When will the titular political thriller be back on Netflix for its much anticipated second rendition?
We have all the information you need!
Where farce and deception are embedded in every political campaign, where empty half-witted promises drive the marginalized further into the outskirts, where bravery to uplift the public is marinated in hues of fraudulence, and where your trusted and democratically elected leaders are a sham!
Welcome to the land of The Diplomat, a ground-breaking series picked up by Netflix in the year 2022 that has received commendable audience reception and skyrocketing ratings, accelerating itself to the top 10 Netflix shows in 2023. The play-by-play events, the carefully curated plots, and all the dots interconnected for a massive reveal at the end before the credits rolled out left the viewers at the edge of their seats, grappling for news of the events to follow the cliffhanger.
Rotten Tomatoes reported an 83% approval rating with an average rating of 7.8/10 based on 53 critic reviews. The website’s critics’ consensus reads, “Keri Russell’s scrappy performance negotiates the best possible terms for The Diplomat, a soapy take on statecraft that manages to make geopolitical crises highly binge-able entertainment.”
Metacritic assigned a score of 75 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews.” Keri Russell was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards based on her stellar performance in The Diplomat.
Given the sterling feedback and ratings mere hours after Season 1’s premiere and a trailblazing finale episode that left viewers in the throes of a massive cliffhanger, the ever-expanding fandom is twiddling their thumbs and clacking their keyboards daily to gather any updates on the progression of Season 2 of The Diplomat. The palatable tension surrounding the arrival of Season 2 can be attributed to the ongoing double-strike situation that commenced back in May and continues to thump a hiatus stamp on the production of The Diplomat Season 2.
If you are an ardent follower of The Diplomat and are looking for updates, you have come to the right place. We at Web News Observer have compiled all the necessary updates on the new season that will provide you solace to get you through the upcoming months until the premiere of the new season.
The Diplomat Season 2 Renewal: Announcement
For all the viewers sitting at the edge of their seats over a potential renewal of the new season, we are here to inform you that Netflix picked up The Diplomat for a Season 2 on May 1st, a mere two weeks after the premiere of the first Season. It is worth noting that chart-topping ensembles such as Wednesday, Stranger Things, Sweet Magnolias, and the like took almost a month before the streamer announced their renewals. Hence, a two-week gap seems commendable, and the series is worthy of the attention and praise it garners as more and more viewers are getting hooked. Check out the renewal post from Netflix’s official Twitter account:
The Diplomat has been renewed for Season 2. pic.twitter.com/bnfaLvfoU1
— Netflix (@netflix) May 1, 2023
Here’s what creator Debora Cahn said to Tudum about The Diplomat season 2 renewal:
“I am thrilled to be headed back for another round of this smart screwball show. Dare I say it’s fun?”
Despite the eagerly anticipated renewal update, unsettling news surrounding the ongoing strike and its incessant continuance have plagued the minds of viewers whose hopes of a 2023 Season 2 arrival have been trampled. Since 2023 is not feasible for the arrival of Season 2, when can we expect it? Before starting our calculated predictions, let’s take a little detour to understand the current production status and the effect of the ongoing strikes on its progress.
The Diplomat Season 2 Status: Is Production Halted?
Season 2 of The Diplomat was picked up by the streamer giant, to everyone’s delight, mere days before the WGA strike broke out. Therefore, there is a strong possibility that the writer’s room must have started attendance as soon as Netflix picked it up. However, they could not have had time to iron out every last detail, given that the SAG AFTRA joined the WGA and resulted in a double-strike situation a month later. Although the details are not lucid regarding the exact position of the season, there is a loophole.
Since most of the series is filmed in the UK (given that the diplomat is a US ambassador to the UK), there is a slight leniency when it comes to obeying the rules of the union. Hence, as reports state, filming had begun in June in the UK, when the rest of Hollywood in the US had to halt productions to give way to the strikes.
If this fact is true, then the scripts are ready. The production could not get far with their filming because, reportedly, they had to shut it down in August because the cast are members of the SAG AFTRA and were obliged to play by the rules. With two months of filming in their pockets, it is of no surprise that the story for Season 2 could not get that far.
Now, it has been over four months since the commencement of the strikes, and no favorable negotiations have been met, with both sides adamant about sticking to their demands. Most reliable reports predict that it could take as late as October 2023 for the strike to reach an impasse. The AMPTP’s latest counteroffer for a new contract “is neither nothing nor nearly enough.” In a message to its members, the guild said it “will continue to advocate for proposals that fully address our issues rather than accept half measures like those” offered by the companies in its latest offer on August 11, 2023. The guild said that “we remain committed to direct negotiations with the companies.” Hence, as long as the strike continues, the arrival of The Diplomat Season 2 keeps getting pushed back.
