Warning: this article contains spoilers for all eight episodes of season 4 of “The Diplomat”.
Does “The Diplomat” still work if Kate Wyler is no longer a diplomat? We may have to find out after the shocking events that closed out Season 4.
In the finale – all episodes of season 4 are now streaming on Netflix – Kate finally reached her breaking point with President Grace Penn and her dangerous relationship on the brink with Russia and the new British Prime Minister. (It didn’t help that Grace sent home Stuart, a close ally of Kate’s, for expressing her disapproval.) In the middle of the G7 summit, Kate very publicly resigned as UK ambassador, with Billie and Miguel following her out the door. As Kate walked out, she turned to see…Hal had also resigned as Vice President.
So, was this Hal’s way of supporting his wife Kate, or was it just a clever political move? “I think it’s a mix of things,” Rufus Sewell, who plays Hal, told TVLine. “I think he’s struggled with the morality and the right and wrong of where he’s going, and I think he’s calculated to this point that his closeness to (Grace) is more valuable than saying something unpleasant enough to put him out of influence, because influence is the only chance anyone has, in the way that (Tony) Blair does, to influence events, and you may find that your influence is actually zero. “Hal is “calculated,” he admits, and “he needs a helping hand” from Kate. “But I think there’s a little bit of all of that in this decision.”
Will Todd still support Grace after this?
By the end of Season 4, Grace’s aggressive (and somewhat erratic) geopolitical tactics raised alarms with everyone around her…even her husband Todd, played by Bradley Whitford. So, after Kate and Hal defect, could Todd follow suit? “I think there’s a bit of a temptation at the end” for Todd to speak up, Whitford says, “a question for herself. But I think it’s an impossible thing for him to do, and I’m very interested in where this is going to lead, and whether or not we’ve been too protective in our questioning of Grace and the possibility – I really have no idea – that Grace is playing a very long game.” Hmmm… so maybe Grace’s strategy is the wisest after all?
Regardless, the Season 4 finale leaves everything up in the air, from Kate’s professional future to the state of America’s global diplomacy. Where does it go from here in a potential fifth season? (Netflix has yet to officially renew “The Diplomat” for Season 5.) Will we see Kate and Hal united against the White House? “You’re asking all the right questions,” showrunner Deborah Cahn coyly tells TVLine, “and if you could submit some answers to me in writing, I’d appreciate it.”
Now we’re asking for your vote: Rate “The Diplomat” Season 4 in our poll and hit the comments to share your thoughts and predictions.
Gn entert
