# The Diplomat - what a hoot! {Spoilers Allowed} **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, netflix\ **Created:** [April 26, 2023, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189 "2023-04-26T01:56:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/61 "2023-07-12T18:03:45Z")
Okay, late to the party. I enjoyed Night Agent and thought I would watch this. I enjoyed it. I admit, it makes me curious about The Americans, if it’s politics like this. > [@CoolHandCox](#): > > I can’t remember exactly how the bomb scene played out. How close were her staff and husband to the car? Or was that intentionally vague. > > Regardless, I think Hal and Stuart are fine since their storylines are not finished. Ronnie, who all of a sudden had a bigger part, likely dead. I just watched that scene at .5x. If Stuart and Ronnie aren’t dead, wow. They were in the blast radius when it went off. It only lasts for a second at half speed but they should be dead. I’m would be annoyed if they are dead, as I liked them, but I will also be annoyed if they aren’t because then why put them so close? Hal wasn’t close. > [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > On the last episode, she made a big deal about Dennison’s work phone. Was that because she was afraid he could be spied on or located with it? I think she put on her music on her phone, put them both in her purse, and handed the purse off to stop it from being a listening device when she figured out what she did. > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Otherwise, it’s all a bit telegraphed melodrama, with a touch of Mary Sue. It’s acted and shot subtly enough to make it seem more serious than it is but, by the end of season 1, you’re already to the “Which of the two hot guys should she go to the ball with?” set piece of most teen girl’s novels. While I can’t disagree with this, and did think something along those lines, I think it does undercut the things that happened as well as how it was presented. Obviously, you are allowed your opinion! This is merely how I took it. I saw a seasoned state dept official (I’m now not sure if Kate was a diplomat or the second in command before this) who took what is supposed to be a cushy job and turned it into a real thing. I think due to having her marriage in shambles, not to have relationships shown wouldn’t have rung true. Did we need the one with Stuart and Eidra? I don’t think so but I didn’t hate it. I didn’t think she was a Mary Sue because she used sources she would have, i.e. Middle East, to get information. Further, I assumed that politics were more like that in where she thought she was going than in GB. I think that’s what annoyed the PM, that they got someone competent in that role just as his plan was put into motion. That’s just my take on it, though. Thanks for the discussion! ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/62 "2023-07-12T19:03:51Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > it felt like “Hal is considering doing what is obvious to everyone in the show is a massive terrible horrible awful thing”, without explaining precisely what was so massive/terrible/horrible/awful about it. I think they were concerned about [possible violations of the Logan Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_Act#Text). The worry is that Hal, being who he is, would do a lot more than just listen to the person, he’d start making commitments that might be interpreted as binding on the US government. > Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both. We could argue about the applicability of this law, but “disputes or controversies with the United States” seems pretty broad, and when you consider how the British PM was talking about the US and the President in the news, it’s not hard to see the staff wanting Hal to keep out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/63 "2024-11-08T03:26:36Z")
Bumping because season 2 is out. It’s only six episodes, but I really liked it. Allison Janney as the vice president is wonderful and the final episode was great. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/64 "2024-11-08T03:59:59Z")
I thought it was great too, and was sad it was only 6 episodes. Everything moves fast (even the healing from a car bomb, apparently) and it kept me entertained. ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/65 "2024-11-09T06:54:20Z")
Oh no! I just watched episode 6 and you’re telling me that’s it, for at least another year? Waaah! Some shows specialize in that moment at the end, right before the screen goes black, where you go “That didn’t just happen!” - and it did. This one takes that to a whole new level. Kind of addicting, wouldn’t you say? I really like Ato Essandoh, who plays Stuart the embassy guy, and if he can do comedy (and I bet he can) he’d be the perfect choice to revive a beloved sitcom character from the 60s, Herman Munster. He has the height and the face for it. Can he do the laugh? Smart money says he’d nail it. ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/66 "2024-11-12T18:12:21Z")
I was talking about this in another thread. Love the show. Binged s1 again back in the summer in prep for s2. Binged s2 as well. When I got the s2e6 ending, I was thinking there were two episodes left. Nope! Ugh. I also like the cast and thought AJ did great. I’m glad my marriage doesn’t have the drama of those two! ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/67 "2024-11-12T18:24:33Z")
