*Warning - contains full spoilers for all eight episodes of The Diplomat season 4.*
The full fourth season of The Diplomat is now available to stream on Netflix, and once again it takes fans on quite the ride, with more twists than ever.
Across just six episodes this season, we saw the President get shot, Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison get killed in a helicopter crash, Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge resign and get replaced by new character, Bethan Vaughan - and that's before we get to the final instalment.
Episode 8 saw Hal and Kate trying to avert disaster on the world stage while attending the G7 with Grace Penn and her husband, Todd. It all led up to a stunning cliffhanger, one which will leave viewers screaming at the screen to find out what happens next.
But what do we know about the potential for more episodes? Has the series already been renewed? And what can we expect from the story, when everything has been so dramatically upended?
Read on for everything you need to know about The Diplomat season 5.
Will there be The Diplomat season 5?
We don't yet know whether there will be a fifth season of The Diplomat - but after that season 4 finale cliffhanger, we certainly need one.
The show's third and fourth seasons were renewed ahead of the series prior debuting, but this time around we have not yet had word on the future of the series ahead of season 4 arriving. We would hope that we will hear more in the coming weeks, now that the episodes are available to stream.
Previously, while speaking with ScreenRant, the show's creator Debora Cahn was asked about the future of the series, the potential for a season 5, and whether a writers' room is already at work.
She told the publication: "You can ask, but I can't answer."
This means that the show's future is left up in the air for now, but we will make sure to update this page once we have any news.
When could a potential The Diplomat season 5 be released?
The Diplomat has so far been an exceptionally reliable and frequent series, with seasons 2, 3 and 4 all arriving in October of consecutive years. Given this, we might imagine that an October 2027 release could be on the cards for a potential fifth season.
However, it should be noted that season 2, the only season of the show not to have been ordered before the preceding one was released, took a little longer to be produced.
That season arrived a year and a half after season 1, which was released in April 2023. Given that season 5 has not (that we know of) been ordered ahead of time, we might therefore suggest that an early 2028 release date might be more likely.
We will keep this page updated with any more concrete news as and when we get it.
What would happen in a potential The Diplomat season 5
We don't yet know what would happen in a fifth season of The Diplomat, and given the way season 4 ended, it seems harder than ever to predict where the plot is going.
The season 4 finale saw Kate, Billie and Miguel all resign their posts publicly at the G7, humiliating President Grace Penn who had begun to act erratically, and threaten the alliance between the US and the UK, while also risking war with Russia.
In the final moments of the episode, it appeared as though Hal had done the same, resigning as Vice President, although we didn't actually see him do this. He was then set to speak to press cameras waiting at the gates.
Given that Stuart had also lost his job at the station in London, and Nicol Trowbridge also resigned as Prime Minister midway through the season, this means we would be starting a potential fifth season with the vast majority of our central characters now out of a job.
The question also has to be asked about how long Grace could remain in post, given her stunning humiliation at the hands of her own staff. If Hal didn't formally resign, but simply expressed his solidarity with Kate, Billie and Miguel, could we perhaps see Grace fall on her sword and Hal becoming President? If so, what role would Kate play as First Lady? And would the show still have London as its base?
All of these questions and more remain unanswered at this point, but hopefully new episodes will soon get confirmed and, eventually, shed some light.
Who would return to star in a potential The Diplomat season 5?
The cast for The Diplomat season 5 has yet to be confirmed, given that the show hasn't been officially renewed at this point.
If it were to return, then we would certainly expect Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell to be back as Kate and Hal Wyler.
Ato Essandoh, Ali Ahn, Nana Mensah, Miguel Sandoval, Bradley Whitford and Allison Janney would all also seem to be likely returnees, as would newcomer to the series, Jodie Whittaker.
Less likely to return is Rory Kinnear, whose character, Nicol Trowbridge, resigned as Prime Minister midway through the season - although he could, of course, return, given the secrets he holds and the potential he has to do damage to both Kate and the US administration.
Meanwhile, David Gyasi's time on the series as Austin Dennison seems to be over, after his character was killed off screen in a helicopter crash in season 4.
Here's a list of the cast members we would expect to return in a season 5 of The Diplomat:
- Keri Russell as Kate Wyler
- Rufus Sewell as Hal Wyler
- Ato Essandoh as Stuart Hayford
- Ali Ahn as Eidra Park
- Nana Mensah as Billie Appiah
- Jodie Whittaker as Bethan Vaughan
- Miguel Sandoval as Miguel Ganon
- Bradley Whitford as Todd Penn
- Allison Janney as Grace Penn
Is there a trailer for The Diplomat season 5?
As The Diplomat hasn't yet been renewed for a fifth season, there isn't a trailer available for that run yet. We will make sure to keep this page updated if and when any new footage is released.
In the meantime you can rewatch the season 4 trailer here.
View Green Video on the source websiteThe Diplomat is available to watch on Netflix. You can sign up to Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky TV and Virgin Media.
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