Some spoilers below.
The Diplomat, like the business it portrays, walks a wire. In practice, that could have created a real marketing nightmare for Netflix. The series needed to bear a passing resemblance to the real world of phone calls and paperwork it represents, but its jargon couldn’t be so technical as to alienate viewers. Ideally, the show would be both accurate to U.S. international relations and riveting in its depiction of them; leaning too far into either camp would sever a delicate thread.
Once audiences get acquainted with the life and times of one Ambassador Kate Wyler (Keri Russell), The Diplomat is indeed a simple enough series to follow. (Even when it isn’t, rest assured: You needn’t pick up every dropped name to grasp the gist.) But as season 2 brings in more power players and higher stakes, it becomes increasingly difficult to track moves on the gigantic chess board that is international diplomacy. The dramatic payoff is ultimately worth your investment—but there’s no doubt a guidebook would ease the journey.
To that end, we’ve gathered up the most pressing questions you might have about The Diplomat—and its second season, in particular. The sections below will run you through the premise, main characters, and key terms of the series, without crossing too far into spoiler territory. Bon voyage!
What, exactly, is The Diplomat about?
The Diplomat is, of course, about acts of diplomacy: an effort to avoid war between the U.K. and Iran in season 1, and a larger effort to avoid global war in season 2.
At the start of the series, U.S. diplomat Kate Wyler is preparing to begin her role as ambassador to Afghanistan when a British aircraft carrier, the HMS Courageous, is attacked in the Persian Gulf, off the coast of Iran. Numerous British servicemen are killed. The White House calls Kate in for a briefing, where the president and Chief of Staff inform her the trip to Kabul is off. Instead, she’ll become U.S. ambassador to the U.K., a role she very much does not want, given—as the Chief of Staff puts it—the job’s “ceremonial component.” (Translation: It’s not considered “serious” work.) But Washington needs someone in London to offer condolences on their behalf, given the importance of the U.S.-U.K. alliance, and to “stop a war before it starts.”
Turns out, Kate’s the perfect fit. She has serious suspicions that Iran was behind the deaths on the Courageous and is determined to uncover not only the motivations behind the bombing but the real culprit. She’s sure it’s the only way to avoid a tragedy spurred by faulty intelligence. (Sound familiar?) But both U.K. Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) and the U.S. Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) are eager to prove their mettle in the face of foreign attacks, and to win public support in the process.
Together with British Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi) and her own crew of U.S. Embassy and CIA officials, Kate is tasked with managing Trowbridge’s thirst for action while juggling the secretary of state’s dissatisfaction with her and the still-unconfirmed source of the Courageous strike. As she does so, she discovers a conspiracy within Trowbridge’s own government, pointing to Trowbridge himself as the source of the Courageous attack. But her attempts to uncover this scandal result in a surprise car bombing at the end of season 1, threatening the lives of her husband, Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), and her Embassy associates. Season 2 opens on Kate wrestling with the fallout of this dramatic turn of events.
In the midst of this main conflict are two other sub-conflicts: one between Kate and her government, and one between Kate and Hal. The White House wants Kate to replace their soon-to-be-disgraced VP, Grace Penn; Kate has no interest in the job. Kate wants a divorce from Hal; he wants to stay together. Oh, and one other issue: “The vice presidency” and “divorce” don’t tend to exist amicably in the same sentence.
Phew. Still with me?
Sure, but who are these people?
There are a large cast of characters in The Diplomat, and each of them play a role in sparking or preventing armed conflict. Some of them operate not only under multiple titles but multiple nicknames. To help you keep track, these are the most important to remember:
Kate Wyler (Keri Russell): A well-regarded U.S. diplomat and the new U.S. Ambassador to the U.K., diverted from her planned trip to Afghanistan in order to smooth over relations between the U.S., U.K., and Iran in season 1. As she sniffs out corruption in Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge’s government in season 2, she’s also morphing into the (potential) next U.S. Vice President. Sometimes referred to as “Ambassador Wyler,” “Katherine,” “Katie,” and “Cinderella.”
Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell): Kate’s husband and an esteemed diplomat himself. Ambitious, troublesome, but ultimately on Kate’s side. Also occasionally referred to as “Ambassador Wyler.”
Billie Appiah (Nana Mensah): The White House Chief of Staff, who envisions significant potential for Kate in Washington. She has a close relationship with Kate’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Stuart Hayford.
President Rayburn (Michael McKean): The sitting U.S. president. Once or twice, he’s called “President Ratburn.”
Stuart Hayford (Ato Essandoh): Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in London. (That’s a fancy way of saying he’s Kate’s second-in-command.) Sometimes referred to as “DCM.” Also ex-boyfriend to Eidra Park, Chief of the London CIA Station.
Eidra Park (Ali Ahn): Chief of the CIA Station in London, tasked as a manager between American and British intelligence agencies.
Austin Dennison (David Gyasi): The British Foreign Secretary, overseeing U.K. foreign relations on behalf of Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge’s Tory government. Often referred to simply as “Dennison.”
Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear): The bombastic U.K. Prime Minister. Occasionally called “Nicol Trickle.”
Grace Penn (Allison Janney): The U.S. Vice President. Currently dealing with an unexplained scandal of her husband’s, one that might force her to step down.
Miguel Ganon (Miguel Sandoval): The easily irked U.S. Secretary of State. Usually referred to as “Ganon.”
Margaret Roylin (Celia Imrie): A “Tory operative” with a bad reputation but significant sway over Trowbridge. She becomes an essential player in season 2.
Ronnie (Jess Chanliau): An assistant in the U.S. Embassy, primarily working with Stuart in season 1.
Alysse (Pearl Mackie): Also an assistant in the U.S. Embassy, primarily working with Kate.
Frances Munning (Penny Downie): Resident manager of Winfield House, the historic London home where Kate and Hal live during their time in the U.K.
Pensy (Georgie Henley): An assistant in Winfield House.
Merritt Grove (Simon Chandler): A British MP who meets with Hal in the season 1 finale, only to be killed in a car bombing shortly afterward.
Roman Lenkov (Sam Douglas): A Russian mercenary hired to attack the HMS Courageous.
Lydia Trowbridge (Pandora Colin): PM Nicol Trowbridge’s wife and close advisor.
Jemma Doud (Clare Burt): The Scottish First Minister.
Carole Langetti (Laurel Lefkow): A CIA analyst whom Kate used to work with, and a trusted friend of Kate’s.
Rasoul Shahin (Bijan Daneshmand): Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Iran, and an insider source for Hal. Almost exclusively referred to as “Shahin.”
Cecilia (T’Nia Miller): Austin Dennison’s sister and a spitfire with much more influence than her detractors give her credit for.
How much of this jargon do I need to understand?
The dialogue in The Diplomat, like that of The West Wing, is fast-paced and quippy, with rarely much room for exposition or explanation. That’s fitting for an environment where employees are expected to know and speak the language of foreign relations with ease. But to a casual viewer, acronyms like GCHQ and NSC might trigger quizzical looks. If you find yourself struggling to keep up, you’ll find a list of useful terms below, arranged in alphabetical order.
Ambassador: A high-ranking official government appointee and representative in a foreign nation, in charge of a diplomatic mission. Ambassadors are all diplomats but not all diplomats are ambassadors. A good example of this is Kate and Hal: Both are diplomats, but in The Diplomat, only Kate is serving as the official ambassador to the U.K. Hal has previously served as an ambassador, thus why he is occasionally referred to as “Ambassador Wyler.”
Brexit: A catchy name for the United Kingdom’s break from the European Union, voted through during a referendum in 2016 and finalized in 2020. It’s a combination of the words “Britain” and “exit.”
CIA: The Central Intelligence Agency, the hub of foreign intelligence in the U.S.
COBRA: Cabinet Office Briefing Room A, a shorthand for the convening of the British Civil Contingencies Committee in response to major national events or emergencies impacting the U.K.
DCM: Deputy Chief of Mission, a.k.a Stuart.
DGSE: The Directorate-General for External Security, France’s foreign intelligence agency.
