Production is underway on Season 3 of The Diplomat, Netflix’s political thriller starring Keri Russell (The Americans) as Ambassador Kate Wyler and Rufus Sewell (Dark City) as her husband, Hal. Allison Janney plays U.S. President Grace Penn, and in a stroke of casting genius, her The West Wing cast mate Bradley Whitford has been cast as Todd the First Husband.
Adding to The West Wing reunion is The Diplomat’s creator, showrunner, and executive producer, Debora Cahn, who was also a producer and writer on the famous, multiple award-winning NBC political series. Cahn said of the casting of Whitford (via Netflix), “Brad was the fantasy version of Todd — for all of us. We still can’t believe it came true.”
And things are going to be quite interesting for the characters, as Cahn explained:

“Season 3 flips the chessboard. In Season 3, Kate lives the particular nightmare that is getting what you want.”

‘The Diplomat’ Season Three: What We Know So Far

What Cahn could be talking about is how Hal went rogue to help his wife, a UK Ambassador, to become the Vice President of the United States, a role that Penn held. But given the events in Season 2’s finale, where Kate discovers who was really behind the attack on a British submarine (which happened in Season 1), everything has indeed been flipped on its head.
(Spoilers ahead!) The bombing of the HMS Courageous wasn’t by an enemy state, but from within the British government, as Kate learned. The Prime Minister’s former advisor, Margaret “Meg” Roylin (Celia Imrie), was involved, as was Vice President Penn.
Kate and Hal confront Penn, who explains why she did it; Scotland wouldn’t leave the UK, seeking independence, and in doing so, it would prevent the closure of a nuclear submarine base called Creegan. That could be a disaster for the U.S., as it wouldn’t be able to store nuclear weapons in the UK.
Hal bypasses telling Secretary of State Miguel Ganon (Miguel Sandoval) by directly informing President Rayburn (Michael McKean) the truth about what happened and his VP’s involvement. When the President hears the news, he dies unexpectedly. And before Penn can resign, she instantly got a major promotion. The ringleader of the conspiracy is now the leader of the free world. But the question remains, is Kate now the Vice President? It sure seems that way, based on Cahn’s quote above, about Kate getting what she wants.
The Diplomat Season 3 is filming in New York and London, as Russell explained to the Skip Intro podcast last November:

“We’re shooting some stuff already in Season 3 that involves big groups and lots of people, and we do tend to rehearse those [scenes]. It’s such rapid-fire diplomatic speak that we make sure that everyone’s on the same page and knows what we’re actually talking about.”

Related

The Diplomat Gets Exciting Season 3 Update (Yes, We Said Season 3)

Ahead of its Season 2 premiere, Netflix just renewed Keri Russell’s hit political thriller for Season 3.

As of now, The Diplomat Season 3 is set to return in the fall of 2025, but no firm release date has been set. Expect more news, a trailer, and date in the coming months.

The Diplomat

Release Date

2023 – 2022

Showrunner

Debora Cahn

Directors

Liza Johnson, Simon Cellan Jones