🤐 SPOILER ALERT 🤐 

By Episode 5 of the political drama The Diplomat, another world war seems imminent. Russia has attacked the UK by bombing a warship — and by doing so, also taunted the US. One little misstep in how the situation is handled and it could get nuclear.

In the new series from creator Debora Cahn (The West Wing, Homeland), the delicate puppet strings of foreign policy are tested as the British and American delegations duck into a Kent countryside estate, Chevening House, to hash out their approach to Russia, Iran and each other. 

But bombshell disagreements come to light, turning the talks into a verbal war  — especially after Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) drops by. 

First of all, what’s going on with Kate and Hal’s relationship?

Despite the steamy scene between US ambassador to the UK Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) and her foreign diplomat husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) at the end of Episode 4, they’re still heading toward divorce. Kate clearly just had an itch she needed scratched, and she thanks Hal for obliging. But she says it doesn’t change the “fundamental non-viability” of their marriage, admitting it was selfish.

Hal is, however, being seriously un-Hal. He’s going out of his way to take a backseat and sit on the sidelines as his wife does the work. It’s almost like he’d actually be OK without his trademark meddling. But with Hal, you never know his intentions.   

What about Eidra and Stuart’s romance?

The two tough cookies — Deputy Chief of Mission Stuart Hayford (Ato Essandoh) and CIA Station Chief Eidra Park (Ali Ahn) — are still very much together. Though their stolen moments in the workplace are rare, we see them sharing breakfast together at Eidra’s place, with things going so well that Stuart suggests they get a dog together. But Eidra thinks he’d be a nervous parent, even to a fish. 

Back to business: What are they going to do about Russia bombing the warship?

Ahead of the US Secretary of State Miguel Ganon’s (Miguel Sandoval) arrival the next day, the two nations’ delegations meet to strategize how the foreign policy talks will go. 

Hayford tells Kate that the agenda is simple and straightforward: coding the three-step plan as “hug, pivot, bear.” That is, start by reinforcing the tight union between the US and UK (hug), steering blame away from Iran (pivot) and then finally, figure out what to do about Russia (bear). The one big caveat: the US cannot apologize to Iran for the false blame.  

How do the Brits feel about Kate?

Kate is immediately embraced by the British delegation. Her confidante, Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi), says that they see her as a “dogcatcher” — a label she approves of — because she “leashed the dogs of war.” 

As the only woman at the table, Kate struggles to settle into the chair, which is noted and called out for being “structural inequity in the plainest sense” since the furniture isn’t designed for the female body. A cushion is offered to her and they move on.

How does the first item on the agenda — the UK-US relationship — go?

Dennison asks to switch around the agenda items so that they can start with Iran. That’s when it’s clear: the UK wants to publicly exonerate Iran, and they want to do it quickly and loudly. Stuart reminds Kate there can’t be an apology.

At this point, we still don’t know what killed the Iranian ambassador in Dennison’s office. The group theorizes, even suggesting he was poisoned by his tea. But Kate reminds them that the symptoms started before he took a sip — accidentally revealing that she was secretly in the room. Dennison forces them to take a break to scold Kate — it’s an unusual faux pas from her. She doesn’t think anyone caught on.

But there’s more: Kate finds out that the real reason the “hug” was moved to the final position is that the UK no longer wants to be tangled up with the US. “It might be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be its friend is fatal,” Dennison says. Kate is in disbelief about the breakup.

Who’s the surprise guest at the meeting?

After a bit of rustling, it’s announced that Trowbridge is in the area and is dropping by. Arriving alone in a red convertible, he’s strictly business. But he wants Russia first on the agenda — and can’t believe they haven’t even talked about it yet. He decides he’s going to sit in for the day.

How does Dennison feel about Trowbridge?

Everyone has a role to play during the talks, especially Dennison. On the surface, he agrees with Trowbridge, admitting to Kate that he sometimes has to serve as a “voice box.” But off-the-record, he asks Kate for help.

They head back into the discussion and Trowbridge is laying Russia on the line, hard. Though there are some traces of intelligence from India and Romania, it’s not enough to taunt a nuclear power. 

Dennison grows impatient and hasty, and Kate steps in to make Trowbridge feel he’s in control. It works, but he takes off for lunch and gives them 20 minutes — and no food — to draft a response to Russia.

So what’s Hal doing this whole time?

When they first arrived at Chevening, the foreign secretary introduced them to Cecilia Dennison (T’Nia Miller). She’s rebellious and sassy in a way that Hal is immediately drawn toward. Cecilia volunteers to give him a tour of the grounds. Clearly, she’s been reined in since there’s an approved list of what she’s allowed to do. 

She and Hal set off on their journey, touring the grounds while playing Forehead Detective (basically Heads Up). Needless to say, things quickly get flirty.

Wait, so he’s flirting with the foreign secretary’s wife?

Plot twist! Hal comes back from his fun and games and tells Kate that it turns out Cecilia is Dennison’s sister, not wife. After a suicide attempt, Dennison keeps a watchful eye on her. Hal also tells Kate that Dennison’s wife died two years ago, suggesting his own soon-to-be-ex-wife hook up with him. “If I leave, you’ll need a little something on the side, or you’ll get surly, which is bad for America,” he says.

Hal goes back to Cecilia and they plot a wine-and-weed-smoking picnic with bird-watching as their cover. Soon enough, Hal’s skinny dipping in a murky pond and luring Cecilia to join him. 

They kiss and she wants to go all the way, but he says he can’t since his “machinery” is “tragically devoted” to his wife and won’t function with anyone else.

He admits it all to Kate, and tells her that he’s doing all he can to prove that he won’t always meddle — in fact, he didn’t say a word when Trowbridge asked him about Russia. But Kate says the whole “docile” approach isn’t the answer. 

So, what’s the plan for dealing with Russia?

Kate’s used to handling things on her own, but Stuart reminds her that she has an entire team at her disposal. Reluctantly, she delegates tasks and they come up with a list of accusations against Russia that, taken together, will look like a “fire hose” of blame. Trowbridge doesn’t like it. He wants to go big, like with a military blockade that reenacts the Siege of Leningrad.

Eidra calls Stuart, first sharing that the Iranian ambassador’s official cause of death was a heart attack, but more alarmingly saying that the Department of Defense got a request from Kate for a list of Russian targets that they feel comfortable bombing.

Back in the meeting, Kate is using what seems to be a very daring strategy, flat-out saying to Trowbridge, “It sounds like you want to bomb something.” Sliding the list his way, she asks, “Why don't you pick one and we’ll blow something up?” — as we zoom out on that (potentially literal) bombshell. 

The Diplomat Season 1 TrailerInternational affairs meet personal affairs. London's newest diplomat has arrived.

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