Everything you need to know about The Diplomat season 2
The Diplomat is really ramping up for its official return to Netflix later in October.
We had a first-look teaser, and more recently a full-length trailer, both of which have given fans an idea of what's in store for season two of the popular hit show.
We've had a new-season glimpse at The Diplomat's central character, US ambassador Kate Wyler (Keri Russell), as well as a first look at new cast member Allison Janney. The West Wing star joins the show as US Vice President Grace Penn when new episodes drop on Netflix on October 31.
The return of the hit show comes as no surprise given its success for the streaming giant (plus, it would have been cruel of Netflix not to renew it for us after season one's explosive ending).
In fact, The Diplomat has proven so popular that it's even earned an early renewal for a third season – yes, that's right, we already know it's coming back for even more!
The exciting news was announced this week (October 11), weeks ahead of season two episodes dropping on the streaming service – which just goes to show how confident Netflix are about the series.
The political drama follows career diplomat Kate Wyler as she adjusts to her new high-profile job as a UK ambassador amid an international crisis, all while trying to survive her stormy marriage to fellow career diplomat Hal.
Here's everything you need to know about The Diplomat season two.
When does The Diplomat season 2 come out?
As mentioned, Netflix confirmed a release date of Thursday, October 31 for season two – so we don't have too long to wait!
It had been previously reported by Deadline that the returning show was to be part of Netflix's 2024 slate – which also boasted the likes of Squid Game season two.
Production began on season two of The Diplomat in June last year – the cast and producers even met US secretary of state Antony Blinken at the US Embassy in London – however, production was delayed a little due to the industry strikes.
Who will be in The Diplomat season 2 cast?
It's been confirmed that Keri Russell will reprise her role as Kate Wyler (you can't have The Diplomat without the diplomat, after all), but who will be joining her?
We would expect to see David Gyasi back as Austin Dennison, as well as Ali Ahn as Eidra Graham and Rory Kinnear as Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge.
And the season two trailer has confirmed that Rufus Sewell is returning as Kate's husband Hal Wyler, giving us a partial answer to that season one cliffhanger.
The following cast members are also likely to return for The Diplomat season two:
• Miguel Sandoval as Miguel Ganon
• Nana Mensah as Billie Appiah
• Michael McKean as US President William Rayburn
The fates of Kate's husband Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell) and Stuart Hayford (Ato Essandoh) were placed in doubt at the end of season one, given they were both within range of Conservative MP Merritt Grove's (Simon Chandler) car exploding.
We see but don't hear the French police informing Kate of the news in Paris. What has happened? We now know from the season two trailer that Hal appears to be okay, but what happened in between – and is Stuart dead, or did he survive the explosion?
In an interview with Esquire, published before the season two trailer drop confirming Hal had survived, Sewell said that he was eager to see what happens next whether his character featured or not.
"I would like the show to continue as long as it can — with or without me," he said. "It's so well cast, it's such a fun show to be in, and it's one of those things that plays like it reads.
"One of the delights [of acting] is to read something, have a gut feeling about it, then turn up [to the job], and it feels right. Then you watch it, and it's what you imagined."
If we're really lucky, we'll get a reunion of The Americans – as Keri Russell has been trying to get Matthew Rhys on the show.
Russell told The AV Club: "If The Diplomat gets a second season, maybe we can lure him our way. In fact, when we were filming last summer, I asked him, 'Don't you want Debora [Cahn] to write something for you? What would you do?'
"Matthew likes tough guys because he's an actor and wears make-up for a living, so when I said, 'What do you want to play?' He said some kind of army or military soldier. So you never know."
What will happen in The Diplomat season 2?
In The Diplomat's explosive season one finale, Kate and Dennison deduced that Trowbridge ordered the attack on HMS Courageous and hired the Russian Lenkov Group to kill his own men.
Then, Grove's car exploded, with Hal and Stuart within range, before the police were seen informing Kate of the news and the credits rolled.
Speaking to Tudum about what she wanted to accomplish with this explosive cliffhanger, series creator Debora Cahn said: "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.
"The essential conflict in the relationship is that these are two people [Kate and Hal Wyler] married to each other and in love with each other, who are colleagues, who were great collaborators and are sometimes great competitors. It takes all the dynamics of a relationship of a marriage and heightens them when you can’t ever get away."
It looks like we'll finally find out what happened to Stuart after the blast – was he killed, or is he in hospital recovering? What's more, there reportedly won't be long to wait after the series begins.
In July 2023, a source confirmed to TV Line that season two will "pick up right away" after the events of the finale. They said that The Diplomat "has a really compressed timeline – something like three weeks pass in season one – so it makes sense season two would start moments later."
Sharing his hopes for Hal, Grove and Stuart's survival in an interview with Tudum, Sewell said: "I hope we all survive. What can I say? I mean, I loved the dramatic turn. I just have to hope that everyone will be OK. But the drama needs to be real."
As for Kate and Hal's marital issues, he added: "I like to think there are enough problems to last us [a few seasons]. Who knows?"
Meanwhile, Kate and Dennison will likely be building a case against Trowbridge in season two.
"I'm excited to see what that relationship [becomes]," Gyasi told Tudum."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."
A season two synopsis was released via Tudum on September 5, and adds: "A deadly explosion in the heart of London shatters US Ambassador Kate Wyler's (Keri Russell) world. Struggling to rebuild the lives that broke and a team that split apart, Kate's worst fears unfold: The attack that brought her to the UK didn't come from a rival nation, it came from inside the British government.
"As she chases the truth, her only real ally is her almost-ex-husband Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), very much alive, and very much involved. She faces a fraught marriage, a complex dynamic with British foreign secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi), and a threatening visit from Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney)."
Is there a trailer for The Diplomat season 2?
The Diplomat finally released a first trailer for season two, which you can watch at the top of this article.
The Diplomat season one is available to watch now on Netflix. Season two will premiere on Thursday, October 31.
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