Netflix struck gold with The Diplomat, and fans cannot wait for the incoming Season 2.
Starring Kerri Russell as Kate Wyler an American diplomat who is thrust into the public eye after being asked to become the next US ambassador to England, Season 2 is set to continue the deep dive into Wylers' new life in the political limelight.
Season 1 was a certified hit for the streamer, garnering near-universal acclaim, and drawing millions of eyes to the streamer (via The Hollywood Reporter) with Season 2 being announced mere weeks after Season 1's release.
The Diplomat Season 2 Release: When Will It Come Out?
After The Diplomat's first season premiered to strong viewership (being featured in Netflix's Top Ten trending chart for four weeks), Season 2 was officially greenlit in May 2023.
While it will likely be a couple of years before The Diplomat is heard from again on Netflix, it seems as though development time on this next batch of episodes will be significantly shorter.
Series showrunner Debora Cahn told Elle in May she "look[s] for stories that can go on for a long time," meaning she likely already has a good idea of where things will go next in the series:
"I look for stories that can go on for a long time because, for me, the excitement of being able to go in really deep with characters you already know and you have a relationship with is fantastic."
While no release date for The Diplomat Season 2 has been confirmed as of yet, some expect the series to return sometime in late 2024 or early 2025.
Production on the second season - which got underway in June 2023 before having to be shut down because of the SAG-AFTRA strike that dominated the entertainment industry - picked back up in January 2024 in London (per Screen Daily).
Filming on the first season started in April 2022 (via Manchester Evening News), only 12 months before its streaming debut.
Given the series had to stop very early into its production process thanks to job action in Hollywood, one should assume a release would come about a year after it got back in front of cameras in early 2024.
What Will Happen in The Diplomat Season 2?
No plot synopsis has been revealed for The Diplomat Season 2. However, given the explosive cliffhanger ending of Season 1, there are plenty of directions Season 2 could go.
In the official announcement for The Diplomat Season 2, Netflix Vice President of Drama Series Jinny Howe teased the importance of the end of Season 1, remarking "After that jaw-dropping cliffhanger, we can’t wait [to see]" where the series goes in Season 2:
"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.”
In July 2023, sources close to TV Line claimed that Season 2 of the hit Netflix show will "start right away" after the Season 1 finale's stunning cliffhanger.
After setting her diplomatic work aside and taking on the job of US ambassador to England, Kerri Russell's Kate Wyler closed Season 1 with a literal bang.
Following a suspected Russian assassination attempt on her husband, Kate and her colleagues decide to take down a Russian soldier in retaliation. That plan was foiled, however, when Hal and Kate's right-hand man, Stuart, were caught in the blast instead.
The closing moments of Season 1 saw the British Prime Minister had planned the original attack himself for his own nefarious reasons.
Heading into Season 2, it remains unclear who survived this explosive Season 1 finale, so surely that will be the first thing to be addressed in the upcoming second batch of episodes.
The Diplomat star Rufus Sewell told Tudum after the end of Season 1 that he "[hopes they] all survive," but made it clear he doesn't yet know what will happen:
"I hope we all survive. What can I say? I mean, I loved the dramatic turn. I just have to hope that everyone will be OK. But the drama needs to be real."
If Sewell's Hal does survive the second season will likely dive deeper into the tense relationship between Hall and Kate. On that subject, Sewell thinks "there are enough problems to last us [a few seasons]," potentially hinting at the fate of his character.
Austin Dennison actor David Gyasi added, in the same conversation with Tudum, that he hopes "to see what [the Hal/Kate] relationship [becomes]" going forward
"I’m 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."
If so many of the cast are thinking it, surely showrunner Deborah Cahn feels the same and the politically-inclined couple will continue to be at the center of the series.
The Diplomat Season 2 Cast: Who Will Return?
Following the events of Season 1, it is assumed much of The Diplomat cast will be back for Season 2.
Kerri Russell's Kate Wyler has been confirmed to appear in the second batch of episodes, as she continues her political ascent, toward the potential seat of the Vice President of the United States.
Other mainstays of the first season that have not been confirmed to appear in Season 2 but will most likely be there are:
- David Gyasi as Austin Dennison
- Ali Ahn as Eidra Graham
- Rory Kinnear as Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge
- Miguel Sandoval as Miguel Ganon
- Nana Mensah as Billie Appiah
- Michael McKean as US President William Rayburn
The biggest question marks for the Season 2 cast are Rufus Sewell's Hal Wyler and Stuart Hayford's Ato Essandoh, given their proximity to the car bombing that ended Season 1.
Are the pair dead? Was that the last fans will see of those characters? Right now it remains unknown, and likely will up until Season 2's release.
As for new faces coming to the show, I, Tonya and West Wing star Alison Janney has been confirmed to be joining the show for Season 2. The Academy Award-winning Janney will play the American Vice President Grace Penn, a character who has been mentioned, but not yet seen in the series (per Netflix).
There has also been a campaign amongst the series' stars to bring in Keri Russell's Americans co-star Matthew Rhys on the show.
In a conversation with The AV Club, before Season 2 was officially greenlit, Russell addressed the idea of bringing Rhys in on the show, saying she would "would love to" work with the actor again:
"He's so fun to work with. I would love to. If 'The Diplomat' gets a second season, maybe we can lure him our way. In fact, when we were filming last summer, I asked him, 'Don't you want [series creator] Debora [Cahn] to write something for you? What would you do?'"
Season 1 of The Diplomat can be streamed now on Netflix.
