Netflix’s gripping political thriller’s ‘five-star’ second season called ‘some of the best TV of 2024’
The second season of a hugely popular Netflix show is now streaming - but how does it hold up to the promise of the first outing?
by Lucas Hill-Paul · The MirrorA riveting political thriller series on Netflix has just returned for its second season and is already scoring rave reviews.
Starring a major Hollywood name in the lead role alongside a tapestry of British talent, the first eight-part season was a smash-hit when it premiered to subscribers last year.
It also scored several major awards nominations, including Golden Globes and Emmy nods, as well as picking up the Hollywood Critics Association TV Award for Best Actress in a streaming drama for the show’s lead, American actress Keri Russell.
The streaming platform wasted no time confirming a second season and, just over a year later, the intrigue and drama continues.
We’re, of course, talking about The Diplomat, which offered a contrast to all the spooky goings-on by dropping its second season this Halloween (Thursday, October 31st).
Season two is slightly shorter at six episodes but is still guaranteed to keep subscribers hooked if the rave reviews are anything to go by.
Russell returns as savvy US ambassador to the UK Katherine ‘Kate’ Wyler, kicking off season two with a frenzied search for her semi-estranged husband Hal Wyler (played by Rufus Sewell) following the car bomb that capped off season one.
With US-UK relations growing ever more strained in this sophomore outing, and award-winning actress Allison Janney joining the action as Vice President Grace Penn, The Diplomat’s return is more than worth the year-and-a-bit hiatus.
Jack Seale of The Guardian gave season two a whopping five stars, claiming it “effortlessly joins the list of 2024’s best TV”.
He added: “The first series of this political thriller ended with one of the finest television moments ever created – and now it’s back. It’s so good it’s like watching several great shows all at once.”
Collider called it a “conspiracy thriller worth getting tangled up in”, adding: “The show excels when it sees our characters thinking on their feet and using their resources to pull off intricate political moves, but it’s just as fun in the opposite direction, too.
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“Seeing characters appropriate bureaucratic techniques and tactics into their personal relationships — like Grace’s use of a political briefing method to dress down Kate in a delicious The Devil Wears Prada-esque scene — is just as delicious.”
And IndieWire dubbed it “Netflix’s sharpest, silliest drama series”, with a “stellar” lead performance from Russell.
“The Diplomat is proof that prestige dramas don’t have to strive to do too much, and that frothy entertainment doesn’t have to settle for less,” they wrote.
“There’s a happy middle-ground — even in a political show, even in a political show being released right now — that’s challenging and enjoyable, considered and carefree. Whatever way you take its message, The Diplomat will make it work.”
Although many agree the political pandemonium can get a little too outlandish for its own good, viewers won’t want to miss a second of The Diplomat’s unhinged and unpredictable second season.
The Diplomat is available to stream on Netflix.