Although Season 2 was a tough act to follow, in his The Diplomat Season 3 review, Kevin Bourne says the latest season “builds to become the best season yet.”
It’s the moment fans have been waiting for; the return of Netflix’s acclaimed political thriller The Diplomat. With Season 2 garnering multiple Critics’ Choice, Primetime Emmy, and Golden Globe Nominations, and being a hit with both fans and critics alike, the latest season has some massive shoes to fill. Oh, the burden of being great.
The season opens with a lot of commotion as the American embassy grapples with the sudden passing of President Rayburn (Michael McKean) and the rush to swear-in Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) as his replacement.
Hal (Rufus Sewell) and Kate (Keri Russell) are thrown a curveball as well when he’s appointed to a new position. But Kate is not to be forgotten as she is appointed to a new position in her own right. While very smart and politically astute, Kate still finds it hard to fit in with the formalities and BS of diplomatic life, like wearing dresses, brushing her hair, and being followed by a security detail wherever she goes. Now they’re left to figure out how they’ll each juggle their new positions with their farce of a marriage. These new positions and relationship dynamics add a few layers to the characters of Kate and Hal, the latter of which plays a bigger role this season, leading to exceptional performances from Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell once again. In the end, we see that despite their issues, Kate and Hall are still a great team.
“I love how smart they are and how equally petty they are with each other. It is so enjoyable. I mean, it’s just like the most fun I’ve ever had working. It really, it is. I get so excited to read the episodes. You know, Rufus is just that good. He’s always there when you’re working with him. And I know that even if I do swing big, he’s there to catch me, and I will do the same for him. And that starts with a fight in the bushes and ends with, like, you know, like a really dramatic scene. Like, he’s a great scene partner, and these characters are so well-written.” – Keri Russell on working with Rufus Sewell
Throughout the season, Kate Wyler continues to be a rockstar, and the brains and steady hand in the mix, as she puts out fires that only she can. When everyone involved tries to push her out, she proves that she’s more valuable than ever.
Meanwhile, after CIA Station Chief, Eldra Park (Ali Ahn) drops the ball in a major way, her job weighs in the balance as she finds herself in hot water with British Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) and Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi) which has her feeling quite salty.
This season also sees us go deeper with some key characters. Later in the season, we get a glimpse of a more personal and playful side of President Penn, as we see more of her and her husband Todd Penn (Bradley Whitford). While she initially appears in over her head in her new role, she proves to be more formidable than expected.
The stakes are raised when a major international scandal is at risk of being leaked that could be catastrophic for the United States government as it threatens their relationships with their allies.
Season 2 is a tough act to follow with a lot of twists, turns, suspense and deceit, but Season 3 has enough curveballs (and sex), to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. But just when we think all is well, the season ends with a final twist, perhaps the biggest one of the series to date, that sets things up for Season 4.
While Season 3 has less twists, drama, and intrigue throughout than the previous season, and doesn’t do as good a job of drawing in viewers and leaving them dying to see what happens next, with its character development, writing, stakes, and the ultimate twist in the finale, Season 3 builds to become the best season yet.
The Diplomat is streaming now on Netflix.
Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s Toronto-based editor and Senior Entertainment Reporter focusing on Black music and film & TV. He was named one of 340 international voters for the Golden Globe Awards and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
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