There is nothing extra disappointing than seeing the abilities of a charismatic display performer change into more and more subsumed by a sequence that solely scratches the floor of its potential. In Netflix’s The Diplomat, it’s Keri Russell who instructions our consideration in sometimes excellent kind. As the veteran diplomat Kate Wyler, Russell is the one holding the complete factor collectively whilst you possibly can see all of it beginning to come aside. This refers to each the narrative, which is outlined by a sequence of interconnected and escalating conflicts taking part in out on a global stage, in addition to the present writ massive that begins to tie itself into knots. The result’s a season that faucets into Russell’s skills simply sufficient to forestall it from being dismissed totally however can’t rise to her degree with sufficient consistency to essentially seize you over its eight episodes. For each grounded and harrowing growth it introduces, The Diplomat turns into a hole theatrical efficiency primarily based upon shaky dramatic developments that solely find yourself undercutting the strain it gave the impression to be going for.
The driving power of the story, at the least initially, is the sudden bombing of a British plane provider that leads to a number of casualties. Many are calling for blood in retaliation, regardless of not having any clear concept of who is definitely behind it. Kate, who has been planning to go to Afghanistan, is then made the brand new U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom the place she should diffuse this example so as to stop it from escalating additional and discover the actual perpetrator. She received’t be touring alone, as her smarmy husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) is coming alongside as properly. A former ambassador himself, he nonetheless has loads of connections that he seeks to make use of beneath the auspices of serving to his spouse navigate the disaster. As we come to comprehend, his supposed altruism is regularly used as a canopy for his personal intentions, which he retains secret from Kate. He isn’t even the one one withholding the reality from her; the explanation she’s been tasked with this typically stuffy but nonetheless vital place is definitely to dimension her up for a possible larger workplace. Ultimately, Kate must navigate the fragile alliances between the United States and the remainder of the world that appears to be on the point of yet one more conflict breaking out.
There is then a extra critical undercurrent to how this drama unfolds. Not solely is the continued conflict in Ukraine talked about all through, however Kate discusses one different previous battle at a number of factors. The Iraq War is one thing that she accurately holds up as being an instance of how these in authorities can’t solely fail to do their jobs however, truly, repeatedly inform a deceive justify actions that resulted within the deaths of tons of of hundreds in addition to a very destabilized area. It has lengthy been a difficulty that Hollywood has didn’t seize on display, however there’s at the least one thing approaching an acknowledgment in The Diplomat of this monumental destruction.
The challenge is that this all turns into nothing greater than lip service, as The Diplomat treats a lot of its story like a recreation. Any moments the place we’re imagined to take this narrative critically, observing the grim realities of how energy and violence are sometimes the only languages which might be spoken, change into much less compelling when the tone turns oddly flippant. In one key scene, Kate calls the bluff of one other character who’s clamoring for a army answer by giving them precisely what they need in an inventory of targets. It is a brash transfer that would have simply resulted in untold deaths and one thing a extra measured present would grapple with. Instead, The Diplomat simply throws it in for example of shock at how daring Kate is earlier than subsequently flitting away to the following disaster she must suppose her manner out of.
The core of this downside is that the sequence rests on a fantasy. No matter how bleak the challenges going through the world could also be and the way terrifying this trajectory turns into, all that’s wanted is a scrappy diplomat to shake issues up. If solely life and worldwide politics have been so simple as this overly neat depiction. For a lot of The Diplomat, there’s a willingness to associate with this gentle fluff that’s given extra gravitas by Russell. Getting to see her as Kate reducing by way of the nonsense is participating for a lot of the primary couple of episodes, however the sequence begins to put on skinny till the cracks start to kind. Just when she is ready to avert disaster in a single occasion, one other will take its place. Making issues worse is the declining state of her marriage. The expertise depends on a darker humor, on condition that the 2 wish to rip one another’s garments off in a single scene and tear every aside within the subsequent, nevertheless it lacks the boldness that reveals like Succession have in efficiently pulling off this tonal dance.
The back-and-forth Russell has with Sewell solely works sporadically on condition that the latter actor appears content material to play the character with an air of detachment that lessens the influence he carries. When Hal is caught up in one thing dire on the finish of 1 episode, it will get resolved nearly instantly so he can get again to creating snide observations across the edges of the story. This is clearly meant to be juxtaposed with the stakes of all the things else taking part in out, nevertheless it doesn’t have the identical heft as simply seeing Russell’s Kate command the display. There isn’t any must fill time exterior of her, however there’s nonetheless a scattering of subplots from numerous different bureaucratic characters which by no means join regardless of how a lot time we spend with them.
Through all of this noise, Russell nonetheless manages to seek out some solution to carry emotion out of the clunky story. Her character might simply carry a number of seasons of the present and, barring cancelation, following what’s a transparent cliffhanger on this one, there’s nonetheless room for the present to develop within the potential journey forward. One simply needs that The Diplomat was sharper and extra tactful on this first season as, regardless of Russell’s robust central efficiency, it’s constructed upon a home of playing cards that threatens to break down beneath even the slightest little bit of scrutiny.
Rating: C+
The Diplomat premieres April 20 on Netflix.