X

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

The Diplomat Season 2: What It's About, Cast, and Everything You Need to Know

There's a lot to get to after that explosive ending

Dalene Rovenstine

Nothing can stop Keri Russell from being nominated for an Emmy for her performance in a political thriller. Russell, who landed three Lead Actress nominations — but tragically never won — for her work in The Americans, is nominated in the same category in this year's Emmys race thanks to The Diplomat. Russell stars in the Netflix drama series as Kate Wyler, a U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom who must juggle international crises and her marriage to Hal (played by Rufus Sewell), who was once an ambassador himself. And if Russell needs some Emmys luck to rub off on her, she found it in new Season 2 cast member Allison Janney, who has seven Emmys.

Throughout the eight episodes of the first season of The Diplomat, the drama builds and leaves the audience on a cliffhanger. Fans who watched the series and were left with more questions than answers may be wondering: Will there be a second season of The Diplomat?

The good news: Yes, there will be a Diplomat Season 2. Below, we will answer all the questions we can about the sophomore season: when it will premiere, who will appear, what to expect from Season 2, and more.

More on Netflix:

Keri Russell, The Diplomat

Keri Russell, The Diplomat

Netflix

Latest news

The Diplomat was renewed for a second season less than a month after its April 2023 premiere, and things are finally getting underway for Season 2. We know this because we've gotten two news items related to The Diplomat. The first bit: you can expect Season 2 of The Diplomat to hit Netflix some time in 2024, per Deadline. And when Season 2 does eventually drop, Variety reports it'll include a key guest role for Allison Janney. The former West Wing star and general legend of the screen will be playing the vice president of the United States..

The Diplomat Season 2 release date prediction

A premiere date for Season 2 has not yet been set beyond the 2024 release window, but that's pretty large span of time. There were roughly 15 months between the series being greenlit by Netflix in January 2022 and premiering in April 2023. If production on the second season follows a similar timeline, The Diplomat Season 2 could drop on Netflix around August 2024, but that timing is likely to be affected by the writers' strike and the actors' strike.

The first season of The Diplomat was filmed predominantly in the United Kingdom — but if the location changes for Season 2 (which could happen depending on the future of Kate's diplomatic position), that could also impact the release date.

What Will The Diplomat Season 2 be about?

The eighth and final episode of The Diplomat Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger. Season 1 spoilers follow.

The entire first season sees Russell's character, Kate, attempting to make allies and uncover who blew up a British aircraft carrier off the coast of Iran. In the final minutes of the season finale, the audience learns that the person behind the attack was none other than British Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (played by Rory Kinnear). 

But that's not the only twist: Moments before the season wraps, viewers find out that Trowbridge ordered a second attack. This explosive ending has fans wondering if Sewell's Hal, embassy deputy chief Stuart Hayford (Ato Essandoh), office clerk Ronnie (Jess Chanliau), and MP Merritt Grove survived or not.

Season 2 of The Diplomat will likely explore what happened following the second explosion, who died, and what these revelations will mean for Kate's future — both professionally and personally.

David Gyasi, who plays Austin Dennison, foreign secretary of the U.K., told Tudum that he hopes Season 2 will expand upon the relationship between Austin and Kate. "I'm just excited to see what that relationship [becomes]," Gyasi said. "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."

The Diplomat Season 2 cast

Given the explosive cliffhanger ending of Season 1, we're not entirely sure who will return except for some of the main players, like Keri Russell's Kate and David Gyasi's Austin, who weren't near the second attack. 

The Diplomat main cast

The Diplomat Season 1 review

We loved Season 1 of The Diplomat. Reviewer Kyle Fowle adored Russell's performance and the tight plotting, even if the final twist wasn't his cup of tea. Read Kyle's review here, in which he also comments on the cliffhanger ending.

Where to watch The Diplomat

Season 1 of The Diplomat is available to stream on Netflix.