Are you reeling after the bewildering and duplicitous Season 2 cliffhanger of The Diplomat? First, not to worry, it’s already been renewed for Season 3. Second, we’ve rounded up some more shows to seize your attention until the Netflix political drama returns.
The series follows Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) as she unpreparedly takes on a big-shot new role as ambassador to the United Kingdom in the thick of an international emergency.
A little over a year after the first season premiered in April 2023, Season 2 picks up right after the explosive (literally) finale left off: the aftermath of the car bombing targeting conservative parliament member Merritt Grove (Simon Chandler) and threatening the life of Wyler’s husband Hal (Rufus Sewell). The rest of the season deals with the fallout of the tragedy, Kate’s fight to prove who was behind the deadly attack on the British warship in Season 1, whether to divorce her husband and if she wants to become the next VP of the United States. Whew.
Filming is already underway for Season 3, but are you longing for similar watches to stream in the meantime? Keep reading for 7 more series like The Diplomat to binge now.
WORST WIGS: Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, <em'The Americans. If anyone can pull off a horrendous wig, it’s Keri Russell. Matthew Rhys? Not so much. HONORABLE MENTIONS: Woody Harrelson, True Detective
Lena Dunham, Girls,’ “Role Play”
Reese Witherspoon,Wild
Corey Stoll, ‘The Strain.’ [Stream The Americans on Amazon Prime]Photo: FX/Everett Collection
If you loved watching Keri Russell in a political drama, great news, she starred in another one! The FX show The Americans follows Elizabeth (Russell) and Phillip Jennings (Matthew Rhys). The pair are a quintessential American couple with two children living in DC– except they’re actually KGB spies in an arranged marriage. Beginning during the inauguration of Ronald Reagan in 1981, the Jennings work to keep their identity a secret, navigate the genuine relationship forming between them and protect their children. There are six seasons of the completed show available making it the perfect next binge watch.
If you’re looking for another British thriller, The Night Manager on Prime Video is for you. Tom Hiddleston stars as Jonathon Pine, former British soldier turned luxury hotel night manager, enlisted to infiltrate the inner circle of a suspected arms dealer. Based on a novel by the same name, Pine must spy on the gang by becoming a criminal himself, all while keeping it all a secret from his girlfriend. The cast is absolutely stacked with beloved names including Olivia Colman, Elizabeth Debicki and Tom Hollander. Though originally releasing in 2016, Season 2 was announced to be in production this past summer, with a Season 3 also being greenlit.
If you enjoyed the steaminess of The Diplomat, try out the Max dark comedy The Regime. Albeit, the erotic scenes are a bit more bizarre. Kate Winslet is Elena Vernham: the fictional chancellor of an unmanned Central European country. The six episode miniseries follows a year inside the walls of the palace as Elena’s power and sanity crumbles. In her third series for Max, Winslet’s performance as the kinky and paranoid tyrant was hailed by many. Created by Succession writer Will Tracy, the series is so much more than the political satire that meets the eye.
If you want another nail-biting watch, check out Bodyguard. This Netflix show follows said bodyguard, David Budd (Richard Madden). Budd is a war veteran turned police sergeant assigned to protect a conservative politician (Keeley Hawes) whose views he greatly disapproves of. Budd fights to balance his responsibility to protect versus his own beliefs, while struggling with PTSD. With six paranoia-fueled episodes, Bodyguard will have you glued to your seat within the first 20 minutes.
Within this action-packed series, Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo) is recruited by the CIA as a lawyer, however, plans go awry when a former asset named Max Meladze (Laura Haddock) threatens to expose her long-term relationship with the agency unless she is freed from prison. As her long-term relationship with the CIA is slowly coming to the surface, Hendricks unexpectedly gets entangled in a massive international conflict, forcing him to embark on a dangerous mission that is extremely out of his comfort zone.
Looking to be captivated by the television? Slow Horses on Apple TV is another British spy thriller series bound to engross those who haven’t already seen it. M15 agents that screw up on the job get kicked to Slough House to live out the rest of their careers in exile under the direction of cynical Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman). Desperate to make it back to the top, agent River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) assembles the team of rejects to solve a crime. Based on a series of books, Slow Horses already has four seasons out to enjoy! Try not to become too obsessed with the theme song.
For another government-centered show, add Max limited series White House Plumbers to your watchlist. The historical dramedy examines the Watergate scandal from the satirical point of view of the saboteurs themselves. Exploring how they ended up where they did, E. Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson) and G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux) inadvertently oust the president through a string of reelection plots.
Claire Waheed is a recently graduated freelance writer currently based in Texas. She loves all things pop culture and new adventures.
