The Diplomat. Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in episode 206 of The Diplomat. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © … [+] 2024
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
The second season of Netflix’s popular political drama The Diplomat returned on Oct. 31—and it surely didn’t disappoint. With a new villain and plenty of twists, fans might be wondering if The Diplomat was renewed for a third season and how the finale could shape what comes next.
The Diplomat’s second season picked up after Kate Wyler’s (Keri Russell) explosive revelation in the Season 1 finale: The attack on a British warship that brought the ambassador overseas wasn’t the work of a hostile nation—it was the British prime minister. Now, she must prove he was behind the conspiracy alongside her estranged husband, who barely came out of Season 1 alive.
ForbesWhat Time Does ‘The Diplomat’ Season 2 Come Out On Netflix?By Monica Mercuri
However, the biggest new problem for Kate in Season 2 is the arrival of Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney), who is much more intertwined in the incident than she first believed. “She goes through all of those exact same feelings: She’s nervous about her, intimidated by her, then wowed by her, then defends her, and then hates her,” Russell explained to Netflix’s Tudum about Kate’s mindset toward Penn.
Read on for everything to know about the shocking Season 2 finale, the status of the third season, and what to expect if the show returns for another run.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for the ending of The Diplomat Season 2.
How Did The Diplomat Season 2 End?
The Diplomat. Allison Janney as Grace in episode 205 of The Diplomat. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
The second season of The Diplomat ends with Vice President Grace Penn unexpectedly becoming President of the United States following President Rayburn’s death. Before this twist, Kate and Hal planned to inform the Secretary of State about Penn’s connection to the plot targeting a British warship—a revelation they uncovered earlier in the season after initially suspecting the British prime minister.
After learning about Penn’s role in the attack, Kate realizes that the current VP cannot possibly stay in office, which means Kate has to take over her job. “Grace Penn has been doing, and is doing, what she thinks is the most responsible thing to do. But she’s moved into a gray area that Kate has a problem with,” Cahn explained to Tudum.
Hal goes to the embassy alone to make a secure call to the secretary of state. But right before the call connects, Hal changes his mind and asks for his call to be placed to the president instead. “When he’s in the car on the way over there, he doesn’t know what he’s going to do,” director Alex Graves told Tudum. “He has good intentions. He thinks he’s doing it all for the right reasons, even though he’s being ambitious and trying to get her into public office, but I think he’s less calculated and more instinctual.”
Just as Hal tells Rayburn about his VP’s actions, Grace and Kate are on a walk, and Grace asks Kate for assurance that she won’t tell anyone about her role in the attack. Kate says she won’t and reiterates that she doesn’t want the VP job, but if the president asks her to serve, she will say yes—which they disagree about.
Meanwhile, Hal bursts out of the secure room, desperate to call Kate. Hal eventually reaches his wife and informs her that he talked to the president instead. “He got really upset …” he starts, just as Secret Service members come charging across the lawn Penn.
“He died, Katie,” Hal tells her on the other end. “The president is dead. Grace Penn is president.”
Will There Be The Diplomat Season 3?
The Diplomat. (L to R) Rufus Sewell as Hal Wyler, Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in episode 206 of The … [+] Diplomat. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
Yes, Netflix renewed The Diplomat for a third season just weeks before the premiere of season two. In Season 3, the diplomats will travel to back to America, and filming is already underway in London and New York City.
“After an amazing summer shooting in the UK, we brought London home to N.Y.,” series creator Debora Cahn told Variety. “Best of both worlds—filming in Brooklyn. We love doing this. We’re so excited to get to keep going.”
As for what to expect in the next chapter, Cahn teased to Tudum that “Season 3 flips the chessboard,” adding, “In Season 3, Kate lives the particular nightmare that is getting what you want.”
The second season was shortened two six episodes because Cahn felt like there wasn’t enough time to produce eight, but thankfully, the creator said that won’t be the case for the next one. “Season 3 will have eight episodes,” she confirmed to TVLine in October.
What Will The Diplomat Season 3 Be About?
The Diplomat. (L to R) Allison Janney as Grace, Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in episode 205 of The … [+] Diplomat. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
The third season of The Diplomat on Netflix will likely pick up with Penn as the new President. “The president is dead and, as a fan of the show, you immediately start to see the Rubik’s Cube [solution] that Grace is going to be president, and what is that going to mean for Kate and Hal?” Graves teased to Tudum.
Now, Hal and Kate are the only ones who know everything Grace has done, but will they eventually be able to trust anyone else? Kate and Grace’s dynamic will likely take center stage in the third chapter, with Kate potentially claiming her spot in the White House alongside her new enemy.
The first two seasons of The Diplomat are streaming on Netflix. Watch the official trailer below.