What to expect from season 3 of 'The Diplomat'

the diplomat season three keri russell
What to expect from season 3 of The Diplomat Netflix

The Diplomat is just the political drama we need right now. The critically acclaimed show follows Kate Wyler (Keri Russell), a diplomat who is forced to take on international relations in the UK after a crisis. Though peacekeeping isn’t her specialty, she navigates the job by keeping up appearances, outsmarting opponents, and managing big personalities.

In The Diplomat’s second season, Kate picks up after a deadly explosion in the heart of London, coming to terms with the fact that the attack came from within the British government. Simultaneously, she must handle Madame Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janey), who thinks Kate is after her job. “She goes through all of those exact same feelings: she’s nervous about her, intimidated by her, then wowed by her, then defends her, and then hates her,” Russell explained to Netflix’s Tudum of Kate’s mindset toward Penn.

the diplomat allison janney as grace penn in episode 206 of the diplomat cr alex baileynetflix
Allison Janney as Grace Penn Alex Bailey/Netflix

The end of season two left fans wondering whether The Diplomat would be renewed for a third season and, with all its twists and turns, how the finale could shape what comes next. Read on for everything we know so far, and what to expect when the show returns for another run.


Will 'The Diplomat' return for a third season?

In October — just weeks before season two premiered — Netflix announced that Kate’s work overseas wouldn’t be letting up anytime soon. The platform officially renewed The Diplomat for a third season, in which fans will see the diplomats travel back to America.

the diplomat keri russell as kate wyler in episode 103 of the diplomat cr alex baileynetflix copy2023
Netflix

Filming is already underway in London and New York City. “We’re shooting some stuff already in season three that involves big groups and lots of people, and we do tend to rehearse those [scenes],” Russell said during a recent episode of Netflix’s Skip Intro podcast. “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.”

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“After an amazing summer shooting in the UK, we brought London home to NY,” series creator Debora Cahn told Variety. “Best of both worlds — filming in Brooklyn. We love doing this. We’re so excited to get to keep going.”

What will season three be about?

“Season three flips the chessboard,” Cahn later revealed to Tudum. “In season three, Kate lives the particular nightmare that is getting what you want.”

The third season will likely pick up with Penn as the new president. “The president is dead and, as a fan of the show, you immediately start to see the Rubik’s Cube [solution] that Grace is going to be president,” Graves further teased to Tudum. “What is that going to mean for Kate and Hal?”

Specifics have been kept under wraps, so keep an eye out for the show’s trailer release. Expect more drama and high stakes — especially as the third season will be longer than the last. Season two was shortened to six episodes (because Cahn felt there wasn’t enough time to produce more), but “season three will have eight episodes,” Cahn confirmed to TVLine in October.

When will season three be on Netflix?

An official release date for The Diplomat season three has yet to be announced, given they are so early into production. But should the show follow the same timeline as the first and second seasons, expect the third season to debut in autumn/winter 2025.

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