Fans of political thrillers found a new must-watch show on Netflix in The Diplomat when it dropped in April 2023. Courtesy of The Americans' Keri Russell and The West Wing and Homeland writer Debora Cahn, the drama stars Russell as Kate Wyler, a no-nonsense diplomat who is suddenly named ambassador to Britain after an international crisis begins brewing between several global superpowers. While Kate has to acclimate to the demands of her job in an entirely new environment, she also has to contend with her husband Hal (Rufus Sewell), a former ambassador who has trouble taking a back seat now that his wife's in the spotlight.
In addition to its plot twists and political maneuvering, The Diplomat is also full of romance and humor, as it shows how these career diplomats and world leaders (played by a cast of familiar faces) are just as human as anyone else. The excellent eight-episode season ends in a cliffhanger that demands a second installment. Read on for what we know about The Diplomat season 2.
Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) looks somber in a first-look at The Diplomat season 2.
Has 'The Diplomat' been renewed for season 2?
Yes! Netflix announced the season 2 renewal on May 1, 2023, just 11 days after the political series premiered. Per the streamer, season 1 quickly took the top spot on their Top 10 TV English list, dethroning the similar spy thriller The Night Agent. It also landed in the Top 10 in 86 countries.
"Fans around the world are loving every minute of The Diplomat’s gripping and propulsive drama, and embracing Keri Russell’s powerful performance as Kate Wyler," said Jinny Howe, vice president of Netflix’s drama series. "After that jaw-dropping cliffhanger, we can’t wait for them to see what the amazing visionary team of Debora Cahn, Janice Williams and Keri Russell have in store for season 2."
Fans had high hopes for a series renewal, as The Diplomat is showrunner Debora Cahn's first series under her overall deal with the streaming giant. On an episode of The Hollywood Reporter's "TV's Top 5" podcast, Cahn shared that she hopes the series will be able to continue for multiple seasons.
"I certainly like long-form stories. I like being able to write about minutiae and the little odd moments of people’s lives and their worlds. So I like long-form storytelling. I certainly hope it continues. And I have a lot of ideas about where it would go. But we’ll see. We shall see what happens."
When will 'The Diplomat' season 2 be released?
Netflix has announced that The Diplomat season 2 will return on October 31, 2024, just 16 months after season 1. This is right on schedule for what we were guessing for the show's release timeline, as Netflix first announced The Diplomat in January 2022, with season 1 premiering 15 months later on April 20, 2023. (Please Netflix, let's have more shows without two- or three-year hiatuses.)
The streamer dropped the news with some first-look photos of the new season, featuring a very somber-looking Ambassador Wyler, likely after hearing the news of the season 1 finale's explosion. (The near-immediate aftermath, since she's still wearing the red dress in one pic.)
Kate Wyler (Russell) on the night of the fatal explosion.
Which new cast members are joining 'The Diplomat' season 2?
Calling all The West Wing fans, a familiar face is coming to The Diplomat. Allison Janney (a.k.a. former White House press secretary C.J. Cregg) will join the show as U.S. Vice President Grace Penn. In The Diplomat, VP Penn is on her way out of office due to a scandal, and Kate is at the top of the list to replace her (though we'll see if that changes as Kate goes after Trowbridge). Cahn hinted at the upcoming discord when the two women interact in season 2.
“The VP thinks Kate’s after her job,” the creator told Tudum. “She’s not entirely wrong. Kate thinks she understands the VP. She is mistaken.”
Allison Janney joins this season as U.S. Vice President Grace Penn.
What will 'The Diplomat' season 2 be about?
The series' eight-episode debut season ended with a surprising twist that threw off everything we knew about the brewing global conflict between the U.K. and Russia, which we learned had framed Iran for attacking a British naval ship. In the season 1 finale of The Diplomat, Ambassador Kate Wyler learned that the U.K. Prime Minister Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear), had planned to assassinate the Russian mercenary behind the attack, rather than just arresting him. Wyler and Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi) realize the only reason Trowbridge would want the mercenary dead is if the prime minister had ordered the attack on the ship, to bring the U.K. into a war and ensure his reelection. Around the same time they learn of Trowbridge's plot, Hal Wyler is set to meet with a British Parliament member—who assumedly knew the secret plan—when the whistleblower's car explodes from a bomb. The final scene shows Kate and Austin approached by cops, as the pair hear unfortunate news.
Austin Dennison (David Gyasi) and Kate Wyler (Russell) speaking coyly at a political function.
Netflix has since confirmed that season 2 will follow the fallout from the explosion. The streamer shared a synopsis as new episodes approach: "A deadly explosion in the heart of London shatters U.S. Ambassador Kate Wyler’s world (Russell). Struggling to rebuild the lives that broke and the team that split apart, Kate’s worst fears unfold: The attack that brought her to the U.K. didn’t come from a rival nation, it came from inside the British government. As Kate chases the truth, her only real ally is her almost-ex-husband Hal Wyler (Sewell), very much alive, and very much involved. She faces a fraught marriage, a complex dynamic with British Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (Gyasi), and a threatening visit from Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney)."
Series creator Debora Cahn has also spoken about what fans can expect from season 2. She described the explosion to Tudum as an attack that "takes some lives and shatters the rest. The marriage [Kate] thought was over, the relationship she thought was beginning… all of it, in pieces."
She also spoke about how hard it'll be for Kate to prove Trowbridge's villainy and stop him from plunging the U.K., and their ally the U.S., into a possible World War 3. “The U.S. and the U.K. don’t spy on each other,” the creator explained. “In fact, they share all their intelligence. So how do you investigate the PM? Who do you trust?”
Is there a trailer for 'The Diplomat' season 2?
Yes! A couple weeks before the premiere, Netflix released a trailer for The Diplomat season 2. The high-intensity clip sees Kate visiting her estranged husband following the accident, finding him alive, conscious, and able to speak, sustaining just a few scratches on his face. While the trailer shows the two going toe-to-toe about Kate's extra-marital affairs, it primarily shows how she'll follow her suspicions to investigate the conspiracies in the British government.
"The call is coming from inside the house and 43 Americans just got blown up inside the house," she says at one point.
The diplomat also points to how she thinks Trowbridge is guilty and the clip features a first look at Allison Janney—blonde bob and all—(begrudgingly) meeting with Kate for the first time.
Eidra Park (Ali Ahn) and Kate Wyler (Russell) standing in front of a white board with a potential conspiracy theory they're discussing.
What have the cast and crew said about 'The Diplomat' season 2?
In an interview with Tudum, Rufus Sewell addressed his character's fate, saying, "I hope so," when asked whether the car explosion left any survivors.
"I hope we all survive. What can I say? I mean, I loved the dramatic turn. And I just have to hope a) that there’ll be a second season, and b) that everyone will be okay. But the drama needs to be real," he said.
He also hinted that he's hoping for the show to go on for several seasons, when asked his thoughts on where Kate and Hal can go from here."
"All I know is that if you resolve it one way or another too quickly, we’re screwed," he answered. "I like to think there are enough problems to last us [a few seasons]. Who knows? I would like someone with a better imagination than mine to take over on that rather than follow my dumb suggestion."
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