The Diplomat-Season 3

I was disappointed. Because I wanted it to be more.

There was a point in the third or so episode where I was marveling over what a good show it was, especially the nuances and emotions between Kate and Hal. It made me think of "The Sopranos," which had all the family relationships right.

But then "The Diplomat" got caught up in fantastical plot lines, whereas "The Sopranos"... Tony was always a secondary mob guy, owning his own turf, king of his own turf, but the situations and issues he found himself in were relatively small time, they were believable, whereas the situations in "The Diplomat"...

Maybe the show should have ended. That's a tough call, to blow the whistle when reception is still good, when everybody is on a high.

Now the machinations between Hal and Grace, whether he is deserving of the vice presidency, are well done. He's uncontrollable, at times a hothead, always convinced he is right. And then there's Bradley Whitford as Grace's husband...he doesn't ring true, but some of his insights are spot-on. Who is looking out for Grace? Would the end result of decisions be that she is squeezed out of the presidency? And his jealousy re the relationship between Grace and Hal...when people have no portfolio, they build scenarios in their heads. And the interactions between Grace and Whitford's Todd are pretty damn good...when they roll around on the bed, when they discuss issues.

But those issues...

The show is carried by Keri Russell. Who gives an amazing performance. She can be two-faced, just like a politician, turning on the charm to impress when she doesn't feel it inside.

And then there's Trowbridge as the PM... I like him, he's a bit of an idiot, but he's got a good tuning fork, he can catch the vibe...most of the time, anyway, but...

The whole concept of America blowing up a British aircraft carrier with forty-odd men onboard... They should have left that plot point in the rearview mirror. But they kept focused on it, and then more and more plot was added on that you just couldn't take seriously.

Which every person in this show takes their job, seriously.

But in 2025, we see politicians as doofuses. And we watch and see the endless negotiations, the hand-wringing in this series, when we feel we could come up with an answer in seconds. Sure, a lot hangs in the balance, but the decisions are belabored, especially over the consequences, and is this what politicians and diplomats do, always focus on soft issues... I mean it's never black and white, they're worrying about the effects and...

If this were real life, and these issues were in play, there would be more edge.

Then again, these international issues rarely come up. We've got the aircraft carrier, the Russian sub, what next, an astronaut lost in space?

Being a diplomat, even an ambassador, is usually boring. But a lot of stories can be derived from everyday life. Then the series would have been more believable.

And why exactly did Kate decide to "separate" from Hal, and why exactly did she decide to get back together? Not enough backstory, not enough facts were laid down, these decisions seemed surface, rather arbitrary, whereas Carmela's relationship with Tony? Her contemplation whether to stay or go? It was very nuanced.

As for Kate's relationship with Callum... This guy radiates no sexual energy, what exactly is the attraction? He's smart, but not suave, not charismatic.

So they keep laying logs on the plot, wrenching up the supposed tension to the point where you start to disengage, you're watching to see what happens, but you're no longer involved. Whereas in previous seasons, with much less at stake plot-wise, you were.

You might say I'm nitpicking, however...

In what world is good good enough? It's hard to make a show as good as "The Diplomat," why not try to make it even better, one of the great shows of all time, why not wrestle over the action such that it is realistic as opposed to a big screen plot-driven film? Series are all about the characters, the small stories, that's where the focus should be.

As for tone...

"House of Cards" could be funny, yet serious. The plot lines were believable. And Kevin Spacey as the president took his job more seriously than everybody in this show, he knew what was at stake, you could feel it, it was palpable. Whereas in "The Diplomat" everybody's impressed with themselves, saying LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT MY TITLE AND MY POWER! Power emanates from the inside. And at times Keri/Kate gets it right, but...

Multiple times the president's inner circle is stymied, they've been debating an issue ad infinitum, and then Keri comes up with an idea to save the day. Why didn't she come up with the idea earlier? I mean this is their territory, they work in it every day. It's just not believable that when everybody is flummoxed, long after a decision has been made, that she will suddenly gain insight none of them have and save the day like Spanky in the "Little Rascals."

Now let me be clear, "The Diplomat" is light years better than most of today's series. Kudos. You don't have to dumb yourself down to watch it. But instead of continuing to walk the razor's edge, they jumped down into mass market with endless unbelievable twists and all the gravitas, never mind believability, is excised.

It's hard to get it right. To keep your vision and not compromise.

Try.

P.S. We are now watching "The Asset." A lot less money was thrown at the screen, but it is gripping in a way that "The Diplomat" is not. At times "The Diplomat" is uber-serious, then it's bozos playing at politics. The visceral quality of "The Asset" hits right between your eyes. The Danish (along with the Israelis) are known for making the best television. Watch this and you can see why.


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