Season 1 of Netflix's The Diplomat ended with a seriously dramatic cliffhanger and left us all needing answers, like, right now. From that jaw-dropping red dress to the shocking revelation about Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) to that car explosion, the The Diplomat's Season 1 finale most definitely left the audience wanting more. But is the political thriller getting a second season? Here's what we know so far.
When will season two of The Diplomat drop?
Netflix confirmed that The Diplomat will return for a second season on October 31, 2024, over a year after the series premiere in April 2023.
Showrunner Debora Cahn previously talked about the future of the show with The Hollywood Reporter's TV's Top 5 podcast. “I like long-form storytelling. I certainly hope it continues,” she said, per Forbes. “I have a lot of ideas about where it would go. But we’ll see. We shall see what happens.”
It's also worth noting that Cahn seems to have the full support of Netflix having entered a “multi-year overall deal with the streamer for series and other projects,” per Deadline, suggesting that Netflix has a lot of faith in Cahn's work. Jinny Howe, Netflix's VP and head of Drama Development, told Deadline, “I’ve seen firsthand Deb’s incredible work on shows including The West Wing... She knows how to tell an amazing story, with character depth, stakes and surprises.”
What would The Diplomat Season 2 be about?
Season 1 of The Diplomat left us with so many unanswered questions, both political and personal. For one, Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) developed quite the rapport with the UK's Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi) during the first season, and it was often teased that their flirtation could develop into more—if she ever gets a divorce, that is. As for whether or not we might see any romance in Season 2, Gyasi told Tudum, “I’m just excited to see what that relationship [becomes]. 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.”
As for Kate's marriage to Hal (Rufus Sewell), it's likely that their messy union would affect any future seasons of the show. “All I know is that if you resolve it one way or another too quickly, we’re screwed,” Sewell told Tudum. “I like to think there are enough problems to last us [a few seasons]. Who knows? I would like someone with a better imagination than mine to take over on that rather than follow my dumb suggestion.”
During her TV's Top 5 podcast interview, Cahn also suggested that future seasons of The Diplomat could take place in other locations around the world. “I don’t know that we would ever run out of stories in London,” she said. “But if we did, there are other countries. I’m okay going to Paris for a couple of years. I’ll be alright with that.”
Is Hal dead?
In the Season 1 finale, Hal was caught in an explosion when a car bomb detonated outside a restaurant in London. The car belonged to Merritt Grove (Simon Chandler), a Tory member of parliament who had asked for a private meeting with Hal. Deputy Chief of Mission Stuart Heyford (Ato Essandoh) and assistant Ronnie (Jess Chanliau) were also in the vicinity of the blast, but it's unclear if anyone died.
During the final moments of the episode, Kate was surrounded by her security detail, who presumably delivered the news that her husband had been injured or killed. For his part, Sewell is hoping to return for future seasons of The Diplomat. Speaking to Tudum, he explained, “I hope we all survive. What can I say? I mean, I loved the dramatic turn. And I just have to hope a) that there’ll be a second season, and b) that everyone will be OK. But the drama needs to be real.”
Regardless of whether or not anyone survived the explosion, Cahn knew exactly what she was doing when she set up the shocking scene. “I wanted it to make people want more,” she told Tudum. “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.” For now, we'll all just have to wait impatiently for Netflix to renew The Diplomat for a second season.
