The Diplomat season 3 release date, time, cast, and what to expect

It's time to get back in the saddle for more political drama with Kate Wyler in The Diplomat, and that's exactly what she's going to get in season 3. In the second season, Keri Russell's character sure went through the ringer as she delved further into the conspiracy revolving around the attack on a British naval ship. She comes up with answers that make the matter far more worse.

As the second season revealed (spoiler warning!), Kate discovered that Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) was involved in orchestrating the attack. Penn gave Margaret Roylin the idea to hire Lenkov to fire at the ship, which clearly backfired and didn't produce the indended purpose. Now, she fears for the future of her career, as Kate settles into her desire to fight for the vice presidency.

However, that's not the only shocker that arrived in The Diplomat season 2 finale. When Hal shared the news about Penn's role in the attack with President Rayburn, the POTUS had a heart attack and died. Suddenly, Penn rose to the highest seat of power in the United States. We'll be picking up with the story following that shocker, but when does season 3 drop on Netflix?

When is The Diplomat season 3 release date on Netflix?

The Diplomat season 3 begins streaming on Netflix on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 3 a.m. ET / midnight PT. Before you start complaining that there has been a long wait for season 3, Netflix set the season 3 release date about a week shy of one year after season 2's release. Sure, that's kind of a long time to wait for a series with less than 10 episodes, but it's nowhere close to the two or three year long waits for some streaming shows. Plus, we also already know that season 4 is on the way, too!

How many episodes are there in The Diplomat season 3?

Unlike the second season, which only contained six episodes, The Diplomat season 3 returns to the precedent set by the first season and contains eight episodes. When season 2 dropped and featured two fewer episodes than the season prior, fans weren't happy to have less of the show to enjoy. Some wondered whether the Hollywood labor strikes reduced the episode count, but having fewer episodes was by design. Debora Cahn, the series' creator, explained that she felt season 2 only needed six episodes to tell the story she wanted, and that ultimately kept the season tight.

Who's starring in season 3 with Keri Russell?

Obviously, Emmy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Keri Russell returns in the series' leading role of the titular diplomat Kate Wyler, whose job might be more complicated than ever after the events of season 2. The rest of the main cast remains unchanged, though Janney's role as President Penn increases from a guest role to recurring status.

Janney's The West Wing costar Bradley Whitford also joins the cast of The Diplomat season 3 in a recurring role as Penn's husband Todd Penn. Like Janney, Whitford's role will also increase to series regular beginning with season 4. Poldark and Rivals star Aidan Turner will be seen in season 3 as the recurring guest starring character Callum Ellis, but no details have been revealed about his character.

Take a closer look at the main players in season 3:

• Keri Russell as Kate Wyler
• Rufus Sewell as Hal Wyler
• David Gyasi as Austin Dennison
• Ali Ahn as Eidra Park
• Ato Essandoh as Stuart Hayford
• Allison Janney as President Grace Penn
• Rory Kinnear as British Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge

What to expect from The Diplomat in season 3

From the second season 3 begins, we can fully expected to be immediately immersed in the chaos of Penn becoming the President of the United States. While we as viewers know all of the information, many of the characters will be piecing together exactly what happened to Rayburn. Penn in particular is in a tricky spot with Kate and Hal, who might be keeping their enemies closer this season.

The Diplomat season 3 has also teased a stranger relationship between Kate and Penn's husband Todd, though she also maintains a friendship that's difficult to pin down with Dennison. Not to mention, Kate might also be tempted by another male character as teased in the trailer, but we'll get to that in a moment. The political ramifications of the season 2 finale are top priority.

We're still inching toward the question about what's going to happen with the vice presidency. As the synopsis shared by Netflix's press release teases, Kate "lives the particular nightmare" that comes with "getting what you want." Does that mean she becomes the veep? Surely, it can't be that easy, and with Penn in charge, all bets are off about what comes next. Check out the full synopsis:

"In season 3 of The Diplomat, Ambassador Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) lives the particular nightmare that is getting what you want. She just accused Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) of hatching a terrorist plot and admitted she’s after the VP’s job. But now the President is dead, Kate’s husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) may have inadvertently killed him, and Grace Penn is leader of the free world. None of this slows Hal’s campaign to land Kate the vice presidency. Kate steps into a role she never wanted, with a freedom she never expected, an increasingly complicated friendship with Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi), and an unnerving bond with First Gentleman Todd Penn (Bradley Whitford)."

Is there a trailer for season 3?

Yes! While Netflix had long teased season 3 with teasers, the streamer finally dropped the full official trailer and gave viewers the best preview of the new season so far. The Diplomat will deal with last season's cliffhanger head-on as the transition of power creates tension in every corner of the world. Meanwhile, the government appears to fear an attack under Penn's presidency, and her decision making could be part of the problem. Also, is that Kate having an affair with Aidan Turner's character Callum Ellis? There's lots of intrigue in store for season 3!