‘The Diplomat’ Season 4 review: Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell continue their diplomatic dance

For all who wished to spend more time with career diplomats, Kate (Keri Russell), the ambassador to the UK and her husband, Hal (Rufus Sewell), now the Vice-President of the United States, their prayers have been answered.

However, one must always be careful what one wishes for. While we spend more time with Kate and Hal, their fractious relationship seems stuck in a rut of suspicion, the long game and tearful apologies. Still, it is always nice to watch them riff off each other while wondering what is next for the Wylers.

The other couples in Season 4, US President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) and First Gentleman Todd (Bradley Whitford), and CIA London Station Chief Eidra (Ali Ahn) and Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in London, Stuart (Ato Essandoh), have their share of problems.

Todd is facing a crisis of confidence, and Grace’s solution of bundling him off to the UK as a special envoy does not make much sense and serves little purpose beyond getting under Kate’s feet.

Eidra and Stuart have to make time in their busy schedules to talk about their relationship, from who moves into whose house to what exactly to tell HR. They also have to decide which department will foot the bill for the modifications needed to make Stuart’s house worthy of all the secret spy stuff that is part of Eidra’s job.

While some plots are dragged on, including Todd’s special envoy status, others are picked up and dropped with unseemly haste. There is the assassination attempt at Windsor Castle, which is resolved off-camera, a staff member overhearing an attempt to blackmail a head of state and a major character death. None of these fairly important plot lines is given the screen time they require.

Kate’s relationship with Callum (Aidan Turner), the spy of all works, who seems involved in everything from negotiations to international affairs, seems to be in limbo even after she breaks things off and renews her vows with Hal.

The crisis caused by the Russian submarine carrying a doomsday weapon in UK territorial waters and the US stealing the weapon continues.

The UK Prime Minister, Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear), behaves erratically, seeing himself in a crown and ermine cloak and as the clown with the frown from Pagliacci’s famous opera. He also sees visions of his former campaign manager, Meg Roylin (Celia Imrie), who makes an awful screeching sound before disappearing. Bethan Vaughn (Jodie Whittaker) as the UK Prime Minister has a baptism by fire, while Robyn Palmer (Abigail Marlowe) is plucked from the wilderness of the Transport Ministry to be the Foreign Secretary.

The writing continues to be sharp, with Billie (Nana Mensah), the White House Chief of Staff, drily telling Kate, “The line has moved”, when Kate says, “It’s over the line.” The acting sparkles with Russell and Sewell slipping into their roles with practised ease. Janney is supremely watchable and leans into the antagonist’s role with gusto, even as she bites off great lines, including telling Hal, “You’ll be running a has-been super power who can’t seem to keep a President alive longer than a light bulb.”

The show’s last two episodes, set during the G7 summit in beautiful, sun-kissed Lucca, Italy, feature a supremely awkward dinner, a dramatic resignation and a walkout. As we follow Kate and company from one crisis to the next, there is a joy in looking at the lovely buildings and exquisite clothes, whether the sharp suits, the whispering gowns or the President’s severely structured luxurious blouses.

Incidentally, all who waited for a year (including this writer) wondering what Hal stood for, it is not Henry or Harold, but Harlan.

The Diplomat is currently streaming on Netflix