How many episodes are in The Diplomat? (release time, episode count, and more)

After a nearly five-year wait for another captivating and thrilling performance from Keri Russell on the small screen, the Emmy-nominated The Americans star makes her triumphant return to television in Netflix’s new political drama series The Diplomat.

In the highly anticipated Netflix show, Russell plays Kate Wyler, a career diplomat who finds herself taking on a challenging new role in the middle of a major international crisis. Not only is she attempting to rise to the political occasion, she’ll have to navigate what this means for her marriage to fellow diplomat Hal (Rufus Sewell).

The Diplomat comes from Debora Cahn, who previously worked on television series such as The West Wing, Homeland, Grey’s Anatomy, and Fosse/Verdon and looks to be one of the best new Netflix shows of the year. When can you start watching and how many episodes are there?

What time is The Diplomat coming to Netflix?

Like all new Netflix movies and shows, The Diplomat will be released at 12 a.m. PT and 3 a.m. ET. The political drama premieres on the streaming service on Thursday, April 20. For more release times for the series based on time zones, check out our guide to what time Netflix drops new movies and shows around the world and look for your area.

How many episodes are in The Diplomat season 1?

Slightly breaking from the normal episode count for Netflix shows, The Diplomat’s first season contains eight episodes. While that’s not quite as long as a 10-episode season, each episode lasts for about 50 minutes in length. Fellow political drama The Recruit also had an eight-episode first season, while The Night Agent‘s first season contained 10 episodes.

Is The Diplomat a Netflix limited series?

Thankfully (or maybe not, depending on what kind of Netflix watcher you are), The Diplomat isn’t intended to be a limited series. That means, the storylines likely won’t be resolved by the end of the eighth episodes, so don’t be alarmed if you are left wanting more and begging Netflix for a second season. But rest assured, it’s not a limited series, and another season could be on the way.

Are you checking out The Diplomat on Netflix? The new series premieres Thursday, April 20 only on Netflix!