Diplomat: A U.S. government employee responsible for carrying out U.S. foreign policy abroad. These duties can include—but are certainly not limited to—negotiating peaceful relations, assisting in humanitarian efforts, advancing American commercial interests, navigating crisis situations, and evacuating refugees.
EU: The European Union, an economic and political union between 27 countries in Europe, including France, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Poland, Germany, Greece, Croatia, Sweden, and many others. As of 2020, the United Kingdom is no longer part of the EU, which is still a matter of tension amongst many countries (including the U.K. itself).
FBI: The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the lead U.S. national security organization and the country’s principal law enforcement agency. Unlike the CIA, which has no law enforcement duties and is focused on gathering information from foreign civilians, the FBI also collects domestic intelligence.
Foreign Office: Part of the larger Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in the U.K., the Foreign Office oversees international relations on behalf of the country.
Foreign Service: The organizing system under which U.S. diplomats operate. It’s part of the U.S. Department of State, sometimes referred to in The Diplomat simply as “State.”
GCHQ: Government Communications Headquarters, otherwise known as the U.K.’s main intelligence and security organization.
IRGC: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces that is deeply embedded in Iranian politics.
Kremlin: A fortified stronghold of the Russian government in Moscow, as well as a catch-all term for the Russian government itself. (This is similar to how many say “the White House” or “Washington” in reference to the U.S. government.)
MI5: An intelligence agency of the U.K., focused on domestic civilians and security.
MI6: Another intelligence agency of the U.K., focused on foreign relations and defense.
MP: Member of Parliament, a.k.a elected representatives who advocate for their district’s interests in the U.K. House of Commons.
NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a political and military alliance consisting of 31 countries in Europe and North America, including the U.S. and U.K. These countries consult one another on diplomacy and security, and they ascribe to the “principle of collective defense,” which means that an attack against any NATO member country is considered “an attack against all.”
NSA: National Security Agency, a data- and communications-focused U.S. intelligence agency under the Department of Defense, focused on security systems, surveillance, and signals intelligence. The NSA provides information to the U.S. government, including both the CIA and the FBI.
NSC: National Security Council, an advisory council to the U.S. president on matters of national security and foreign relations.
PM: Prime Minister. In The Diplomat, that’s Nicol Trowbridge.
RSO: Regional Security Office, charged with the safety of those involved in a U.S. mission to the United Nations.
Tory: Slang for a member of the British Conservative Party. The Diplomat’s Nicol Trowbridge oversees a Tory government.
UN: United Nations, a massive international organization consisting of 193 member states and countries, including the U.S. and U.K.
VP: Vice President of the U.S.
Whitehall: A street and broader district in London that’s home to major government offices, including the PM’s residence at 10 Downing Street. Like the Kremlin for Russia and “Washington” for the U.S., “Whitehall” is often used as a catch-all term for the U.K government.
Is The Diplomat based on a true story?
Yes and no. The story is entirely fictional, but show creator Debora Cahn says many elements are “inspired by” reality, if “not at all faithful to” it.
The Diplomat frequently references real-life circumstances and events, such as Brexit, the ongoing war in Ukraine, U.S. commercial interests in the Middle East, the post-9/11 U.S. invasion of Iraq, Russian military presence in the Arctic, rising authoritarianism across the globe, and the COVID-19 pandemic. “I wasn’t looking to create a mirror image of what’s happening [now],” Cahn told ELLE.com in 2023, “but there are certain dynamics that repeat themselves and are legible from looking at our current situation, and I felt like were worth dramatizing.”
To ensure that any real-world departments, agencies, and discussions represented on screen echoed the truth, Cahn and her crew interviewed dozens of sources, including diplomats, intelligence agents, and journalists. Still others served as consultants for the show—including a retired CIA officer—who each “read every word [of the script] and they read it twice, and looked out for things that were wrong or misrepresented.”
Adds Cahn, “I wanted [the show] to feel real and sound as real as possible. Because, obviously, it’s entertainment; we’re going to turn a whole lot of it into a fairytale and a fantasy. I want that to be rooted in, What is this world really like?”
Will there be a season 3?
Sorry, but to access that information, you’ll require further clearance.
