After a shocking first season, The Diplomat Season 2 continues the drama with plenty of jaw-dropping plot points for audiences to talk about.
The Biggest Plot Points from The Diplomat Season 2
Season 2 of the hit Netflix drama arrived on the service on October 31. It follows the story of the newly dubbed U.S. Ambassador to the UK, Kate Wyler (played by Keri Russell).
Russell is joined, yet again, by a stacked cast as her international bureaucrat becomes even more embedded in a mind-boggling global conspiracy.
The Diplomat Kills Off Several Characters in the Premiere
The Diplomat Season 2 kicks off right where Season 1 left fans in 2023. A car bomb has gone off in the London neighborhood of Notting Hill, leaving Kate Wyler's (Keri Russell) husband, Hal (Rufus Sewell), in the crossfire.
Season 1 left with fans wondering who lived and who died in this devastating attack, and Season 2 immediately answered these questions.
Both Hal and the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy, Stuart, survived the mysterious explosion alive, but several others were not as fortunate.
British Member of Parliament Merritt Grove (Simon Chandler) sadly dies in the accident. This came as Hal was reportedly set to meet with the English parliamentarian who seemingly had some information he wanted to get off his chest regarding Season 1's devastating attack on the HMS Courageous warship.
Along with Grove, American foreign service officer Ronnie (Jess Chanliau) tragically perishes after 11 hours of what was supposed to be life-saving surgery in Episode 1.
Ronnie was a beacon of optimism in this world of dour politico and thrust Kate onto a path to uncover the truth behind both the HMS Courageous and the Notting Hill car bombing.
Lenkov Is Implicated for the Attack on HMS Courageous
As questions swirl about the perpetrator behind the Notting Hill bombing and the HMC Courageous attack that kicked off Season 1, Russian mercenary Roman Lenkov is implicated in both attacks.
Following the death of people like Grove and Ronnie, British Prime Minister (PM) Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) is thrown up on stage to, hopefully, quell the fears of the English people.
People like Keri Russell's Kate start questioning the truth behind both attacks, even suspecting PM Trowbridge of calling the shots himself.
These suspicions come to a head, as Kate starts to think that Lenkov may have been behind the attacks, but Trowbridge hired the Russian to take the fall for what she thinks may be a false flag effort by the English government.
Roylin Reveals She Ordered the Missile Strike
Season 2 sees some of the Diplomat cast begin to believe that PM Nicol Trowbridge may be orchestrating the new series of attacks on British assets.
The common sentiment is that, as the British public grew dissatisfied with Trowbridge's government and political unrest at home and abroad became a looming threat, the Prime Minister took matters into his own hands to give his people a common enemy to band together against.
That, however, is not the case (at least entirely). Later in the season, it is revealed that Margaret Roylin (Celia Imrie) ordered the missile strike on the HMS Courageous.
Roylin is a British Member of Parliament working under Trowbridge. He was largely responsible for putting the Tory PM in office after his most recent campaign.
The reason for this play was exactly as some of the Diplomat cast had suspected. With calls for secession getting louder in the UK territory and Scotland and Russia knocking at the door of Eastern Europe, she calls for the attack to, in her words, "unite the kingdom."
While she ordered the attack, Roylin seemed to have some help, and it came from abroad.
Grace Was Really Behind the Warship Attack
American Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) actually gave Margaret Roylin the idea for the HMS Courageous warship account.
Plans start to unfold for U.S. President William Rayburn (Michael McKean) to denounce Grace, forcing her to step down and having Keri Russell's Kate Wyler take over the role.
While Kate learns this from her husband, Hal (who has been hiding this information the whole time), he tells her she cannot tell anyone, as it would be seen as an aggressive act for a foreign power to meddle in British affairs like that.
Kate reports the news to the American State Department but asks that her name be kept anonymous to keep her record clean as she ascends to the vice presidency herself.
The Diplomat Season 2's President Twist Explained
Season 2 of The Diplomat culminates on another cliffhanger that could only be outdone by Season 1.
Knowing what Vice President Grace Penn did, Kate has finally decided that she does not want to serve as vice president (VP) herself, but if she were to be asked, she would reluctantly say yes.
That is when it is revealed to her and the audience that when word of Grace's treachery hit the ear of U.S. President William Rayburn, he got himself so worked up that he died.
That means Allison Janney's conniving VP is now acting president, leaving Hal and Kate with some big questions.
Will Kate be forced into the VP role under Grace, someone she now deeply disdains? That remains to be seen, but heading into a potential The Diplomat Season 3, fans will wonder what exactly happens with Russell's titular government official.
The Diplomat Season 2 is streaming on Netflix.
