Spoilers ahead.
The second season of The Diplomat is finally here, and it’s every bit as dramatic as the first. Fans of the Netflix series will remember that the show’s first season ended on a cliffhanger, with a car bomb exploding in the vicinity of multiple people, including ambassador Kate Wyler’s (Keri Russell) husband, Hal (Rufus Sewell).
We now know that Hal and Stuart survived the explosion, but everyone faced some scary new challenges throughout the six episodes of season two. Here’s what you need to know about how the finale of The Diplomat season two ended, and what it means for the forthcoming third season.
What is The Diplomat season two about?
The second season of The Diplomat picks up right where the season one finale left off. After learning that a car bomb has exploded in central London, Kate rushes to her husband Hal’s side. Despite being badly injured, Hal is alive, as is Kate’s deputy chief of mission Stuart Heyford (Ato Essandoh).
At the start of the season, Kate and the UK's Foreign Secretary, Austin Dennison (David Gyasi), believe that British Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) was responsible for hiring Roman Lenkov, the leader of a Russian mercenary group, to attack a British airplane carrier ship. Lenkov’s assassination only seems to confirm this theory, and it looks as though Trowbridge will be forced to resign from office.
However, Margaret Roylin (Celia Imrie) finally reveals that she was responsible for Lenkov’s attack on the airplane carrier ship. When Trowbridge finds out, he goes nuclear, and Kate’s relationship with the Prime Minister is all but destroyed, particularly when he finds out she suspected him of the attack.
Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) travels to the UK to help handle the situation, but her presence is somewhat awkward for Kate, who is being primed for the VP role herself. The Diplomat’s creator, showrunner, and executive producer Debora Cahn told Tudum, “The VP thinks Kate’s after her job... She’s not entirely wrong. Kate thinks she understands the VP. She is mistaken.”
Finally, Kate learns that Penn was actually the mastermind behind the attack on HMS Courageous, not Roylin. Penn wanted the British Prime Minister to show strength to the people of the UK, especially Scotland, where a referendum on independence was taking place. Explaining her reasoning, Penn points to a remote Scottish location, which is a nuclear submarine base used by the United States. As the only place in Europe capable of surveilling the Russians before they can launch an attack across the Atlantic, Penn saw her devastating plan as crucial for defending the future of her country.
Kate is horrified when she discovers Penn was behind the attack, and Hal plans to share the discovery with an American diplomat, with a view to securing his wife’s future role as VP. Impulsively, Hal decides to speak to President Rayburn (Michael McKean) directly, but this quickly backfires. In the episode’s final moments, secret service agents charge towards Penn as Hal anxiously gets Kate on the phone to break some shocking news to her.
Does anything happen between Kate Wyler and the Austin Dennison?
In the first season of The Diplomat, there was a ton of sexual tension between Kate Wyler and the UK's Foreign Secretary, Austin Dennison. However, the events that take place in season two drive a huge wedge between the pair, meaning that there’s very little romance in the show’s latest episodes.
After discovering that they wrongfully believed Trowbridge to be responsible for hiring a Russian mercenary, Dennison decides to cut ties with Kate.
While attending an event at Blenheim Palace, Kate asks Dennison for a favor, to which he responds, “I will no longer be a thorn to Nicol Trowbridge.” He continues, “Roylin’s lack of faith in Nicol brought us an atrocity. I will not undermine him at every turn.”
When Kate tries to remind Dennison that they have a “partnership,” he shuts her down immediately. “That was a mistake,” he tells her. He then emphasizes that “all of it,” meaning their romantic connection, too, was a mistake.
Does anyone die in the season two finale?
In the finale, Hal phones President Rayburn to discuss Penn’s involvement in the false flag attack on the UK’s airplane carrier ship. After the call, Hal is visibly shaken and demands the staff get his wife, Kate, on the phone.
Stuart approaches Kate, who is outside with Vice President Penn, and hands her a phone. That’s when Hal breaks the news that President Rayburn is dead. After learning about Penn’s duplicity, Rayburn got “very upset” and seemingly died immediately. Secret service agents sprint towards Penn on the lawn, and it’s revealed that she is now President of the United States.
Is Kate Wyler going to be vice president of the United States?
There’s much tension between Kate Wyler and Vice President Grace Penn throughout season two, although they manage to find some common ground, too. Their relationship starts to fracture when the Americans stop the Brits from announcing Penn as a “nuclear czar,” who will work to build nuclear defenses for the US in collaboration with the UK. As a result, Penn becomes convinced that Kate is trying to steal her job at any cost.
After President Rayburn dies in the season two finale, Vice President Penn automatically inherits the role, leaving the VP spot open. Is it possible that Kate will become the vice president after all?
In an interview with Tudum, The Diplomat’s creator Cahn opened up about what happens after season two’s jaw-dropping finale, and suggested that Kate may find herself in a new position. “Season three flips the chessboard,” she told the outlet. “In season three, Kate lives the particular nightmare that is getting what you want.”