However, we can make calculated predictions based on the previously followed pattern of Season 1. Keep reading!
The Diplomat Season 2 Release Date Update: When Is It Expected To Arrive?
Keeping in tune with Season 1’s pattern, Netflix greenlit the series in January 2022, and Season 1 finally premiered in April 2023, which sums it up to 15 months of production. With the filming paused in between in August, we have already lost two months, which means that Season 2 can’t arrive by 2023. Before the strikes commenced, predictions led to a Spring 2024 release, given the 15-month timeline.
However, a spring 2024 arrival does not seem so favorable now. Although it is unknown when or how the next season’s episodes were written, reports claim to have seen Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell filming sequences at St. Paul’s Cathedral in early June. But, the filming for the second season was halted in August 2023 owing to the SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike. The series is shot in the United Kingdom, where Equity normally covers its actors, although the cast includes SAG-AFTRA members and is under contract with that union.
If the strikes do dissipate by October 2023, judging by the current state of production and an additional few months, we can expect a late 2024 arrival. What is worse? The time paucity can lead us to a 2025 release as well. With little to no update on the current strike situation and the lack of a prediction of when it will end, we cannot reach a definitive release window prediction, let alone the exact month or date of release.
For now, we urge the viewers to remain calm and keep a close eye on the social media accounts of The Diplomat as well as Netflix since they regularly update information on their upcoming series. Additionally, if you find it difficult to keep up with so many accounts, you can rely on Web News Observer to provide you with all the details! Moreover, you can reminisce about the first season by watching it only on Netflix, provided you have a subscription to go with it.
The Diplomat Season 2 Cast: Who Will Reprise Their Roles For The New Season?
With no formal announcements on production commencement and a lack of recent interviews regarding Season 2, we do not have a definitive list of cast members who are set to appear for the new season. However, according to our predictions and surety, the following might be reprising their roles for the new season:
- Keri Russell as Kate Wyler- newly appointed US ambassador to the UK
- Rufus Sewell as Hal Wyler, Kate’s husband and a former ambassador who struggles with his lack of a posting
- David Gyasi as Austin Dennison, UK Foreign Secretary
- Ali Ahn as Eidra Park, CIA station chief
- Rory Kinnear as Nicol Trowbridge, UK prime minister
- Ato Essandoh as Stuart Hayford, deputy chief of mission of the US embassy in London.
If you recall, characters such as Hal Wyler and Ato Essandoh are among those who might be murdered, but we are certain about it, so there is a chance they will be back.
On the other hand, the recurring cast members who are also expected to return include:
- Celia Imrie as Margaret Roylin
- Miguel Sandoval as Miguel Ganon
- Nana Mensah as Billie Appiah
- John Schwab as Roger Post
- Michael McKean as William Rayburn
- T’Nia Miller as Cecilia Dennison
The series is from Debora Cahn, who is also an executive producer alongside Janice Wiliams, Keri Russell, and Alex Graves.
The Diplomat Season 2 Plot: What To Expect In The New Season?
While the details of Season 2 of The Diplomat have been kept hush by the creators, we can guess that it will follow the basic premise of the show that dictates, “Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) is the new US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. She was supposed to go to Afghanistan. She’s great in a crisis zone. In a historic home… less so. War is brewing on one continent and boiling over on another.
Kate will have to diffuse international crises, forge strategic alliances in London, and adjust to her new place in the spotlight — all while trying to survive her marriage to fellow career diplomat and political star Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell). From showrunner Debora Cahn (The West Wing, Homeland), The Diplomat is a high-stakes, contemporary political drama about the transcendence and torture of long-term relationships between countries and people.”
The series will elaborate more on the international crisis and follow Kate Wyler, a career diplomat who lands a high-profile job she neither wants nor believes she is suited for as the new US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. She has to forge strategic alliances in London and adjust to her new place in the spotlight – all while trying to survive her marriage to fellow career diplomat and political star Hal Wyler.
Jinny Howe, Vice President of Drama Series at Netflix, commented, adding spice to the plot of the future season, saying, “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. 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.”
“I wanted it to make people want more,” says series creator Debora Cahn of the finale. “I wanted to bring together all of the different dynamics of the political relationships and the personal relationships in one event that splits apart all at the same time.” Adds Sewell, “All I know is that if you resolve it one way or another too quickly, we’re screwed. I like to think there are enough problems to last us [a few seasons].”
In addition to this, Keri Russell also stated, “I am thrilled to be headed back for another round of this smart screwball show. Dare I say it’s fun? Thank you, Netflix, for giving us another shot.” Even Cahn, who also serves as showrunner, can’t contain excitement for the new season, quoting, “We had such a great time making The Diplomat. And it’s a thrill to see how much people are enjoying it. We’re so glad we get to do it again!”
