The Diplomat: Season 3 Review – War Of The Wylers

The Diplomat this year feels like it’s trying to shift gears while getting stuck during the transition. We’re still getting somewhere with the characters and story. It just feels messier than usual. The main cast and the conversational style of plot development mostly still serve the series well. However, the show does falter in the second half of the season.

While dealing with one of the shows’ main story threads, it tries to throw in a few others that I feel are unnecessary and could easily have started in a new season altogether. The performances of Kerri Russell and Rufus Sewell, as well as the rest of the cast keep it together. It can be a little frustrating but its heart is in the right place.

The Diplomat is available to watch on Netflix. Season 3 was released October 2025. It was subsequently renewed for Season 4.

This review will contain spoilers for the following season.

Those who fancy their politics in games/film media, Dune: Awakening has recently came out, including information from Laura Speller, Solomon Jackson, Morgane Suquet, Fiona Miller and Alex Rivers.

Story: Long Live The Queen

The Diplomat Season 3 is all about the changing of the guard. Out steps President Rayburn. In steps President Penn. Someone who was supposed to be ousted from government. Now the head honcho. Kate and Hal Wyler, career politicians, have been wrangling with this plot development. Knowing what they know about President Penn, can they work together to make their own agenda come to fruition?

The beginning of this story was well done and fraught with intrigue. Who was going to come out on top? It was almost like a contest. Kate lands herself a new position – which isn’t unlike her old job. I understand this decision. It keeps the show moving forward without it becoming something else. This disappointed me a little. Some change can be good. Hal’s also has a new job but we don’t see as much of him as he isn’t the main character.

Kate’s new dual position is explored in a manner that you can’t be able to do both well. It’s not explored in depth. There are a few funny scenes put in with a dress and a decoy I enjoyed. Stuart Hayford ends up doing more of the same, whereas Eidra is put in a perilous position. This is strung out for a while before being resolved with no consequences.

The second half of the show also then include a new character which includes a “big story reveal”, which I felt had been ignored then was thrust back into the spotlight as an incitement point. Where I felt the show needs to move past these events. A couple of episodes towards the end also don’t have the momentum required. It tries hard but it also felt a little stretched.

The swearing in of a new era. Can the Wylers’ adjust?

The Wylers

While The Diplomat is about Kate and her role in UK/US politics, her counterpart and husband, Hal has also got a big say on how well we enjoy the show. And it still works here. Even if I feel they overdo it, regarding how fractious their relationship does become. I feel they could reign in Kate’s urging tendencies for other characters. I feel they’re distractions while they could focus on why the Wyler’s can work well as much as they don’t. It’s something Season 4 could fix.

As much as the politics, their relationship is the reasons the show still works. Maybe focusing more on Hal could change the shows perspective? The small backstory on how they meet was nicely done. 

For all their faults, Kate and Hal are worth rooting for.

Characters & Performances: Great All Round

While The Diplomat’s writing is something I can criticise, I felt everyone did a good job here. Especially considering how large the cast is getting. Let’s get into it.

Kate Wyler

Keri Russell as Kate Wyler is still great. The scrappy, attractive, getting things done any way she can attitude, is something I like about her. She is serious, then she can be good at physical comedy. She can change from straight talking to goofy. The writing for her character however, can make her out to be the centre of attention, I am great motif. While the character moves on at one point from Hal with another character, the need to have “sex scenes”, were a bit forced and distracting from the main story. While certain episodes felt she was on the fringes a bit. So I feel her character needs a bit of a reset.

Kate manages to prove she can be an asset to the administration.

Hal Wyler

Rufus Sewell as Kate’s husband Hal I think is still great. I feel I should hate Hal for the way he can act and treat Kate or how he can be power hungry. However, Rufus delivers enough empathy in explanation for it to work. Hal being Hal, can’t help himself in certain situations. I thought the show did well showing the change in their relationship; from where they met in Baghdad to where they are now. It’s the shows high-wire act and it just about gets it right.

Scenes often showed Hal and Kate on opposite sides of a bed/table, imagery for their discourse which I liked.

President Penn & Todd

Allison Janney stepped up as President Grace Penn. From worrying about her job, to being in charge. I felt she did well in giving the character dignity when she is someone we should dislike from Season 2. She suddenly must weigh up impossible choices and even has to be talked out of decisions against her better judgement.

Bradley Whitford is her husband Todd and it was nice to see a West Wing reunion. I feel they somehow fit him into an already stacked cast. Bradley to me, is always good. His character isn’t given much to do – but he is shown to be smarter than he lets on, considering he’s on the “sidelines”. I felt he did what he could with what he was given. And there’s a spontaneous scene between him and his wife I appreciated as most of The Diplomat is a serious show.

I appreciated seeing Allison and Bradley back on screen together

Kate’s Friends

I felt the rest of The Diplomat cast were very good overall. Ali Ahn as Eidra Park probably gets the most screen time with her role. I really like her although her main story line was a bit of a let down regarding consequences. She still has good chemistry with Ato Essandoh as Stuart Hayford. He’s more of a background character this time around. Characters such as Nora Koriem, Billie Appiah, Nicol Trowbridge and Austin Dennison are all present and do a solid job.

The biggest other role is Aiden Turner as Callum Ellis. He turns up as a different foil for Kate as they have a relationship. And it doesn’t work for me. He basically turns up, is a simpering wee soul. Has nothing important to say – except exposition. They give him the key plot point to make him come across as important, but he’s mostly there to romance Kate. I didn’t dislike the actor, he was fine. I felt the character is shoehorned in. Aiden and Keri’s chemistry isn’t bad but I’ll take shady Rufus over this any day.

Hal meets Kate’s new friend Callum, added a new dimension to everyone’s relationships.

Cinematography & Sound: Looks Great, Sound Okay

The Diplomat can still look fantastic. They love showing off the locations they go to: Winfield House. Amagansett looks an amazing house. There are the other usual haunts: the Diplomatic office. Plenty of used spaces outdoors, hotel rooms. There are use of big houses and ballrooms for “tea parties” and “galas”.

The show decided not to use a lot of music again. So most of it is everyone talking in rooms. Music did sporadically kick in for certain transition scenes and it’s good. I feel this time they could have done with something, even if it was background noise. Plenty of talking and it was well presented.

Plenty of The Diplomat is indoors but they really know how to do a good landscape shot

Editing & Pacing: Good Editing, Pacing Was Stop/Start

The Diplomat Season 3 I felt was all over the place. It starts strong. They are at crisis point and there is an urgency to get through the story and plot details. Maybe a little too fast. This is sustained until the midway point where they jump forward in time. Episodes 6 & 7 are very slow. Six is important but regarding Kate’s character, she just exists here. Episode 7 I feel wasn’t needed at all. The story is at a standstill when it should have been pedal to the metal. It felt a total waste of time. Saved by episode 8.

The Diplomat to watch is well done. I felt most scenes looked good and didn’t overstay their welcome. You didn’t miss anything but especially in this season, there isn’t any big set piece or action involved. Which I think would have helped regarding the plot. We’re told a lot about what’s going on, taking people’s word for it, rather than be shown.