The Diplomat season 2 release date, time, trailer, and more

The Diplomat season 2 is coming to Netflix very soon!

In October 2024, Netflix also just shared the full trailer for the new season, and it looks like it's going to be another amazing series for the political thriller.

We shared everything we know about The Diplomat season 2 so far!

The Diplomat season 2 release date and time

On Aug. 8, 2024, Netflix announced The Diplomat season 2 will debut on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. You can start watching the new episodes at 12:00 a.m. PT /3 a.m. ET on Halloween and be done with the whole season well before the trick or treating starts. I call that a win in my book!

There are 6 episodes in The Diplomat season 2

The Diplomat season 2 is a bit shorter than the first season of the series, which consisted of eight episodes.

There will only be six episodes in The Diplomat season 2. It's going to go quick, but you can bet the new season is going to be action-packed!

You will get to watch all six episodes of The Diplomat season 2 on Oct. 31. Netflix is not splitting the season in two parts like they did with Outer Banks season 4 or Emily in Paris season 4, so don't worry about that!

The show's creator Debora Cahn teased of the second installment: “Season 1 ended with Kate’s (Keri Russell) realization that the attack on a British warship [that] brought her to the UK wasn’t the work of a hostile nation — it was the British prime minister. Now she has to prove it.”

We have more good news about The Diplomat to share! Netflix has already renewed The Diplomat for a third season. According to What's on Netflix, The Diplomat has already been renewed for season 3 on Netflix, as well.

Season 2 cast

Returning to lead the cast in the starring role, Emmy Award-nominee Keri Russell will once again be playing the iconic Kate Wyler. For her performance in the first season, Russell landed a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. What an impressive feat!

Netflix confirmed a few cast members would return in The Diplomat season 2, but there are a few others with their fate up in the air. Here's the full cast as we know it currently:

• Keri Russell as Kate Wyler
• Rufus Sewell as Hal Wyler
• David Gyasi as Austin Dennison
• Ali Ahn as Eidra Park
• Rory Kinnear as Nicol Trowbridge
• Ato Essandoh as Stuart Heyford
• Nana Mensah as Billie Appiah
• Celia Imrie as Margaret Roylin
• Michael McKean as President William Rayburn
• Allison Janney as Vice President Grace Penn

On Jan. 25, Netflix announced that Academy Award winner Allison Janney had joined the season 2 cast and that she'll guest-starring in the role of Vice President Grace Penn. You might recognize Janney from her other roles in I, Tonya, The West Wing, and Mom.

Season 1 ending explained

At the end of the first season, Kate and Dennison realized that Nicol Trowbridge is actually the one responsible for the attack on the British aircraft carrier. He hired Lenkov to pull off the attack to likely unite the United Kingdom under the banner of a cause with an important election looming.

Just after they realize what’s happening, Hal was on his way to meet with a person who claimed to have important information, Merritt Grove. Stuart tried to intervene, and Meritt got spooked, so he fled to his car, which blows up when he gets close to it. Who ordered the car bomb? We don’t know yet, but it appears to be connected to Margaret Roylin and possibly Nicol Trowbridge.

This will likely be the focus of the second season.

What to expect in season 2

According to TV Line, The Diplomat season 2 will pick up immediately after the events of the first season. There will not be a time jump or anything like that. It’s all happening right where the first season ends. The source told TV Line that The Diplomat “has a really compressed timeline. Something like three weeks pass in Season 1. So it makes sense that Season 2 would start moments later.”

Here’s what Cahn has said about season 2:

"“I wanted to bring together all of the different dynamics of the political relationships and the personal relationships in one event that splits apart all at the same time.”"

- Cahn

We should see the fallout of the explosion and Dennison and Kate learning that Trowbridge was involved. The trio of Kate, Hal, and Dennison now have to navigate corruption, attempted murder, and even bigger problems involving the US-UK relationship. It will be really interesting what this means for Kate and Hal, Kate and Dennison, and the potential for more intriguing plot points in the future.

Along with the release date announcement, Cahn also shared about the second season:

"Kate’s colleagues and her almost-ex-husband (Rufus Sewell) are victims of a politically motivated attack in London that takes some lives and shatters the rest. The marriage she thought was over, the relationship she thought was beginning … all of it, in pieces."

- Cahn

The Diplomat season 2 trailer and teaser

So far, we've seen two good looks at The Diplomat season 2, a teaser and a full trailer.

Last month, the official teaser confirmed the return and fate of several characters, incluidng Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell) and Stuart Heyford (Ato Essandoh).

While we don't know the full story, it does appear that Hal Wyler lives! Hal and Kate walk up the stairs to some fancy, important event. It's clearly after the events of the season 1 finale, and it introduces fans to a new character in the second season, Vice President Grace Penn, played by Allison Janney. It's epic!

In addition to the reveal, Sewell has been listed as part of the main cast since season 2 was announced. He was spotted filming scenes of season 2, so we knew that he would be involved in some capacity. We just didn't know that he was going to actually make it out of the car bombing alive.

As for Stuart Heyford, played by Eto Assandoh, we don't know if his character lived or died as a result of the car bombing. Netflix released new images of some of the characters in The Diplomat season 2, including Kate and Hal Wyler, Grace Penn, and Eidra Graham (Ali Ahn). There is an image of Stuart Heyford in that batch of images, too! And, he looks, well, not very happy!

On Tuesday, Oct. 8, Netflix shared the full trailer for The Diplomat season 2! It's a great look at the action coming in the new season.

Based on the trailer, things pick up immediately after the car bombing in London. Prime Minister Trowbridge believes adamantly that it was the Russians, but Kate and the gang aren't so sure. In fact, they think that the attack was actually planned by people within the British government.

We also see a little bit more about Kate's relationship with Dennison. They were about to hook up, as she admits to her very alive husband.

Then, we get another closer look at Vice President Grace Penn, played by Allison Janney. And, if the clip is to be believed, it looks like she knows that Kate is in the running to be the next Vice President.

The countdown for The Diplomat season 2 begins now! Check back with us at Netflix Life for more updates.