Read a review in the paper recently, and they commented on one of my longstanding peevs about modern streamed series. They said it has been something like a year and a half since the last “season” ended. Apparently one character died in the explosion that season’s last ep. As the characters were all expressing their grief, the reviewer was wondering, “Who was that character again? Did they really have a significant role?” ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/68 "2024-11-14T15:22:07Z")
_The Ringer’s_ staff called this show “popcorn fare, in mostly the best way possible” and I pretty much agree with that. It’s not _The Wire_, _Breaking Bad_ or _The Leftovers_ but it’s great fun and I am hugely entertained. Second to the Rory Kinnear kudos, he seems to do good work whenever I see him. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/69 "2024-11-15T00:40:45Z")
I loved it. I don’t usually “binge” shows but I watched this season in two days. Of course, it was only six episodes, which is a bit puzzling. ---
**Author:** ![DerNils](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerNils](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerNils)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2024, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/70 "2024-11-21T08:51:10Z")
We loved the series until now. I am only a bit worried about how they want to wrap it up in an interesting way. Because you cannot escalate more and more, I mean we are right now at “The president of the US is the villain”. Where do you go from there? ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2024, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/71 "2024-11-21T14:58:00Z")
> [@DerNils](#): > > Because you cannot escalate more and more, I mean we are right now at “The president of the US is the villain”. Where do you go from there? If ever there was a case of “life imitates art”… ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2024, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/72 "2024-11-21T15:32:13Z")
> [@vislor](#): > > When I got the s2e6 ending, I was thinking there were two episodes left. Nope! Ugh. You’re not the only one. I finished it three days ago and I’m still thinking about how bummed out I was when I realized I was done after six. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2024, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/73 "2024-11-21T19:06:37Z")
How many months/years would you guess before the next set? Maybe next set will be only 4 eps! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2024, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/74 "2024-11-21T23:20:24Z")
They’ve said the next season will be a full 8 episodes. Season 3 is already in production. > **[How Many Episodes Will Be In ’The Diplomat’ Season 3?](https://uproxx.com/tv/how-many-episodes-the-diplomat-season-3/)** > > After ’The Diplomat’ addicts made it clear that six episodes weren’t enough, how will the third season handle the count? ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/75 "2024-11-22T00:01:08Z")
Yeah, I think S2 was 6 eps due to the writer’s strike throwing off the timeline. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2024, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/76 "2024-11-22T10:40:33Z")
I thought it was a case of ‘when in England…’ _Slow Horses_ has six-episode seasons. Hopefully it won’t become the norm. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/77 "2024-12-27T06:19:18Z")
I just finished watching the second season and I can’t wait for the third one to arrive. Honestly, I didn’t immediately start watching this show because I wasn’t sure how effective Felicity would be in the role, but I think she’s done pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/78 "2024-12-27T06:45:31Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > I wasn’t sure how effective Felicity would be in the role, but I think she’s done pretty well. Keri Russell started out in pretty light fluff (like a lot of young actors) but has honestly grown to be a solid actress. Check out the movie Waitress and the TV show The Americans to get a better feel for her range. At this point I’d at least preliminarily give her the benefit of the doubt for any new project she is in. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/79 "2025-01-07T22:45:24Z")
I watched the first season about a month ago by myself, am rewatching now with my wife, and we are up to the season finale. I can’t wait to see her reaction, and am ready to dive into S2. Sorry if this has been mentioned upthread, but something I realized on rewatch. The guy playing the PM looked really familiar to me, but I couldn’t quite place him. Then there was one scene, something he said or the look on his face, when it hit me. “He looks like Veruca Salt’s dad from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory! But it can’t be him, he’d be way too old now.” Turns out, that was his dad! Roy Kinnear played Mr Salt, and his son Rory plays the PM. Holy crap. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diplomat-what-a-hoot-spoilers-allowed/983189/80 "2025-01-07T22:47:01Z")
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