TL;DR – Delightfully chaotic as we get to watch a masterclass in dialogue.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that I used to view this series.

The Diplomat Review Introduction

My background is in International Relations, and it does not come up here as much as I would like, other than the occasional The Hitman’s Bodyguard jaunt. Well, today, given the situation of the world, I thought I would take a chance to have some wishful thinking in a world where the right things still matter, integrity still matters, to pretend for a couple of hours that everything hasn’t just gone to shit everywhere. Which is what I wrote when I dived into Season 3 of The Diplomat, and looking out at the world today, it still applies to Season 4.

So, to set the scene, everyone at the embassy is still dealing with the fallout of the Americans stealing a nuclear device from a grounded Russian submarine in British waters, which Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) did not know about, poor form, given that her husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) was the one who planned the covert military action with President Grace Penn (Allison Janney). Especially since Grace just got out from the cloud that she set in motion the events in Season 1 that led to the explosion on the British naval vessel. A lot of stuff went down last season. As both the President and Vice President made their way back to Air Force One, protestors blocked the highway. So, there is only one thing you can do: camp out at Windsor Castle for a while. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

Consummate Professionals

One thing that is clear about The Diplomat is that it is an example of a show that does not get made much anymore. Four seasons in the era of Netflix chopping series off at the knees for seemingly no reason is a success in its own right. What four seasons gets you is a cast that absolutely knows their characters, and knows how to bring out that something extra in every moment. A lot of this episode is dealing with the fallout of professional boundaries, and you feel that in the conversations. Getting to watch Bradley Whitford & Allison Janney switch from being in full-argument mode to happy smiles and back again was a delight to watch. Much the same way, Keri Russell & Rufus Sewell play off each other so well, it is almost as if you are watching a professional sparring match.

Building a Foundation

In essence, this episode is similar to how Grace sees herself towards Hal. It is putting the brakes on the bombshell that was the conclusion of Season Three. This could have killed the pacing, but you need time to digest all the ramifications. Also, the cast sells it. It gives us a moment to catch our breath, build up our characters, and prepare us for the insanity that is about to emerge. Even with all that said, I was not ready for the military-style hit on the president in the closing moments. Sure, if anything were going to make you watch that second episode, that would be it. But if we are going to nod to The West Wing, we might as well tip our hats as well and dive in.

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend The Diplomat? Absolutely. Sure, it can be messy at times, but that does not change the power and joy it is to watch people at the top of their craft come out swinging. The fact they do that dance in some of the nicest buildings in the world is just the cherry (real, not one of those awful maraschino cherries) on top. Have you seen The Diplomat yet? Let us know what you thought in the comments below.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Diplomat
Directed by – Alex Graves
Written by – Debora Cahn & Anna Hagen
Created by – Debora Cahn
Production/Distribution Companies – Let’s Not Turn This Into a Whole Big Production, Well Red & Netflix
Starring – Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell, Ato Essandoh, Ali Ahn, Nana Mensah, Bradley Whitford, & Allison Janney
With – Aidan Turner, & Rosaline Elbay
And – Penny Downie, Georgie Henley, Richard Dillane, Graham Miller, Carol Mazhuvancheril, Neil Pearson, Jun Kim, Josh Tobin, Ben Horner, Amanda Barron, & Jeffery Bean