Now streaming on Netflix
Ambassador Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) wanted a meaningful job in Kabul. She got the big splashy one in London. And the fog hit the fan. Created by Debora Cahn (The West Wing, Homeland), The Diplomat is a feast for your political intrigue cravings (especially if you like a little scandal on the side). Alongside her executive producing partners, Janice Williams and Russell, Cahn has crafted a cross-pollination of Aaron Sorkin and Shonda Rhimes but made it distinctively hers. Going forward this brand of heated exchanges, long walks down the halls of power, women running the show, acerbic witticism, and spicy machinations could be called the Kahn-style. And that’s what makes The Diplomat so satisfying. That and the cast. Russell is world-weary, utterly effective, and hilariously unvarnished. Which makes her pairing with her work-husband, Rufus Sewell so juicy. Sewell plays a well-meaning egomaniac, which sets off plot bombs from the start. While Ato Essandoh is impeccable, incredulous, and endearing in the classic role of Alfred to Russell’s Batman. Other standouts include David Gyasi as a romance hero-in-waiting, Ali Ahn as the intelligence agent who is us—only tougher, Michael McKean as the grumpy old president who’s so much more, Rory Kinnear as a prickly Prime Minister, and Nana Mensah as a “queenmaker.” There is more to say but we’ll talk about that on next week’s show. Until then, you can get into The Diplomat right now on Netflix. Just try not to inhale it too fast—it’s a bit of a headrush.
Originally posted on the Geek Girl Riot podcast on idobi.com
