(Credits: Netflix)

Netflix instantly knew it was onto a winner when The Diplomat premiered in April 2023, with the political drama earning one of the quickest renewals in the streaming service’s recent history.

A mere 11 days after the first season dropped, the platform confirmed that Keri Russell’s Kate Wyler would be returning, allowing audiences the world over to breathe a huge sigh of relief after the finale ended on a cliffhanger designed to set up even more mystery and intrigue.

Production didn’t waste any time picking back up, either, with cameras rolling on The Diplomat‘s second season just two months after the first episode had aired, so Netflix obviously had a great deal of confidence that the series was going to become a massive success.

That’s exactly what happened, too, with The Diplomat spending four weeks in the global top ten and accruing over 173 million viewing hours during that time, while it also became an awards season contender.

Nominated for ‘Best Television Series – Drama’ at the Golden Globes, Russell was also shortlisted in the ‘Best Actress – Television Series Drama’ category, with creator Debora Cahn’s bingeable series also landing the lead a ‘Best Actress’ nomination at the Primetime Emmys.

The last episode of season one ended with Kate realising the prime minister was complicit in the attack on a British warshop that kicked off the opening instalment, and Netflix subscribers will be able to find out how she untangles the conspiracy when The Diplomat returns on October 31, with two new images from the upcoming episodes also being revealed.

Showrunner Cahn teased that even though Kate knows the PM was involved, she still has to prove it. “The US and the UK don’t spy on each other,” she said. “In fact, they share all their intelligence. So how do you investigate the PM? Who do you trust?”

Based on the entire history of politically-tinged television and dramatic thrillers in general, it would be safe to assume the answer is nobody. Kate also has to deal with the fallout from the car bomb that detonated moments before the credits rolled on the finale, which is going to cause some serious repercussions of its own.

Cahn also hinted that “everything we thought we knew about the Wylers changes, as does everything they think they know about each other,” so Kate’s plate is going to be stacked high with threads to be pulled and untangled, even if there’s a high chance she’s not going to like what she finds out.