Netflix continues to tease out the third season of its hit political drama, The Diplomat, offering yet another video preview of the next installment as well as sharing the release date for the eight-episode third season: Oct. 16.
The new look at the upcoming episodes, though light on dialogue and extended scenes, features Keri Russell‘s Kate Wyler saying, “a terribly flawed woman is now the president, and only we know just how flawed.”
The warning reminds viewers that the series’ former vice president, Grace Penn (Allison Janney), who was on the verge of being elevated to president in the closing moments of season two after President Rayburn (Michael McKean) died, is behind the British warship attack that launched the series, something Kate and husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) learned during season two, with Grace explaining her rationale to Kate in a tense exchange in the season finale.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter about the end of season two and beginning of season three, Russell and Sewell previously said that Grace’s elevation means that they have just made a “very powerful enemy.”
The preview shows Grace being sworn in as president and the teaser and first look images (below) offer a look at new castmember Bradley Whitford, who joins the series in season three as Grace’s husband Todd, who much like his wife had been spoken about but not yet seen as viewers learned early in season one that he misplaced part of an NIH grant, creating a scandal that Rayburn’s handlers believed meant Grace would have to step down and that they would need to recruit a new vice president, sizing up Kate for the role.
After a shorter, six-episode second season, The Diplomat‘s third season will feature eight episodes, which Netflix describes as follows, “In season three of The Diplomat, Ambassador Kate Wyler lives the particular nightmare that is getting what you want. She just accused Vice President Grace Penn of hatching a terrorist plot and admitted she’s after the VP’s job. But now the president is dead, Kate’s husband Hal may have inadvertently killed him, and Grace Penn is leader of the free world. None of this slows Hal’s campaign to land Kate the vice presidency. Kate steps into a role she never wanted, with a freedom she never expected, an increasingly complicated friendship with Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi), and an unnerving bond with first gentleman Todd Penn.”
The teaser features a number of brief clips of Kate and Hal walking with purpose and Kate posing for a photo with British Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) before ending with Hal suggesting a scenario in which Kate can keep a close eye on Grace.
“You will be in the White House watching what she does all the time,” he says.
Sewell previously teased that things soon get complicated in season three.
“The end of season two is one thing but very quickly even more extraordinary things happen,” he told THR before the season two premiere, as season three was already in production, last fall. “Allison Janney coming in, the dynamics of the story after what happens at the end of season two really gives us some extraordinary things. Also it changes dynamics that might have been in danger of playing out. And it’s getting really complex.”
The Diplomat has already been renewed for a fourth season at Netflix.
Debora Cahn, who created the show, serves as showrunner and executive producer alongside Russell, Janice Williams, Alex Graves, Peter Noah and Eli Attie.
The cast includes Ali Ahn, Ato Essandoh, Celia Imrie, Nana Mensah and Miguel Sandoval.
Check out first-look images for season three below.
Rufus Sewell in The Diplomat season 3.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Rufus Sewell and Keri Russell in The Diplomat season 3.
Courtesy of Netflix
Ali Ahn in The Diplomat season 3.
Courtesy of Netflix
Bradley Whitford and Allison Janney in The Diplomat season 3.
Courtesy of Netflix
David Gyasi in The Diplomat season 3.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Bradley Whitford in The Diplomat season 3.
Clifton Prescod/Netflix
Allison Janney in The Diplomat season 3.
Clifton Prescod/Netflix