The Diplomat - Season 1 & 2 Recap
Finding great shows to watch is sometimes difficult. It requires research, recommendations from others, and a stroke of good luck. My husband and I have very specific tastes in movies and shows that provides a challenge when finding new entertainment. We recently binged season 1 and 2 of The Diplomat on Netflix and it checked all of our boxes to get us hooked!
If you’re new here, similar to my other movie and series recaps, I’ll be mentioning spoilers and specifics about the plot. Definitely pause this video and come back once you’ve finished watching it.
The Diplomat is a Netflix original series about a United States ambassador named Kate Wyler and her attempts to maneuver an international crisis. Season 1 premiered on April 20, 2023 and Season 2 was released on October 31, 2024. Season 3 has already been confirmed and production is underway.
The series focuses on how difficult managing foreign relations across the globe often is for governments. There’s a lot of chess, not checkers being played in order to get certain moves done without countries like the United States being implicated in a negative way. There is also a fine line that must be toed between doing what’s best for the state and maintaining a good image for any future personal gain.
Another interesting facet in Kate’s story is the tumultuous dynamic with her husband, Hal. He’s a former US diplomat like Kate, but due to his past decisions in Lebanon, struggles to initially garner the trust of Kate and her new staff since he has the reputation of being a loose canon and going off script. Over the course of the series however, Kate must grow to trust Hal’s guidance and eventually Hal becomes integral to keeping her level headed and as far ahead in the game as possible.
The show is honestly really fast paced, especially starting out. There are a lot of characters that have super quick scenes that lead to an important exchange that can often be missed completely if you’re not paying close attention. Personally, I really like shows like that because it keeps me mentally engaged, but it’s a double edged sword because I really have to carve out time to give it my full attention. It’s definitely not a background watch if you want to actually understand what’s going on.
It’s similar, in my opinion, to House of Cards. The main difference is that, for the first two seasons at least, the show is staged in the United Kingdom instead of the United States. I foresee at some point, Kate and crew will hop back over the pond to take a more domestic focal point. Barring any major characters getting caught up in any off-screen scandals, I can see a really long run for The Diplomat.
It’s only had 2 seasons so far and we’ve only scratched the surface of the plot. In fact, we haven’t even really gotten into what’s really going on because there are twists and turns all over the place that keep throwing monkey wrenches into everything. The series can easily go at least 7 or 8 seasons at minimum.
Initially, Kate is trying to smooth over relations after the HMS Courageous aircraft carrier was blown up in the Persian Gulf by reigning in the British Prime Minister from blaming Iran, developing a somewhat close relationship with the UK Foreign Secretary, Austin Dennison to advocate for her, and trying to forge strategic international alliances that can benefit both the UK and US.
However, Kate must also contend with being on a shortlist to replace the current Vice President, Grace Penn, and initially balks at the idea of being in such a public role until she eventually buys into it. It took a long time for Hal and her staff to convince her that she would be the perfect person for the role, and the revelation that Grace Penn herself ordered the original attack on the Brit’s was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Unfortunately, just like all good TV shows, Season 2 ended with a cliffhanger that implied the President in the series died of a heart attack, making Grace Penn the acting president. Now, we’re left on pins and needles wondering if Grace will make Kate her Vice President, what will happen with the British Government who feel played by the Americans, and how will Hal play into the new dynamic?
The show was so phenomenal that lead actress Keri Russell was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Season 1 immediately became Netflix’s No. 1 most-viewed title during its first two weeks and garnered 173.46 million hours viewed in the four weeks following its release. Similarly, Season 2 received a 95% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes.
There are so many good shows that I’m waiting on to release another season. I know it takes a long time to write, produce, and film, but it’s always a little sad when you get to the end of a great series because you have to find other titles to keep you entertained for the year or so that you have to wait for it to come back. The next title we’re impatiently waiting for is Skeleton Crew by Star Wars, which is set to be released on December 3, 2024. Stay tuned for that series recap!
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Signed,
Jessica Marie
