TV viewers have made their love of Keri Russell known for decades, which led to six seasons of the former Felicity actress as a force of anxiety-ridden nature on FX’s The Americans. After that espionage-laden series wound down, it became clear, due to the overnight success of The Diplomat in April 2023, that Russell’s presence was missed. Netflix immediately renewed the show, and the cast quickly dove back into following up on that explosive finale.
Hey, audiences will never tire of intrigued-filled stories about government agents, and it’s nice to have a messy lady filling some of those shoes in the 2020s. Let’s get down to business on what we can expect from the dramedy/thriller’s second season, which has been in production in London.
Plot
Part of the appeal of this series is that Russell’s U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. (Kate Wyler) has plenty of at-home complications in addition to the demands of her career. A fitting way to mix that up would be to potentially kill off her husband, fellow diplomat Hal Wyler (portrayed by Rufus Sewell). Granted, we do not know if Hal will actually be (literally) bumped off the radar because the first season finale ended with the cliffhanger explosion.
Should Hal pass away, that will certainly place Kate into a new life dynamic, which would sure be interesting, given that there was finally some light on the horizon that her marriage could work out despite rough patches. No matter what happens to Hal, we do know that Kate’s world will already be somewhat shaken up by The West Wing star Allison Janney arriving on the scene as Vice President Grace Penn, who was previously discussed but never seen onscreen.
Further, we will soon find out whether multiple other characters, including Merritt Grove (Simon Chandler) and Kate’s Deputy Chief of Mission Stuart Hayford (Ato Essandoh), survived that same explosion. Additionally, we should learn whether Prime Minister Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) truly orchestrated a terrorist attack upon the U.K. and what this will do to the already combative relations between the Russia and the U.K.
Cast
There have been no hints on whether Rufus Sewell’s character survived that explosion in the season finale. We do know that Russell will of course be back as Kate Wyler, who had a hell of a time maneuvering through her personal and professional hurdles at the same time. More possibilities for returns: Ali Ahn as Eidra Graham, David Gyasi as Austin Dennison, and Rory Kinnear as Prime Minister Trowbridge. As already revealed, Allison Janney will be on hand as well.
Release Date
Netflix hasn’t revealed a firm release date, but The Diplomat is expected to return in late 2024.
Trailer
No trailer exists yet, so here’s a behind-the-scene look at Keri Russell’s Kate losing her sh*t.