The Emmy-nominated Keri Russell is back as The Diplomat‘ this October as Netflix sets a premiere date for Season 2 of the utterly superb (and often darkly funny) political thriller.
If you haven’t yet caught the series (go watch season one on Netflix right now!) it follows Kate Wyler (Russell) who is the new US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. She was supposed to go to Afghanistan. She’s great in a crisis zone. In a historic mansion… not so much… War is brewing on one continent and boiling over on another. Kate has to diffuse international crises, forge strategic alliances in London, and adjust to her new place in the spotlight — all while trying to survive her marriage to fellow career diplomat and political star Hal Wyler (played by Rufus Sewell).
We return for season two, picking up after that, quite literally, explosive finale! For those of you needing a recap of where season one ended (SPOILERS, obviously) Kate had found out that it was the British prime minister himself, Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear), who planned the explosion of the British aircraft carrier at the start of season one. As she’s talking with UK Foreign Secretary Dennison (David Gyasi) trying to work out what to do next, a car bomb explodes, potentially killing her husband Hal, Deputy Chief of Mission Stuart Hayford (Ato Essandoh), office clerk Ronnie (Jess Chanliau), and MP Merritt Grove (Simon Chandler). And we were left on the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers!
Heading into Season 2, creator Debora Cahn says we will find out what happened after that explosion, and it will “take some lives and shatter the rest.” Kate also has to figure out how to prove Trowbridge was behind the warship bombing, and how to investigate that when the US and UK share all their intelligence. Who can she trust?
One new face in season two is someone who is no stranger to political roles, Allison Janney, who played White House press secretary C.J. Cregg on ‘The West Wing’. She’s gotten a promotion for this series, as she portrays Vice President Grace Penn. “The VP thinks Kate’s after her job,” says Cahn. “She’s not entirely wrong. Kate thinks she understands the VP. She is mistaken.”
From showrunner Debora Cahn (‘The West Wing’, ‘Homeland’), ‘The Diplomat’ is a high-stakes, contemporary political drama about the transcendence and torture of long-term relationships, between countries and people. Keri Russell was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in season one.
The Diplomat‘ Season 2 premieres Thursday, 31st October 2024 on Netflix UK and worldwide.
