34/21

The only location that was not available was Winfield House, the actual residence of the American ambassador

Tale

In the midst of an international crisis, Kate Wyler, a career diplomat, finds herself in a high-profile job for which she is ill-suited, with tectonic implications for her marriage and political future. The producers convinced the American and British governments to allow them to use real-world sets as filming locations for the series, including the still-new American embassy (in Nine Elms) which opened in 2018. Britain allowed filming inside the foreign secretary’s office, an honor rarely bestowed on a film or film production, especially an American one.

Season 1 ended with a cliffhanger of gargantuan proportions

Although it is accurately described as occupying the largest parcel of residential land (11 acres) in London apart from Buckingham Palace, the producers used a country house on the outskirts of the city for filming. It was featured in the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards (2024). Oh my!

I initially thought it was a slow, slow political drama

Season 2 nearly gave me a heart attack in the last few minutes of Season 2. I don’t know if my heart can handle a Season 3. Maybe another *feel-good* kind of TV drama like Madame Secretary.

Boy, was I so wrong

The Diplomat will keep you on the edge of your seat with every episode. Watch them like hungry animals. This is political theater at its finest.

She’s amazing!

It’s even more cutthroat than my wildest dreams. And, even if it’s only true about a tenth of what ACTUALLY happens in American politics and various agencies (CIA, Secret Service, Diplomacy), it’s still a wild ride. Keri Russell once again has a strong female lead role that reminded me why I loved her performance on “The Americans” so much.