I'm absolutely delighted with "The Diplomat," a new political dramedy from Debra Cahn, which charts the fallout from a recent attack on a British aircraft carrier by unknown forces. Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) is the new US ambassador to the United Kingdom, a role that she doesn't want and isn't suited for, but US President Rayburn (Michael McKean) won't take no for an answer. Now she has to juggle relationships with the hawkish UK Prime Minister, Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear), his foreign secretary Dennison (David Gyasi), and her new deputy chief, Hayford (Ato Essandoh). And then there's Kate's husband Hal (Rufus Sewell), a former ambassador and loose cannon, who Kate is frequently at odds with.
On the continuum between "The West Wing" and "VEEP," "The Diplomat" leans closer to "The West Wing." All of the various players are smart, dedicated, and hyper-competent. Though the vulgarities are abundant, they're not ridiculous, and there's still a sense of idealism about how governmental agencies are supposed to function. However, the characters are more neurotic and prone to petty power plays. Delicate negotiations are constantly threatening to turn into outright farce, and Kate is consistently terrible at the parts of her job that require her to be a public figure. "The Diplomat" is also willing to dip its toes into genre territory occasionally, with bits of espionage here and there. The relationships are unapologetically soapy. In addition to the Wylers' endless ups and downs, Hayford is romantically involved with the UK's CIA station chief, Park (Ali Ahn), forming the show's second tumultuous power couple.
The main event is really Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell, who have exceptionally good chemistry, and are instantly more interesting whenever they're onscreen together. You root for them to work out the difficulties in their marriage, and figure out how to both get what they want. At the same time, the friction is so good, and the fights are so entertaining, you kind of want them to stay in conflict. After her long stint on "The Americans," it's so nice to see Keri Russell get to cut loose and play a woman who is often a hot mess, and who gets to deliver these great rants with impunity. Rufus Sewell, who has spent an awful lot of time playing boring British villains in the past, gets to sink his teeth into something way more fun here. Hal is an insufferably charming rascal who just can't seem to behave, and even when he's trying very hard not to get involved, he's always involved. And they both get to be funny. The scene where Kate finally loses her temper with Hal is both hysterical and gratifying to see play out.
I should caution that "The Diplomat" is very dialogue dense, and is not the sort of show that you can only partially pay attention to. It's also a good idea to have some familiarity with how geopolitics operate - the Wylers are constantly trying to confirm information, track down decisionmakers, and broker deals that will keep multiple governments happy. To do this, they have to balance the interests of many different individuals, agencies, and administrations. A big part of this season involves trying to get the UK prime minister to stop threatening to bomb Iran, when the Wylers know that the attack didn't come from Iran, but they got the information from backchannels that they can't disclose. The elaborate, obtuse manner in which the Wylers have to communicate with Iran and Russia to get to anything resembling the truth is clearly played up for the audience's entertainment, but also feels like a genuine attempt to shed light on the endless complications of diplomatic bureaucracy. Domestic politics are also a regular concern. One of Kate's early appearances is cut short because she's in danger of being seen with the wrong politician at the wrong time.
It's all very familiar if you watch many political thrillers, but more zippy and exciting than these are usually allowed to be. My only complaint about "The Diplomat" is that it ends on a cliffhanger without resolving anything. These first eight episodes feel like half of a season, and even with the promise that more are on the way, it's not enough.
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