As a fan of Homeland, the Americans, Madam Secretary, etc., I was really excited about this show, and it truly met and surpassed my expectations! Of course, Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell are both incredible performers, with the repartee between their characters being delightful. And, the entire cast was really strong, with every character playing an intricate part in this political soap opera. There is intelligent writing, witty dialogue, and while not a perfect show, it is a strong contender in the political thriller genre.
And, with Season 2 being announced recently, I am excited to see what comes next for this story. No spoilers, but the ending is quite dramatic and sets up a nice build for the future.
Season 1 was amazing, hopefully this wasn't it.
Endings on cliffhangers suck :)
This is, in my opinion, a very good political thriller with a brilliant cast. Loved this first season, can't wait for the next season.
Are we sure this was from Netflix ? maybe they steal it from another streaming platform. Excellent show.
Only 8 episodes for season 1... it's not enough. this show was an interesting political "thriller", and I hope season 2 is quick to arrive.
I'm all for strong women and lead characters. And Kate obviously is intelligent, very experienced and knowledgeable.
So why in hell is this show, made by two women, portraying this character as some emotional and irrational wreck whenever Hal or Austin are involved?
She immediately expects the worst, rarely listens when they express their motivation and her first instinct always is to run first and then to follow up with some drama.
Or in other words: Everything you could possibly do wrong as a diplomat.
This series began so strong and there is still lots to like but this part is increasingly ruining my experience.
Bit of a mixed bag here. I wouldn't call it a serious political thriller, but it was quirky and reasonably entertaining once you suspend disbelief. Always good to see RS. :D
What a season finale!!
Great show, great cast.
Got bogged down around episode 7, but then picked up again. Can't wait for a 2nd season
9/10
And there was me thinking that the US couldn't do satire without it being a total cringe-fest. This show is a gem. Even the farce is well measured. Bravo!
This was beyond fantastic. Of course, it has Keri Russell so the fantastic is almost guaranteed. But man, I was prepared for a slow kind of political drama and I got flipping dirty talking diplomat Kate Wyler who's pretty much my hero and crush all in one. I don't know if I want to kiss her or be her.
The rest of the casting was incredible. The pacing is steady and fast. The whole thing was just smart and fascinating. Sign me up for MORE.
Brilliant. Looking forward to Season 2
Extremely good series's. Lot's of intriguing twists and turns. Politics is definitely a dirty business. Looking forward to season 2. Well worth a watch :thumbsup_tone1:
I watched two episodes and it just doesn’t do anything. I’m puzzled seeing the high reviews and praising comments…. The story is very poor and difficult to go with. Acting is so so.
I had great expectations for this show but was left disappointed. It didn’t seem to go anywhere, I didn’t like any of the characters and the over use of bad language, in my opinion, was over the top and unnecessary.
Great writing and fantastic actors. The chemistry between the actors is perfect. I love the drama but I didn't expect how much humor would be in it. Really good.
Great show! Reminds me of the the beginning of Homeland mixed with The Americans.
If there are any slow-thinking, half-witted, simple-minded folks looking for a slow-paced show, this is it - NOT!! This is Madam Secretary meets Scandal meets Grey's Anatomy. This is a well-written, fast-moving, Rubic's cube of politics with a spot on marriage in the middle.
From one episode to the next, you can't tell who's zooming who. Ms. Russell & Mr. Sewell do a fantastic job in their roles as both political players & marriage partners....or political partners & marriage players. All the cast members do very well in their roles & are convincing in their interpretations of their characters' behavior in their jobs. Great work by all.
I waited late to start this series - all episodes had been released. I'm glad I did. I was able to binge watch this show with Häagen-Dazs ice cream, relaxing in my recliner. Too brilliant of a show not to have a Season 2....or 3 & 4!!
Absolutely incredible show! Brilliant writing and cast, can't wait for season 2!
Amazing show. Well worth a watch. And the fact they didn’t push the gay agenda is a massive plus.
I think Netflix might be coming back
I love politics TV series, and this is really really well written. The character of Katherine Wyler is not the usual female politician stereotype that wants to take revenge on male colleagues. Rather she incarnate what a politician should be, both female or male. And the playing of Keri Russell is really magnificent, as well as her counterpart asshole Rufus Sewell. Really enjoyable show.
It's hilarious that the actor who plays the British PM was also the British PM that fucks a pig on national TV in the first episode of Black Mirror.
