Am a HUGE Keri Russell AND Rufus Sewell fan. Both starred in two of the all time great streaming series. Russell in "The Americans" and Sewell in "The Man in the High Castle." This will not be a review of either. Have written at length about both in a couple Facebook groups during the dark days of the useless Covid lockdowns.
This will be a takedown of "The Diplomat."
Due to the nature of these reviews, and there won't be any which do not encourage the watching of the series, "The Diplomat" is recommended for the "Whaddya Wanna Watch?" queue.
Be forewarned.
The series is written with the requirement the brain be in the OFF position. The script is as thin as a politician's excuse. The performances, save for a handful of the secondary characters (Ato Essandoh is particularly good as a British aide-de-camp), fall flatter than NPR's translation of panhandling as "pledge." And if the pacing went any slower the show would go back in time.
But, and here is the signature But, ya won't be able to stop watching. "The Diplomat" is akin to a Manhattan cocktail made with an expensive bourbon and fine French vermouth. More than a few have entered your bloodstream before you realize how happy and how drunk you are.
And make me another.
The episodes go down easy. There's no plot to get in the way of the show. No reason to work your way through a complicated structure. No guessing which non-existent sub-arc is actually the main arc.
Nope.
Just stay on the couch; sip the libation; and enjoy the next episode.
Netflix