What to Remember Before Season 2 of The Diplomat
Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in <i>The Diplomat</i> Credit - Netflix
Season 2 of The Diplomat picks up in the immediate aftermath of a bombing that ended Season 1 and left the fates of several characters up in the air. The Netflix series, which shares DNA with political thrillers like The Body Guard, The Honourable Woman, and The Americans follows titular diplomat Kate Wyler (Keri Russel) in her first weeks on the job as the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain.
After a mysterious group attacks a British ship off the coast of Iran, British and American intelligence forces scramble to figure out who is responsible. Kate and her husband, former diplomat Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), tap their connections in the Middle East, where they worked for years, to determine whether the Iranians, the Russians, or another rogue player killed dozens of British soldiers.
Kate eventually realize Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) is likely responsible for the bombing. Kate discloses this revelation to British Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi) with whom she's been flirting a car bomb goes off in London killing or injuring several of Kate's colleagues and her husband, Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell). The first season ends on a cliffhanger as Kate waits to find out who died in the attack.
Here's everything you need to remember about the political machinations of The Diplomat in Season 1.
Kate is being groomed for vice president
President William Rayburn (Michael McKean) names Kate Wyler ambassador to Britain. Kate has largely worked on the ground in dangerous countries gathering intelligence and brokering deals. The U.K. post is more ceremonial, and Kate is uncomfortable with the pomp and circumstance associated with the role.
Unbeknownst to her, Kate is being groomed for the vice presidency of the United States. The current VP's husband has been caught embezzling government funds, and the news is about to break. The president's chief of staff Billie Appiah (Nana Mensah) tasks experienced but jaded campaigner Stuart Heyford (Ato Essandoh) with preparing Kate for the VP role. Stuart is secretly dating the chief of the CIA station in London, Eidra Park (Ali Ahn).
Hal is always making trouble
Kate is married to another career diplomat, Hal, a scamp who doesn’t play by the rules. Hal is the one who tells Billie that Kate ought to fill the VP slot. He argues that while Kate lacks the magnetism to be electable, she is great at governance. But Hal has an ulterior motive: He believes elevating Kate will help him advance his own career.
As Kate tells her new chief advisor, Stuart, Hal can make the impossible happen, but she usually suffers the consequence. Hal gets Kate face time with British Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) within 24 hours of her landing in London, but does so by making promises to Margaret Roylin (Celia Imrie), a disgraced Tory Party member who secretly has the ear of the prime minister.
Hal and Kate had previously agreed to divorce, but Hal convinces Kate they should stay married—for now—if she wants a shot at vice president. Meanwhile, Kate develops some serous sexual tension with British Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi).
The U.K. wants to avenge an attack on its navy
Kate is named ambassador just as an unidentified vessel bombs a British ship off the coast of Iran. The president of the United States convinces Kate that her Middle East expertise can help ease tensions over the supposed terrorist attack.
When the Wylers arrive in London, Hal is seemingly kidnapped by foreign operatives but soon learns the non-consensual joy ride to a safe house was arranged by a friend in Iran. The contact insists Iranians did not blow up the British ship. Meanwhile, the British Prime Minister gives an impromptu speech at the memorial for the fallen soldiers in which he declares he’ll rain hellfire down on Iran, bolstering his image in the media.
The CIA arranges for Kate to secretly sit in on a meeting between Austin Dennison and the Iranian ambassador to Britain. The ambassador tells Kate and Austin that a Russian mercenary named Lenkov was the one who blew up the ship before he collapses in Austin’s office. A toxicology report later shows he died of a heart attack.
The British Prime Minister is eager to bomb Russia as a show of force. Kate and Austin try to talk him down, though Kate's plans of moderation are repeatedly rejected by American Secretary of State Miguel Ganon (Miguel Sandoval), who hates Hal. The Russians, meanwhile, clandestinely give Kate the location of Lenkov, a move that suggests Russia is not in fact responsible for the attack on the British ship. The U.S. and Britain decide to grab Lenkov while he is in France and interrogate him in hopes of discovering who ordered the attack. Kate and Austin travel to Paris to get the French government’s permission to carry out the plan.
Elsewhere, Eidra finds out that Stuart is planning to move to D.C. if Kate does take the vice presidential position, even though Stuart asked Eidra not to move to Cairo so they could be together. She ends their relationship.
The U.K. prime minister probably attacked his own ship
Hal is approached by a member of British parliament named Grove about a meetup. Hal, an assistant named Ronnie (Jess Chanliau), and Stuart all approach Grove at his car.
Kate finds out from the French Prime Minister that the British intend to assassinate Lenkov, not arrest him. She confronts Austin, who claims he had no idea that was the plan. They surmise that Prime Minister Trowbridge must have ordered the strike on Britain's own boat, presumably to start a war an boost is approval ratings. Now he is trying to cover his tracks by murdering Lenkov.
Back in London, Grove, who has connections to Lenkov, is presumably trying to tell Hal that the Prime Minister did indeed order the attack on the British ship. But a bomb goes off when Grove tries to enter his car. The season ends, and it's unclear whether Hal, Stuart, Ronnie, or Grove survived the attack.
Write to Eliana Dockterman at [email protected].