Netflix has managed to make the switch from Teen TV to a better Apple TV for adults. First Beef and now this. The best shows 2023.
This has been EXCEPTIONAL!
I wished we had diplomats and politicians who are just 10% as competent as they are!
I love them ALL. Can't remember when I last said this about any show. Acting, characters and writing are from another planet! (which reminds me that the worst show this year also was from NF - this is the exact opposite of The Nights Agent/Failure)
Excellent first season! I have never found Keri Russell to be interesting and generally avoid her stuff, but boy did she redeem herself in this show! She's absolutely awesome in this show and it's much more satirical that I thought it would be, much to my pleasure.
Given the company that makes this show and the fact that it's a political show already, I'm anticipating some serious agendas in our future but I hope not - Netflix has said they are trying to steer away from that after hemorrhaging millions of users because of it so I hope they keep their promise. Just keep our entertainment as entertainment.
Bit childish at times but brilliant otherwise
Keri is hot. She brings a sexuality with her into any riole she plays. She smoulders in this series aginst Rufus Sewell. Damn.
But she is never a thing, a prop, She'll have me. Not the other way around,
And all this before the drama....
[Netflix] Returning to the tone of series like "West Wing", it manages to keep the attention through the agile dialogues and the interactions between the characters. But above all it uses the marriage in constant crisis of the protagonists as a narrative structure. The relationship between the two is marked by negotiations, and sometimes also by betrayals, in a kind of bedroom diplomacy. Building the main character as a person who has a hard time dealing with dress protocols in a more public environment than she is used to, works in favor of a series that uses clever humor.
If I learned anything from Alex Garland’s Men (2022) it’s that you should never ever trust Roy Kinnear. I’m sure he’s a great guy in real life but still- very untrustworthy fella.
I haven't seen it idk I'm jusr trying the comments out
She was great in 'The Americans' and I love her in this too! Not quite as sophisticated as 'The Americans', which I highly recommend for anyone who hasn't seen that series.
This is cool but way far from Homeland about thriller and way far from Borgen about politics.
Slick, interesting. Absolutely no chemistry between the various romantic pairs, which makes the obligatory sex scenes embarrassing to watch. all I could think of was how much they must be hating this. Me, too.
Finally a new season of Madam Secretary :sunglasses:
Review by Mike ShawVIP EP 2BlockedParent2023-04-23T02:39:07Z— updated 2024-03-03T09:19:57Z
The Diplomat is an absolute triumph of storytelling. Debora Cahn's brilliant political thriller incorporates the best elements of her most high-profile TV work to date, mixing the relentless pacing of Homeland, the complex relationship portrayals of Grey's Anatomy, and the resolutely smart dialogue & sky-high audience expectations of the Sorkin years of The West Wing. Throw that into a brew along with a flawless cast and you get a show that is nigh impossible to stop watching mid-binge.
Keri Russell's return to TV after her iconic run on The Americans does not disappoint. Here she portrays yet another strong, brilliant woman in a position of power but this time she's out of the shadows and on the most public of stages. She deftly shifts between a rigidly formal diplomatic persona and her foul-mouthed, cutthroat private life, sometimes in the space of a couple of sentences, yet her humanity shines through. She grapples with imposter syndrome as she's thrust into an unexpectedly high profile position, but never loses sight of her strengths. She knows that she can stand toe-to-toe with her legendary-in-diplomatic-circles husband. (In fact, she warns her new colleagues that she's the only one who can help them decode or resist his charms.)
Watching their sometimes partnership / sometimes rivalry unfold across the 8 episodes is mesmerizing as both she & Rufus Sewell mercilessly chew up every scene. They're both preternatural acting talents who are used to stealing the camera from other actors, and their slow circling of each other is like a dance with words. Sewell shines as the other Ambassador in their marriage who's grappling with a crumbling relationship that he wants to save, but doesn't seem to know whether it's because he loves his wife or if she offers him a new pathway to power.
The overarching mystery of the series blends seamlessly with the evolution of their relationship, with neither feeling forced or unrealistic. And the area where so many shows can falter - the supporting roles - is yet another where this one rises above expectations. All of the secondary players shine, with the only ding against the series being the underutilization of Jess Chanliau's Ronnie. But, then again, the hallmark of the series seems to be making sure that you always want to see more. Here's hoping that we get to see more of Ronnie in (a hoped-for) season 2.