‘The Diplomat’ Season 2 Grabs From More Headlines for Bigger Political Suspense

Alci Rengifo

There is such a lack of faith in institutions while major wars rage on, that it’s surprising there’s still room for escapism like Netflix’s “The Diplomat.” It borrows from real world events to spin an entertaining thriller that can be equal parts smart and goofy. We can bet little of what happens onscreen comes close to how geopolitics actually works, yet the writing crackles and episodes hurdle along with tension. Keri Russell can still play in what has usually been a boy’s club. Her Kate Wyler is an ambassador but can tango with spies like Jack Ryan any day of the week.

Last season ended with a major terrorist attack in London. Season two picks up during the aftermath. Sir Merritt Grove has been assassinated. Hal (Rufus Sewell) and Stuart (Ato Essandoh) are left injured but Ronnie (Jess Chanliau) dies. The questions now facing Kate based on evidence carry some explosive implications. Clues point to the bombing having been planned by the UK’s own Prime Minister, Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear). It could also have easily been Russia or Iran behind the attack. The Iranians are still itching to avenge General Qasem Soleimani (an actual event you may recall). Maybe other interests have orchestrated the attack in order to provoke a wider war.

Showrunner Debora Cahn, who wrote for the 1990s hit “The West Wing,” is an expert at making everyone sound like they’ve been watching CNN or reading The Guardian every morning. It’s a nice trick that makes a layman viewer feel like the material is deeper than it actually is. “The Diplomat” is melodramatic with a straight face. Some of the subject matter gets very commendable, as when the material explores the racism that erupts after a national crisis. When the story spreads that the attack could have been Iranian, reports of racist attacks around London begin to trickle in. Aside from that, most of the season is entertaining as a battle of egos and wills. Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), the former diplomat in a slump, continues to struggle with living under his wife’s shadow. At the same time, she could raise his downtrodden profile. This becomes especially true when the president of the United States is scheduled to fly into London. A key new character is introduced, Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney), who is being pressured to resign after a scandal. Is Kate next in line for a bigger, White House-related gig?

Much of this short season (6 episodes in all) is Kate running around trying to put out major global fires, which is part of the crackling enjoyment of the show. The president seems bent on supporting London on a potential war march towards Iran. Bureaucrats don’t want to deal with the fallout but Kate is still haunted by memories of the hasty pullout from Afghanistan, so she knows the stakes involved in another war in the Middle East. She’s that TV political figure who genuinely cares about stopping war and warning about the Islamophobic violence on the rise. This is a refreshing change from the way these shows used to operate where our enemies were so clear cut. 30 years ago, of course the Iranians would have been guilty.

Excellent supporting roles surrounded a driven Keri Russell. Ato Essandoh as Stuart Hayford, deputy chief of mission, finds new dimensions for his character after the terrorist attack. Stuart now struggles with PTSD and nearly paralyzes him from doing his job. Rufus Sewell really goes for it as the eager Hal, who keeps taking dangerous missteps while thinking he’s helping Kate. Eventually, she demands he leave London, essentially wanting to separate, but Hal can’t when he drops a bombshell about the vice president. Rory Kinnear’s Nicol Trowbridge is another excellent performance as a political operator who might be just cynical enough to risk a world war. It’s a great ensemble swirling around Russell, ensuring that “The Diplomat” remains an engaging escape even as it borrows from headlines that are all too real.

“The Diplomat” season two begins streaming Oct. 31 on Netflix.