Netflix The Diplomat season 1 recap guide: All episodes explained

The Diplomat episode 3 recap: “Lambs in the Dark”

“Lambs in the Dark” begins seconds after Hal just revealed that Kate is in consideration to become the next Vice President of the United States. Kate is obviously frustrated by the stuff Hal just pulled, but she puts it behind her to try to help fix this situation. She fills the President in that it’s not Iran, and she tries to convince him that he can’t stand next to the Prime Minister and make a big show of support when the Prime Minister is stoking fear and threatening war.

Dennison and Kate meet before the President and Prime Minister and negotiate the terms of the meetings, and they decide that the President and Prime Minister can dine together alone.

Then, they wait while the President and the Prime Minister dine, and Hal, Billie, and Stuart give Kate the lowdown on why the Vice President is leaving and why she’s being considered. The VP “misplaced” a $6.3 million grant. Whoops!

Eidra fills Stuart in on Kate’s phone call to the woman, Carole Langetti, a person who Kate used to work with, who tracked Hal’s phone call via a GCHQ. The Brits are wondering why that happened, and Eidra needs to speak with Kate to make sure that they follow the chain of command with this delicate intel and relationship with the US and UK. Stuart and Kate have a nice little conversation about what Stuart knew and when, while Kate is eating pistachios outside in the most aggressive way I’ve seen on TV maybe ever. It’s great!

Eidra and Kate speak about the CIA and MI6 relationship, and how they share intelligence. When Eidra pushes back, Kate shares that she doesn’t trust Hal and that hiding something wasn’t about her. It was merely about Hal.

While the President and Prime Minister are eating, Billie reveals that Iran has moved infantry to the coast in case there’s the threat of war.

Eidra grills Hal about his intelligence, but Kate keeps interrupting. They are insufferable at times! Eidra says she could use less time together with Kate and Hal. Eidra makes Hal write down everything that was said when he was abducted and in his conversation with Shahin to avert an international crisis and so the CIA can vet him. Eidra apologizes to Kate.

During the lunch, the President just promised to send a carrier group of ships into the gulf to save the carrier that’s supposedly sinking, but Dennison reveals that it is, in fact, not sinking. Dennison and Kate meet privately in the garden without anyone around.

Dennison reveals “the house is on fire,” and now, Trowbridge lured a US strike force into the gulf, which will look like a possible preparation for war. Aside from all the political stuff, there’s chemistry here between Dennison and Kate, and it’s getting better.

Kate and Eidra try to explain to Billie that the Prime Minister is messing with the US and trying to bring them into the fray. They want to reach out to Iran directly and give up Shahin, but Kate gives an epic speech to stop the “infinitely ravenous American” from tearing the spiderweb of allyship.

Billie and Stuart, then, give Kate the pitch on Vice President. They think Kate would help keep the President on track, and she’s maybe going to do it? We’ll have to wait and see!

Kate learns Hal has known about this plan for a month, and she’s been betrayed again. They go on a big walk around the grounds, and Kate learns how this all went down. Then, the conversation moves into their relationship, which has been simmering for about three episodes. Hal agreed to the divorce a month before all of this happened, but he admits that he didn’t really think this was over. Then, Kate beats him up in the garden!

Kate tries to resign after meeting with the President about Iran and why the US can’t send ships into the gulf. She calls out the President for worrying he’s too old and frail, and she eventually wins, but the President tells her to “sack up.”

Kate wins! But she also kind of loses because she’s still stuck in this position with a manipulative husband and an international crisis that doesn’t seem to be getting better.

On to episode 4!

Written by Bryce Olin