The Diplomat creator Debora Cahn has 'ideas for a long time' past season 3

Following the release of The Diplomat season 2 on Oct. 31, the Netflix original political thriller series shot straight to the peak of the daily top 10 most popular shows in the United States as expected. Keri Russell returns in her Emmy Award-nominated role as U.S. ambassador Kate Wyler as the aftermath of the car bombing brings new layers to the unfolding conspiracy.

Thankfully, The Diplomat was renewed for season 3 ahead of the season 2 release date, and the upcoming new season has already started filming. And to make matters even better for fans, season 3 will again contain eight episodes rather than six. The reduced episode count was a major point of criticism for fans who simply just wanted more of the story to enjoy.

Well then, it should make fans of The Diplomat even more excited to learn that series creator Debora Cahn has ideas for the series well beyond the upcoming third season. In fact, she has "ideas for a long, long time" as she tells The Hollywood Reporter, sharing that she envisions the show could continue well past season 3. Speaking for all viewers, we'll take it!

The Diplomat could continue beyond season 3

In the streaming era, shows that exceed four seasons or more are the exception not the rule. There was a time not too long ago when television series could be on the air for up to a decade. That doesn't happen as often anymore, though you can still find a small-screen favorite that will consistently produce episodes for at least six or seven seasons. But on streaming? Not so much.

Through that lens, it's exciting to hear that Cahn isn't thinking of ending The Diplomat after only season 3 or even season 4. Too many shows these days call it quits after three or four seasons, having produced less than 50 episodes. Compared to the past television output, that barely classifies as a television series. Clearly, Cahn wants the series to stick around.

Here's what Cahn told The Hollywood Reporter about the show's future:

"I know some of the way that the story could continue or end. There’s some of it that I don’t know. And, you know, to be completely honest, I have to say a lot of my favorite stuff was not in my plans in the very beginning. It’s great that what we see from the actors could be the inspiration for that or somebody else on the writing staff. I have ideas but I want them to be outdone, like just blown out of the water by something else that’s even better."

- Debora Cahn, creator

Even though she has ideas about how to possibly end the series, she has even more ideas about how to maintain the series for additional seasons to come. On top of that, as she told The Hollywood Reporter, she's keeping an open mind about not sticking to a specific plan for the series and letting the writer's rooms creativity take them to unexpected places. Cahn told the outlet that Allison Janney's cast helped inform the scope of Penn's storyline moving forward.

It's little things like that that allow a series to remain fresh and on top of their game without writing in a vacuum. Having a plan and an outline for a series is important, but staying open to possibilities, like new castings and the chemistry between actors, makes for some of the best surprises and even better television. Not to mention, it's not like politics are boring these days.

For now, Netflix has only renewed The Diplomat for season 3 and hasn't indicated its renewal status beyond that. But based on season 2's performance so far, it's looking likely that Kate Wyler will be putting out political fires for seasons to come. Stay tuned to Netflix Life for more of the latest news and updates on the series!

Watch The Diplomat only on Netflix.