5 questions we need answered in The Diplomat season 5

Warning: This post contains spoilers from The Diplomat season 4 from this point forward.

Once again, The Diplomat has left us positively speechless with its latest season. The Netflix original political thriller, which just landed its first Emmy Award win for Allison Janney's performance in season 3, continues to get better and better. The fourth season definitely ranks as the show's best season yet, especially with the cliffhanger ending that left us breathless.

In The Diplomat season 4, Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) swam upstream against the knowledge of Grace (Allison Janney) and Hal (Rufus Sewell) stealing the Poseidon weapon from Russia and the impossible situations it thrusts on her plate. Kate's forced to confront the loyalty she feels toward her husband versus the administration she works for versus the country she represents.

While Netflix hasn't renewed The Diplomat season 5 as of this writing on Oct. 19, the show's critical and commercial success is paving the way for Debora Cahn's thriller to return to answer all of our questions—and we have a lot of them! From Hal's true allegiance to Kate's future as an ambassador, these are the loose ends we're hoping to see tied up next season.

Did Hal also leave the Penn administration?

Throughout The Diplomat season 4, Grace's behavior and decision-making after her assassination attempt continues to be called into question, which all leads up to the final sequence of the season. During the G7 conference, Grace addresses her allies regarding the situation with the warships, an assertion of dominance Kate can longer stand behind. She publicly resigns from her position.

After she walks out of the building, she's closely followed by Billie and Ganon, who each follow her lead and resign from the administration. They're surprised to find Hal walking toward them next, and Kate sets up an address for him with the awaiting press. But does this mean that Hal also resigned from his position as Vice President, or was he sent out for damage control by Grace?

Look, we have to consider all options here. Hal doesn't say anything to Kate or the press. The season ends before he gives his remarks to the press, which means any option could be on the table. Obviously, the best option would be that he's also resigned, which would be an impeachment process would likely begin for President Penn. Let's hope Hal has finally come to his senses.

Will Kate face any repercussions for her actions?

Naturally, Kate made multiple enemies in season 4 thanks to being beholden to Grace's demands. She used blackmail to essentially force the Prime Minister out of office (not her intention), she lied to President Penn about serving a threat to the new Prime Minister, and she basically did whatever she needed to do to find the best diplomatic option for the administration.

But will she have to face the music in season 5 about any decision she made, forced or otherwise? There are a lot of people who know the truth about the decisions she made. Does she have a path forward to continuing her career as an ambassador, or did she defect from Grace too late? It's unclear what Kate could be held accountable for, but no doubt more sticky situations await.

Will Kate help Stuart get his job back?

Another unfortunate victim of President Penn's spiral of power in The Diplomat season 4 was Stuart. When he learned the truth about, well, everything, but especially Grace's plan that essentially could be the match that ignites a massive war, he writes a dissent cable. Inevitably, word of his letter of dissent gets back to Grace, who has him recalled from his position back to Washington D.C.

President Penn recalling Stuart and silencing his dissent isn't a move that's legal, but she felt no other option but steamrolling anyone in her path (if we're looking to find a shred of empathy for her state of mind). Hopefully, if things can move forward in a positive way with all of the resignations from the administration, Kate will be able to get Stuart back on their team full time.

Does Trowbridge have plans to return?

The Diplomat season 4 had something of a casting shakeup that we didn't see coming. Early on in the season, Prime Minister Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) revealed that his foreign secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi) was killed in a helicopter accident. Shortly after this reveal, Kate has her now infamous meeting with Trowbridge, which evolves into Trowbridge publicly announcing his resignation.

After resigning in episode 4, Trowbridge doesn't appear again in season 4 as he's replaced by Bethan Vaughn (Jodie Whittaker) as Prime Minister. But isn't it weird that Trowbridge would go out so silently? He's keeping some big secrets about President Penn. Perhaps he could become an unlikely ally for Kate and the team, unless he has something more like revenge on the mind.

Is Hal being positioned to become the president?

Since The Diplomat season 4 ended with Hal walking out on President Penn, the assumption here is that he's siding with Kate, Billie, and Ganon. Throughout the season, Kate pushes him to think more consciously about the possibility of becoming the President of the United States. When he was the Acting President after Grace's shooting, he simply kept doing her bidding.

But when given the chance to think outside of Grace's plans and the loyalty he feels he needs to show her, Hal thinks much more rationally and aligns with Kate's viewpoints. He felt pulled between Kate and Grace all season long, and that brought him to a make a decision between them. Yes, he walked out of the G7 conference, but we still don't know why or what he decided.

Still, we have to wonder if the series is leading toward Hal rising to hold office after Grace. It's honestly not the best optics that the series had a woman president and she was shown to make erratic and dangerous decisions, and her best option for replacement is a man. If we're keeping it real, President Kate Wyler, should she be up to the task, has a real ring to it, doesn't it?

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