From the breathless opening scenes to the final jaw-dropping twist eight episodes later, where when someone says, “Nothing to worry about, right?” you’d better be plenty worried, the third season of The Diplomat is the very definition of a breakneck binge bonanza. It’s also the most sensationally entertaining political drama since The West Wing.
And that comparison was front of mind even before I saw Bradley Whitford appear as the “first gentleman” to the new, accidental U.S. president played with crisp authority by fellow West Wing alum and Emmy winner Allison Janney. (It doesn’t hurt that the show’s creator, Debora Cahn, is a Writers Guild of America-winning West Wing veteran herself.) The happy news: The relationship between President Grace Penn and her droll scientist husband Todd is much merrier than the frosty detente that characterizes The Diplomat‘s juicily conflicted core couple: UK ambassador Grace Wyler (a fierce Keri Russell) and her sometimes in-name-only husband Hal (the riotous Rufus Sewell), himself a former ambassador and a notorious loose cannon described as having “the subtlety of a kidney stone.” (So much so that Hal’s loose lips caused the previous president to drop dead when informed of his VP Grace’s complicity in a conspiracy that led to the bombing of a British carrier.)
The Wylers’ TV marriage may be the most fascinating to come along since Russell starred opposite her current off-camera partner Matthew Rhys as deeply embedded Soviet spies in FX’s classic The Americans. It’s a testament to Russell’s versatility and charisma that she’s every bit as convincing as the alluringly steely yet endearingly awkward Kate as she was in The Americans as the disguise-wearing, true believer spy.
The new season opens shortly after Season 2’s shocking cliffhanger, in which Grace learns she’s inheriting the Oval Office, which saves her from being exposed by the Wylers. Armed with information that could bring the U.S. and UK government to their knees, the couple is now treading the most treacherous of diplomatic waters with the global stakes higher than ever. The suspense is palpable, but so is the wit as Hal and Kate figure out their roles in the Penn administration, which requires delicate negotiations on both sides of the ocean while constantly doing damage control. No less intricate are the details of their messy relationship, which balances the dichotomy of a public union and a private separation.
To say much more would risk spoiling the many surprises The Diplomat has in store for those who’ve been eagerly awaiting new episodes for nearly a year. (By recent streaming standards, that’s a pretty quick turnaround.) Be assured that the show’s splendid supporting cast has lost none of their crackling appeal: Rory Kinnear as the blustery and mercurial British prime minister, David Gyasi as the enigmatic UK Foreign Secretary (one of several men to whom Kate is drawn, and vice versa), Ato Essandoh as Kate’s loyal deputy, Ali Ahn as the pugnacious CIA station chief who worries about her job amid the political fallout, and new to the show, Poldark hunk Aidan Turner as an operative harboring a literal bombshell of a secret that further tests the “special relationship” between America and its closest European ally.
Before it’s over, everyone’s trust has been shaken, with personal jealousies and passions igniting yet more conflict as the world watches. And did we mention how sexy the show is? Just about everyone who doesn’t despise or fear her has a crush on Kate, and before long, so will you.
The Diplomat, Season 3 Premiere (eight episodes), Thursday, October 16, Netflix
More Headlines:
- Roush Review: Politics & Passion Collide in the Electrifying ‘Diplomat’
- ‘Ice Road Truckers’: Todd Dewey Looks for Redemption on Spooky Terrain
- ‘The Challenge’: Another OG Champion Goes Down in ‘Worst Performance’ Ever
- ‘Survivor 49’ Recap: Who Was Voted out in Episode 4? Tribe Swap Causes Shakeup
- The Labubu Craze Hits ‘Abbott Elementary’ in Season 5’s Epic Ballgame Episode
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.