The Diplomat season 1 ending explained: Everything you need to know before watching season 2

The Diplomat season 2 will drop on Netflix on Oct. 31. Read on for what's important to remember about the season 1 finale before you watch.
The Diplomat. Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in episode 202 of The Diplomat. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024
The Diplomat. Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in episode 202 of The Diplomat. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024 / Netflix
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This article contains spoilers for The Diplomat season 2

The Diplomat season 2 will be released on Oct. 31 and based on the trailer, we’re already looking forward to seeing the aftermath of the season 1 finale. With so much to remember about where we left off, let’s look at some of the key details to remember about how the season ended.

In "The James Bond Clause," Kate had attempted to form a connection with France in order to make sure an arrest was made with cooperation in regards to Lenkov, the person responsible for the attack on a British aircraft carrier that preceded the series premiere. Her attempts at building a bridge soon led to a surprising twist involving who was behind the plot.

At an event in Paris she went to with Foreign Secretry Austin Dennison, Kate learned that the Lenkov arrest was actually an assassination plot. It was surprising to Kate since an assassination was not something she ever knew about. She attempted to leave but Dennison followed her.

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The Diplomat. Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in episode 201 of The Diplomat. Cr. Alex Bailey/Netflix © 2024 /

Kate confronted him about the Lenkov plot, but he denied knowing anything. A kill order would have had to come down from a specific kind of meeting that only he could approve. Realizing what this meant, Kate took his phone and told him that Lenkov being dead was only good for whoever hired him. That meant Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge was behind the plot since he clearly wanted Lenkov dead.

Meanwhile, after giving a speech in her place, her husband Hal was approached by Merritt Grove, an MP who wanted to speak with Kate. He refused to speak with anyone else, even though Kate did not want Hal talking to him, thinking he was trying to make connections behind her back.

To smooth things over, Stuart Hayford, Kate’s Deputy Chief of Mission, decided to go in Hal’s place with Ronnie, his assistant, as well. But knowing Grove would only speak with him, Hal asked for a few minutes before letting them continue. Ronnie let Grove know Stuart was coming since he was on the phone with Hal simultaneously, but Grove left since it wasn’t Hal coming to the meeting.

Even though it was unclear to them what the meeting was about, given what Kate had just figured out, it could have had to do with Trowbridge. Unfortunately, finding out for sure will be difficult. Grove had just opened his car door when it exploded, leading to possible casualties for himself, Stuart, Hal, and Ronnie.

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The Diplomat. Rory Kinnear as Nicol Trowbridge in episode 102 of The Diplomat. Cr. Alex Bailey/Netflix © 2023 /

While the season 2 trailer confirmed Stuart and Hal survive, we do not know about Ronnie and Grove, both of whom were standing closer to the car when it exploded. The implications of the car bombing will likely be felt through season 2 as Kate also deals with the discovery about Trowbridge.

The season 1 finale also continued Kate’s struggles with her marriage as it gets closer to divorce. We saw her grow close to Austin, confiding in him about what is going on. However, considering what is now going on involving Trowbridge, the bombing and investigation could bring her closer to Hal as she struggles with determining who she can trust.

Another aspect of the finale was learning more about President Rayburn looking at Kate as potentially becoming the Vice President, replacing Grace Penn, who will be played by Allison Janney in season 2. What we know is that Penn’s husband had embezzled funds and they want a replacement for her before the news breaks.

In the finale, the London CIA chief Eidra Parks convinced Stuart to tell her about it and was told that Penn was being ousted and they wanted him to help prepare Kate to be the VP. Season 2 will see Kate and Penn come face to face, which should be interesting since they both have preconceived notions of the other considering the possibility that Kate is coming for her job.

These are some of the important things to remember about the season 1 finale as we head into season 2. We're looking forward to finding out the aftermath of the car bombing and how Kate navigates this in addition to the investigation involving Trowbridge and meeting Penn.

The Diplomat season 2 will premiere with all six episodes on Thursday, Oct. 31 on Netflix. Stay tuned to Americans Undercover for coverage. Follow us on X for more content!

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