(Credits: Netflix)

Before the release of the second season of The Diplomat, Netflix has announced the renewal of the hit political thriller for a third season. Starring Keri Russell and created by showrunner Deborah Cahn, the show follows Kate Wyler, a career diplomat who juggles her position as the ambassador to the United Kingdom during an international crisis, as well as a crumbling marriage with a political star.

The six-episode second season follows Wyler as she continues to unfurl the conspiracy behind a planned attack on a British warship in the midst of World War 3. When show-runner Deborah Cahn was asked about what viewers can expect from the third season, she replied, “Season 3 flips the chessboard. In Season 3, Kate lives the particular nightmare that is getting what you want.” 

The cast from the first two seasons will remain the same, with Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell, Allison Janney, David Gyasi, Ali Ahn, Rory Kinnear and Ato Essandoh reclaiming their roles. Season two ended on a cliffhanger, but Netflix announced that the show would return just weeks before the second season aired. Given that season two picked up straight where they left off in season one, we can imagine that the third season will do the same.

Cahn announced that production has already begun on the new season, with some of the filming taking place in New York, with Cahn saying, “After an amazing summer shooting in the UK, we brought London home to NY. Best of both worlds — filming in Brooklyn. We love doing this. We’re so excited to get to keep going.”

The creators of the show have previously spoken about their creative process and the planning of multiple interweaving storylines. When asked if the third season would follow a similar structure, Cahn explained that, “I have been fortunate in my life to work on a lot of long-running series, so I think that’s how I think. 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. I still don’t know if this is going to be that series or if it’s this eight-hour story. You plan for the best version and hope for the best version and we’ll see what happens.”

While the first season of the show had eight episodes, the second season only had six. However, it has been confirmed that the third season will mirror the first and contain eight episodes.

Russel has shared her excitement over the shows renewal, saying, “I’ve already read everything of season 3. It’s so good in the way I want things to be good, and I just can’t believe that it’s still getting better.”

A release date for the next season hasn’t been confirmed, however, given that the second season premiered 18 months after the first and production is already underway, we can imagine that it will be back on our screens in 2026.