The Diplomat scores a season 5 renewal at Netflix
Netflix is sticking with its explosive political thriller after season four, ordering another series — and eyeing even more to come.
If you've been following The Diplomat over on Netflix – the one with Keri Russell navigating disasters both personal and political – you probably suspected a renewal was on the cards. Well, it didn't take long: the streaming giant has officially handed the show a season 5, and I can't say anyone should be shocked after its reliably strong debut numbers for season 4.
Season 4 clocked up 4.8 million views in its first week, staying right in step with the third season.
What's in store next?
Netflix hardly let the latest season settle in before greenlighting more, so the appetite's clearly still there. As for how long the story keeps going – even the creator doesn't know for sure. Debora Cahn, who's the brains behind the show, has a rough outline for where she wants things to end up, but apparently, she's not married to any specific plan.
She told Deadline she wants The Diplomat to be "a living document, a living organism" – the gist is, if she and her writers discover somewhere more exciting for the characters to go, she'll follow that lead rather than sticking rigidly to her original pitch.
Cast and Season 4 Snapshot
The cast for season 4 is the same team that keeps viewers coming back: Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell, Ato Essandoh, Ali Ahn, Nana Mensah, and Rory Kinnear, plus a bit of star power from Bradley Whitford and Allison Janney. If you haven't caught up, here's the basic set-up for the most recent series – and I warn you, it's not exactly a fairytale for anyone involved.
- Keri Russell is Kate Wyler, still desperately trying to stop her marriage and the US-UK alliance from completely collapsing.
- Rufus Sewell is Hal Wyler, now Vice President and, along with Allison Janney's President Grace Penn, apparently getting mixed up in some grand conspiracy involving Russia's deadliest weapon.
- Bradley Whitford joins as Todd Penn, paired up with Kate in what the show itself describes, rather generously, as an "uneasy alliance".
- Basically, everyone's scheming, everyone's in danger, and the marriages are even more toxic than the geopolitics.
Four cast members are Emmy nominees, and at this point the show itself has racked up more than a few nods – including Golden Globes, AFI, and even a SAG Award. Executive producing, in case you keep score of such things, are Debora Cahn, Janice Williams, Keri Russell, Alex Graves, Peter Noah, and Eli Attie.
So if you thought things might finally calm down after all of the season 4 upheaval, no chance: more chaos is already locked in for at least one more series.