For those who thought The Diplomat could not get any more dramatic after Season 3 ended with the reveal that the U.S. had stolen a nuclear weapon from Russia, Season 4 once again ups the ante as Kate Wyler sets out to stop a president and vice president who are on a warpath and an increasingly fragile relationship between the U.S. and the UK.
uncertain
who → think → U.S.
Kate Wyler (Keri Russell), the US Ambassador to the UK, and her husband, Vice President Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), sit silently in the back of a car.
asserted
Wyler → sit → car
Kate breaks the silence by inquiring about how Hal and President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) ordered the retrieval of “The Poseidon,” a.k.a. Russia’s now-stolen nuclear weapon.
asserted
Hal → break → Poseidon
Protests over the U.S.’s presence in the UK cause security details to divert Kate, Hal, President Penn, and First Gentleman Todd Penn (Bradley Whitford) to Windsor Castle to wait out the situation.
asserted
Protests → cause → situation
Holed up at a palace owned by the British Royal Family, the uninspiring foursome use the “downtime” to attempt to mend the relationship between the two countries.
asserted
foursome → hole → countries
With Britain still reeling from the reveal that the U.S. ordered the bombing of a UK aircraft carrier — the same one that kicked off Kate’s tenure in London ‚— things have never been worse for the supposed allies.
asserted
things → reel → allies
Add into the mix that Season 3 ended with Kate learning that Grace and Hal ordered a U.S. submarine to go into UK waters and take an apocolypse weapon from a sunken Russian vessel, things are getting tense.
asserted
things → add → vessel
As Kate attempts to do her job and bridge the gap between her home country and the one she’s called home for the last few years, she steps in an even bigger pile of crap by asserting that Grace may have been “under the influence” of Hal and his raw charismatic energy when they ordered the capture of The Poseidon.
uncertain
they → attempt → Poseidon
How does she fix it from there?
asserted
she → fix → it
You’ll just have to watch to find out.
asserted
You → have → ?
What Shows Will It Remind You Of?
asserted
Remind → remind → You
Being that Debora Cahn, the series creator, hails from The West Wing, fans will feel the similarities, as well as other influences from shows like Homeland and Madam Secretary.
asserted
fans → hail → Homeland
The Diplomat continues to be one of TV’s most thrilling and cunning dramas out there at the moment, and doubles down on its committment to chaos in its fourth season.
asserted
Diplomat → continue → season
It’s impossible not to think about the thoughts that race through every character’s head as you contemplate their individual choices — both the good and the bad ones — and try to wrap your head around understanding these flawed and nuanced individuals.
asserted
you → ’ → individuals
As with Season 3, Janney and Whitford bring a special secret sauce that the series wasn’t even particularly needing, but that is welcome all the while.
asserted
that → bring → that
The show is at its best when it uses all four characters — as well as other key players like Eidra (Ali Ahn), Billie (Nana Mensah), and Stuart (Ato Essandoh) — as the chess pieces they are in an unfolding game that could go up in flames at any given moment.
uncertain
that → use → moment
It’s the excitement of always being one wrong move away from catastrophe that keeps the show exciting but brilliant writing and powerhouse performances from all involved keep monotony at bay.
asserted
writing → ’ → bay
In Season 4, the White House and the U.K. have never been so linked (in more ways than just Kate and Hal as you’ll see while watching the season unfold) and still so disconnected.
asserted
season → see → Kate
It’s the type of positioning that makes fans of the political thriller genre feel alive, especially as tides turn on Kate’s side of the world.
asserted
tides → ’ → world
From start to finish, The Diplomat Season 4 is a pulse-raising, anxiety inducing rollercoaster that you will beg to never get off.
asserted
you → raise → that
Parting Shot: A stack of bodyguards and Secret Service agents cover President Penn after a bullet hits her in the abdomen.
asserted
bullet → cover → abdomen
Every season highlights the incredible abilities of Russell and Sewell, but Season 4’s sleeper hit is Stuart (Ato Essandoh), who steals the show with his comedic timing and levity-supplying character.
asserted
who → highlight → timing
As the series dips deeper and deeper into the pit of despair, moments with Essandoh become more necessary and more appreciated.
asserted
moments → dip → Essandoh
The show does its best to sidestep clichés and eye-roll-worthy lines, but there is a single moment where Kate is speaking to Callum Ellis (Aidan Turner), her former fling, and announces that she is planning to stay with Hal, despite their increasingly rocky relationship.
asserted
she → do → relationship
“I made him a promise a long time ago and — I just have to give it every possible chance,” she says.
asserted
she → make → chance
That’s about as bad as it gets.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
The Diplomat Season 4 continues the trend of the series only getting smarter and sharper with each new installment, especially as the story goes global and begins to build out a character roster that should make other shows envious.
asserted
shows → continue → roster
The Aporia
