“How was … everyone’s day at the office?”
That bit of subtle snark from the newest addition to the cast of Netflix’s The Diplomat — delivered by Bradley Whitford in his signature deadpan — opens the first teaser for Season 3, released this morning. It’s a perfectly timed line, given the jaw-dropping chaos that the highly addictive political thriller left us with at the end of Season 2. And, if you ask me, it signals what fans of the show can expect from the forthcoming episodes: A shake-up at the highest levels of power, delivered with whip-smart dialogue and West Wing-caliber pedigree.
Whitford’s arrival in The Diplomat, of course, also marks a reunion with his former West Wing co-star Allison Janney, who plays the newly ascended President Grace Penn. He takes on the role of First Gentleman Todd Penn — an unnerving presence who complicates an already tense dynamic between his wife and the show’s central figure, career diplomat Kate Wyler (Keri Russell).
When we last saw Kate, she had just accused then–Vice President Penn of engineering a terrorist attack to protect a shared UK/US military asset. Now, Penn is president following the sudden death of President Rayburn, and Kate’s life is spiraling. Her husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) probably played a role in the president’s demise, and yet he’s still pushing for Kate to become Penn’s replacement as vice president.
Season 3 looks to pick up right where things left off — and then, according to creator Debora Cahn, it will proceed to flip over the entire “chessboard.” “In Season 3, Kate lives the particular nightmare that is getting what you want,” Cahn teases, in an interview with Netflix’s Tudum.
Production wrapped earlier this year in London and New York, and Keri Russell has already hinted that the upcoming episodes will feature bigger scenes and more complexity than ever. The teaser doesn’t give away much plot, but it doesn’t need to. With a new power couple at the top, the message is clear: Diplomacy just got much more interesting. And for longtime West Wing fans, it’s hard not to grin at the prospect of Janney and Whitford back in the same room. As Cahn puts it, “Brad was the fantasy version of Todd — for all of us.”
Season 3 of The Diplomat arrives on Netflix this fall. And based on this first look, the show is gearing up for what could be its biggest and best season yet.
