The Diplomat (2023) follows Kate Wyler, an American diplomat who is sent to the UK during a time of crisis to test her mettle under pressure. The series is streaming on Netflix.
Story
Kate Wyler is assigned to be the American ambassador to Britain at a time when Britain is dealing with the aftermath of an attack on one of their naval carriers that cost several lives.
Kate has to navigate the political landscape while ruffling just the right amount of feathers if she wants to get any important work done but she certainly has the support to do it.
She balances finding out which country is responsible for the attack with maintaining peace, her failing marriage, a growing fondness for the British foreign secretary, and the possibility of becoming the next American vice president.
She pushes herself to the limits in a job that she loves but does not emerge completely unscathed due to the pressure and there are several curveballs thrown at her along the way.
Performances
Keri Russell is an experienced performer and she embraces this role brilliantly. She balances out the calm, calculating professional with the human being going through so much with ease.
Rufus Sewell is equally charming as Hal Wyler, a man who appears to have bucketloads of charisma. There’s an air of deception in his character but one is never really certain which is a testament to Sewell’s performance.
David Gyasi plays Austin Dennison, the British foreign minister and regular collaborator with Kate. The two of them work well together and Gyasi brings that trademark British appeal to a role that he seems suited to.
Ato Essandoh performs well as Stuart Hayford. His romance with Ali Ahn’s Eidra gives both of them a chance to show off their talents aside from their professional roles in the series.
Rory Kinnear and Michael McKean play the respective heads of state of the UK and the US and while their characters are written to be slightly farcical, they are the ultimate professionals.
Positives
The intricate political machinations are truly made entertaining in this series and that is down to the writers and directors. Showing off how “the sausage is made” has been done before but it isn’t always this engaging.
There is a surprisingly playful background score that is highlighted at the perfect moments throughout the series and it adds a layer of fun to what could have been a very dull drama.
The cinematography is similarly impressive with the devil lies in the details. There are subtle moments between characters that are deliberately focused on, or just kept on the edge of the frame to add intrigue.
The directors have lured out brilliant performances from a wide cast and depicted the complexity of different kinds of relationships within the political setting which is quite interesting.
Negatives
The Prime Minister and the President are clearly inspired by real-life people without being straight-up parodies but there are moments where they push the boundaries and get very close to that happening. It would have just diminished the overall quality of the series.
Verdict
The Diplomat (2023) is a fun series with top-notch writing and performances. The level of problem-solving that takes place within the geopolitical landscape is made captivating by the pace and structure of the narrative and if you are a fan of political dramas, this one can definitely be considered a great one with it’s improved approach to the genre.
The Diplomat
Director: Simon Cellan Jones, Andrew Bernstein, Liza Johnson, Alex Graves
Date Created: 2023-04-20 12:30
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