Ambika Mod’s stunt work adds to the sequence
Ambika Mod has also spoken about the physical preparation behind the action. In her Radio Times interview, she said she did stunt training and that the cast performed most of the stunts themselves. She singled out the Somerset House art-exhibition sequence as her favourite stunt moment, describing a continuous shot in which Laila and Helen move through the gallery and use objects in the environment during the fight.
That detail helps explain the scene’s distinctive tone. Laila is not presented as a polished, silent action machine; her blunt humour and practical instincts are part of the character. Helen, meanwhile, is forced to operate outside the composed public identity she usually maintains. Their contrasting personalities give the choreography a character-based rhythm: the scene is entertaining not only because the pair escape danger, but because the way they respond to it tells viewers who they are.
How the real location strengthens the action
Using a recognisable working landmark gives the chase a texture that a generic soundstage might not provide. The architecture supplies depth, long sightlines and sudden changes in scale. A gallery can feel open and exposed; a narrow passage can quickly make the same characters seem boxed in. The river-facing corridors add another layer of orientation, reminding viewers that the action is happening inside a real part of London rather than in an anonymous thriller set.
Netflix’s location guide is especially useful here because it confirms that the sequence uses the real Somerset House rather than simply borrowing its name. The production’s wider approach to London locations also supports the show’s grounded sense of place: the city is not just a postcard between action scenes, but a network of spaces that affects how characters meet, move and escape.
Is it really a shootout?
Not in the strict sense suggested by the word. The most reliable descriptions of the Episode 2 set-piece focus on a pursuit and a physical fight through the venue. Calling it a “shootout” can work as shorthand in a title for a high-stakes action highlight, but readers should not mistake it for a long gun battle. The more interesting craft choice is the continuous movement through the exhibition space and the way the performers interact with their surroundings.
Why it stands out in Black Doves Season 2
The Somerset House sequence brings together several qualities that define Black Doves: stylish London locations, sharp character chemistry, sudden violence and a streak of dark comedy. Its one-take design gives the action a clear visual identity, while the real building makes the chase feel spatially specific. Knightley’s account of five takes and Mod’s comments about stunt preparation add verifiable behind-the-scenes detail to what viewers see on screen.
For viewers revisiting Season 2, the scene is worth watching for more than its fight beats. Pay attention to how the camera keeps the geography legible, how the performers move between open and enclosed spaces, and how Laila and Helen’s personalities remain visible even when the pace accelerates. That combination — practical stunt work, a carefully chosen location and character-driven humour — is what makes the Somerset House set-piece one of the season’s strongest action highlights.
Frequently asked questions
Which episode features the Somerset House chase?
The chase takes place in Season 2, Episode 2, “A Little Black Dove.”
Was the Black Doves Season 2 chase filmed at the real Somerset House?
Yes. Netflix’s official location guide identifies the real Somerset House in London as the location for Helen and Laila’s pursuit through the gallery, alleyway and riverside corridors.
Was the sequence filmed in one take?
Keira Knightley said the director wanted to shoot it as a oner and that the cast completed it in five takes. The finished sequence plays as one continuous shot.
Did Keira Knightley and Ambika Mod perform the stunts themselves?
Ambika Mod said the cast performed most of the stunts themselves after stunt training. That does not mean every action beat was performed without stunt professionals; the production still relied on coordinated stunt work.
Is the Somerset House scene a gunfight?
It is more accurately described as a chase and close-quarters fight than a conventional shootout.
Sources and further reading
- Netflix Tudum: Black Doves Season 2 Locations
- Radio Times: Ambika Mod interview
- Keira Knightley and Joe Barton interview on the Somerset House oner
- Watch Black Doves on Netflix
Image note: The five photographs in this article show Somerset House itself; they are not Black Doves production stills. Each is used under its stated Creative Commons license with photographer credit. The sequence details are based on the interviews and Netflix location information linked above.
By Shivam Das