Moreover, David Gyasi, who plays Austin Dennison, foreign secretary of the U.K. in the series, told Tudum that he hopes Season 2 will expand upon the relationship between Austin and Kate. “I’m just excited to see what that relationship [becomes],” Gyasi said. “They’re so opposite to one another, and yet, when you scratch the surface, [you see] what drives them [and they’re] probably more connected to one another than a lot of other characters.”
After hearing such positive reviews and exciting plot potentials, we can predict that this season will invariably be bigger and more intricate than the last! To have a deeper understanding, let us look at where Season 1 left off:
The Diplomat Season 2 Plot: A Season 1 Recap and Episode Run
At the end of the first season, Kate and Dennison realize that Nicol Trowbridge is actually the one responsible for the attack on the British aircraft carrier. He hired Lenkov to pull off the attack to likely unite the United Kingdom under the banner of a cause with an important election looming.
Just after they realize what’s happening, Hal is on his way to meet with a person who claims to have important information, Merritt Grove. Stuart tried to intervene, and Meritt got spooked, so he fled to his car, which blew up when he got close to it. Who ordered the car bomb? We don’t know yet, but it appears to be connected to Margaret Roylin and possibly Nicol Trowbridge, and this will likely be the premise which Season 2 will take off right away!
According to TV Line reports, Season 2 Episode 1 will take off right where Season 1 left us with the cliffhanger. The source told TV Line that The Diplomat “has a really compressed timeline. Something like three weeks pass in Season 1. So it makes sense that Season 2 would start moments later.”
Here’s what Cahn said about season 2: “I wanted to bring together all of the different dynamics of the political relationships and the personal relationships in one event that splits apart all at the same time.”
Further enumerating the plot of Season 2, it is imperative to take an overall look at what transpired episode-wise on The Diplomat Season 1 to gain a broader perspective:
Episode 1
The Cinderella Thing
50 mins
After an attack on a British vessel, diplomat Kate Wyler takes on a new role in the UK that tests her skills and marriage.
Episode 2
Don’t Call It a Kidnapping
50 mins
Kate struggles to see eye-to-eye with Hal as new information about the bombing emerges. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s remarks at a funeral caused a stir.
Episode 3
Lambs in the Dark
50 mins
President Rayburn’s plans in the Gulf leave staff on edge as tensions come to a head between Hal and Kate.
Episode 4
He Bought a Hat
50 mins
Rayburn’s reputation is damaged while Kate drops in on Dennison’s private meeting at the UK Foreign Office, uncovering new information about the attack.
Episode 5
The Dogcatcher
50 mins
An unexpected guest’s arrival at Chevening House stokes tensions, sending Kate and Dennison scrambling for a solution. Meanwhile, Hal makes a new connection.
Episode 6
Some Lusty Tornado
Tue, Apr 4, 2023 50 mins
Kate seeks Hal’s help to appease Trowbridge and consults an informed source secretly, all while complicated feelings grow.
Episode 7
Keep Your Enemies Closer
50 mins
Kate visits the Oval Office and reconnects with an old friend after a sit-down with a Russian ambassador leads to new intel.
Episode 8
The James Bond Clause
40 mins
In London, Hal’s actions bring consequences as Kate heads to Paris with Dennison, hoping to get a handle on the Lenkov situation.
This is all the updates we have regarding the plot of The Diplomat Season 2 currently. As production reopens and filming continues, more details will sprout and we will surely update you on the same.
The Diplomat Season 2 Basis: Is It A True Story?
No, The Diplomat is not based on a true story, but it’s inspired by things that actually happened to those working in the State Department, ambassadors, and other diplomats in the government. Cahn told The Los Angeles Times that she felt inspired to make the show after meeting a former ambassador, Beth Jones, while Cahn was working on Homeland.
Cahn told The LA Times:
“A lot of the stuff that seems the most far-fetched is 100% real. Like the guy dying in [the British foreign secretary’s] office? That happened to Susan Rice, and they had to sneak him out of the building because he couldn’t have died there. And still, people from his country are convinced she poisoned him.”
So, the show is using real events and pulling them into the series, but it’s not based on any one particular person or event, which is a brave initiative to show the viewers the reality of democracy and what truly transpires behind the frivolous facade and party politics.
The Diplomat Season 2 Official Trailer: When Will It Release?
Not anytime soon. The trailer, first looks, and all other details will be out once we get closer to the premiere date. Meanwhile, you can check out the official trailer for The Diplomat Season 1 instead:
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