The Diplomat Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix
Crisis averted: The Diplomat will return for season 2 on Netflix. On Monday, the streamer officially announced the political drama series starring Keri Russell (The Americans) as a career ambassador juggling an international crisis and a turbulent marriage has been renewed for a second season. Since its eight-episode first season premiered on April 20th, the bingeable political thriller quickly surpassed other hit shows BEEF and The Night Agent to take the #1 spot on the Netflix top 10. In The Diplomat season 2, star and executive producer Russell will return as Kate Wyler and reunite with series creator and showrunner Debora Cahn.
"Fans around the world are loving every minute of The Diplomat's gripping and propulsive drama, and embracing Keri Russell's powerful performance as Kate Wyler. After that jaw-dropping cliffhanger, we can't wait for them to see what the amazing visionary team of Debora Cahn, Janice Williams and Keri Russell have in store for Season 2," Jinny Howe, Vice President of Drama Series, Netfli, said in a statement.
Said Russell, "I am thrilled to be headed back for another round of this smart screwball show. Dare I say it's fun? Thank you Netflix for giving us another shot." Cahn, whose credits include The West Wing and Homeland, added that "we had such a great time making The Diplomat. And it's a thrill to see how much people are enjoying it. We're so glad we get to do it again!"
The Diplomat debuted at #1 on Netflix's weekly global Top 10 TV English list the week of April 20th and appeared in the Top 10 in 86 countries. According to Netflix, the series' first eight episodes scored 57.48 million hours viewed in its first weekend on the service.
The logline: "Kate Wyler (Russell) is the new US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. She was supposed to go to Afghanistan. She's great in a crisis zone. In a historic home... less so. War is brewing on one continent and boiling over on another. Kate will have to diffuse international crises, forge strategic alliances in London, and adjust to her new place in the spotlight — all while trying to survive her marriage to fellow career diplomat and political star Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell)."
Russell leads a cast that includes David Gyasi (Carnival Row), Ali Ahn (Raising Dion), Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels), and Ato Essandoh (Jason Bourne). Guest stars include Celia Imrie (Better Things), Michael McKean (Better Call Saul), Nana Mensah (13 Reasons Why), T'Nia Miller (The Haunting of Bly Manor), and Miguel Sandoval (Station 19). Cahn created and showruns the series, which also counts Dan Toland (Strike Back, The English) as a producer with executive producers Russell, Janice Williams (The Magicians), and director Simon Cellan Jones (Shooter).
The Diplomat "is a show about the transcendence and torture of long-term relationships," Cahn said of the series. "It's hard to keep a relationship going, be it a marriage or a military alliance. We change, the world changes, and yet we want these relationships to go on forever. It's a show about a bunch of good people doing their best to keep their global and personal partnerships intact without killing each other."
All episodes of The Diplomat season 1 are streaming now on Netflix.