The Diplomat – Netflix Studios
After an explosive end to the season, subscribers have been left wanting even more of Debora Cahn’s The Diplomat. Thankfully, we’ll be getting just that with the show having been officially renewed for a second season. Below, we’ll be keeping track of everything related to the second season of The Diplomat on Netflix.
The Diplomat is a Netflix Original political thriller series created and produced by Debora Cahn, who inked an overall deal with Netflix in January 2022. The series is also produced by Janice Williams and Keri Russel, who plays the leading role of Kate Wyler. Netflix’s own studio produced the series filmed in London, UK.
Here’s what you can expect from the show if you’ve yet to dive in:
“In the midst of an international crisis, Kate Wyler a career diplomat lands in a high-profile job for which she was not suited, with tectonic implications for her marriage and her political future.”
Official Renewal Status: Renewed on May 1st, 2023
After just a week on the service, Netflix had given a quick season 2 order for The Diplomat. Despite a relatively middling start for the show, we’re betting a combination of commitment to Debora Cahn through the aforementioned overall deal plus high completion rates meant that a season 2 order was a no-brainer.
The Diplomat has been renewed for Season 2. pic.twitter.com/bnfaLvfoU1
— Netflix (@netflix) May 1, 2023
Speaking about the renewal, Keri Russell said:
“I am thrilled to be headed back for another round of this smart screwball show. Dare I say it’s fun? Thank you Netflix for giving us another shot.”
Creator and showrunner Debora Cahn said:
“We had such a great time making The Diplomat. And it’s a thrill to see how much people are enjoying it. We’re so glad we get to do it again!”
Netflix’s head of drama, Jinny Howe, said:
“Fans around the world are loving every minute of The Diplomat’s gripping and propulsive drama, and embracing Keri Russell’s powerful performance as Kate Wyler. After that jaw-dropping cliffhanger, we can’t wait for them to see what the amazing visionary team of Debora Cahn, Janice Williams and Keri Russell have in store for Season 2.”
More season 2 details and additional information will be shared later.
“One renewal, please.” Keri Russell as Kate Wyler – Alex Baily / Netflix Studios
Surprisingly, Netflix doesn’t have an extensive number of political dramas. However, there are some big names on the small list. Shows such as House of Cards, Designated Survivor, and The Night Agent have been big hits for the streaming service; however, only one of the aforementioned three is ongoing.
The Night Agent is a great benchmark for what it may take for The Diplomat to be renewed for a second season.
In the first week, The Night Agent was able to draw in millions of subscribers, amassing a total of 168,710,000 million hours viewed. The series has listed over 605,620,0000 million hours in four weeks, and we expect to see even more in the coming weeks. The instant success of the series saw a near-immediate renewal by Netflix.
In week 1, The Diplomat didn’t quite live up to the expectations but given other factors (such as the overall deal and completion rate) Netflix felt confident in pulling the trigger.
Here’s how the weekly viewership from Netflix’s official top 10s stacks up so far:
| Week Period | Hours Viewed(M) | Rank | Week in Top 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 16th, 2023 to April 23rd, 2023 | 57,480,000 | 1 | 1 |
In our top 10 report for the week ending April 23rd, What’s on Netflix contributor Frederic said that it had a mediocre start, with the show only just getting below That 90s Show regarding its week 1 CVE.
CVE refers to Completed Viewing Equivalent whereby you take the runtime of the show and the number of hours publically announced to come up with a way to find out at a maximum how many people got through to the end.
The Diplomat first 4 days viewership CVE
If the cliffhanger wasn’t enough to suggest there could be a second season, then it’s hard to suggest what else is needed.
Throughout the season the US Ambassador, Kate Wyler has been investigating the attack on the British Warship. Initially believed to be caused by the Iranians, but before long the finger is pointed at the Russians. However, Kate is eventually able to deduce that the person behind the attack was UK Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge, who wanted to use the false flag attack as a means to rally the country together, and to stop any momentum for Scottish independence.
Rory Kinnear as Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge – Alex Baily / Netflix Studios
All season Kate’s relationship with her husband Hal has been shown to be extremely rocky, to the point where the pair are considering divorce. However, as Kate may soon be sworn in as the Vice President of the United States of America, any talks of divorce were shot down immediately. However, Kate may soon be a widow as Hal was one of three, the other being Stuart Hayford, Kate’s deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in London, and Eidra Park, the chief of the CIA station in London, who are victims of a car bombing. We still don’t know the fate of the trio, but Kate has been made aware by the secret service that her husband was in the explosion, and judging by her expression, the news may be grave.
Keri Russel as Kate Wyler (left) and Ato Essandoh as Stuart Heyford – Alex Baily / Netflix Studios
Kate is still yet to be sworn in as the new Vice President. However, Kate is still unsure whether the position is right for her, and has even considered her position as a US diplomat. The events of the season could drive Kate to take up the position of Vice President where she will be perfectly placed to be a force for good; however, equally, she may feel even more disenfranchised with her position as a US diplomat and try to find a way out of the politics game as soon as possible.
Are you excited to see a second season of The Diplomat on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!