The Diplomat delivers more pulpy thrills in season 2
In The Diplomat, Kate Wyler is always slightly twitchy. Used to having posts in war zones, she feels out of place in her new position as the U.S.’s ambassador to the U.K., with butlers ready to serve her in a house that’s practically a castle. Kate’s discomfort, thanks to series star Keri Russell, is palpable: She makes scrunched-up facial expressions, walks with clear agitation, and has disdain for her outfits. (God forbid she wears colorful clothes or brushes a comb through her hair.) Along with this scrappiness, Russell also lends the character a quick wit, confidence, and tenderness. She makes Kate feel relatable, helping anchor this Netflix drama even when it veers into very soapy territory.
Russell, of course, fully embodied characters in her past two big TV projects: Felicity and The Americans. The Diplomat, from creator Debora Cahn, might share a surface-level resemblance to the latter series. After all, like Elizabeth Jennings, Kate is also stuck in complex intergovernmental conflicts and a thorny marital union. While not nearly as sharp or moving as that FX gem, The Diplomat has some addictive pulpy thrills, which continue in these six new hourlong episodes that test Kate’s commitment to her job and husband Hal (Rufus Sewell).
In season two, she has marginally adjusted to British life, even if that entails putting on a maroon pantsuit and tying her hair up in a bun once in a while, and learned how to better wield her power. As a refresher, in the season-one finale, Kate learned the terrorist attack that brought her to London in the first place was likely orchestrated by that country's prickly Prime Minister (Rory Kinnear). So now, while appeasing him, she has to figure out just how far his deceit goes. Are other countries like Russia and Iran involved? Is it all a hoax? And how much can she trust the PM’s former campaign manager/current whistleblower (Celia Imrie)?
Kate’s investigation puts her on a warpath with some surprising people, pushing season two in wild directions where not all of the plot twists land with the intended punch. (Often, these turns can feel ridiculous or hackneyed, as if they’re plucked from Homeland and The West Wing, both of which Cahn wrote for.) But the show’s taut pace makes these curveballs pretty fun to behold anyway. The final couple of installments are especially enticing with the arrival of Allison Janney as U.S. Vice President Grace Penn, who’s about to step down due to a potential scandal. As revealed in season one, Kate is the top candidate to replace her, and the U.K. gig is a test run to see how she fares in the public eye.
Russell and Janney chew up the scenery with their many tête-à-têtes. Whether Kate and Grace are bickering or going on about what it’s like to be a leader battling misogyny, the actors are on fire here. Plus, it’s hard to tell right away where Grace’s intentions truly lie because projects don’t cast Janney for one-note roles (unless it’s Apple TV+’s Palm Royale). Much like Russell, she immediately brings layers to her character, which bodes well for the show’s recently announced third season.
Despite this cool new addition, the crux of The Diplomat still lies in Kate and Hal’s relationship. Their marriage is constantly on the rocks, and the duo can take a sweet conversation and turn it into a bitter argument in mere minutes. The intense back-and-forths between the couple can seem grating and repetitive, but perhaps that’s the point. They’re just two regular people who, even in the face of power, struggle with communication problems and tumultuous feelings (and a bit of infidelity).
It’s a messy bond that Kate refers to as a “magic trick” at one point in season two, with both partners manipulating their histories to their advantage. And that’s what makes the show a delight. She knows that Hal, with his wily tactics as a former diplomat, can secure information she’s unable to. And he’s aware that Kate is his last grasp at relevancy. Underneath the lies, back-channeling, and mind games is a weird type of respect and love.
That said, by fusing their relationship to its larger political plots, The Diplomat makes some goofy choices, especially in the season’s eye-roll-worthy finale. But the fast-paced storylines, while perhaps not grounded in reality, result in an entertaining, easy-to-watch thriller with one hell of a Russell performance.
The Diplomat season two premieres October 31 on Netflix