Why ‘The Diplomat’ Season 2 Is Shorter Than Season 1
The Diplomat Season 2 is almost here but with fewer episodes than season 1. Sure, Keri Russell’s Kate Wyler will still have plenty to navigate in the TV show‘s shortened season. But why the change? It came down to the creator of the Netflix political drama. Spoiler: It’s not a permanent change.
Creator Debora Cahn decided season 2 should be shorter: ‘It was a time thing’
Speaking to TVLine, the creator of The Diplomat, Debora Cahn, explained why season 2 is shorter than season 1, clocking in at six episodes rather than eight. The reason, she explained, was all her.
“It was my decision,” she said, noting the people at Netflix weren’t exactly thrilled. “[Netflix] was not happy” because “they wanted the full eight [episodes].” It wasn’t a creative choice due to the storyline but rather how Cahn felt about there not being “enough time” to make eight episodes happen.
“I was really tired,” she said with a laugh. Going on to describe it as “a time thing,” Cahn recalled how “it felt like there wasn’t enough time to turn around eight of them. It was a lot to do in what appeared to be a short period of time.”
Cahn went on to explain the time between The Diplomat Seasons 1 and 2 was originally intended to be shorter than the 18 months it became. “Had we known it was going to be a year and a half before we got back on the air,” she said, “it would’ve been different.”
‘The Diplomat’ Season 3 won’t be shorter
Not to worry, fans of The Diplomat. The next season, which Netflix has already green-lit ahead of season 2’s release, will follow season 1’s structure. That means approximately two more hours of adventures with Kate and company across eight episodes instead of six.
Meanwhile, Cahn and the cast and crew are already working on The Diplomat Season 3. Production is underway in London, England, and New York, Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria confirmed at the Bloomberg Screentime Conference in early October 2024, per Variety.
A release date for season 3 has yet to be announced—it’s still early, after all. But if it follows the timeline of seasons 1 and 2, fans could be watching the third installment around April 2026, three years after the show’s debut.
‘The Diplomat’ Season 2 begins streaming on Halloween
Following a big cliffhanger in the season 1 finale, Kate’s back on Oct. 31, 2024, when The Diplomat Season 2 premieres. The trailer’s already answered some lingering questions, like, Is her husband, Hal, played by Rufus Sewell, alive?
But, as viewers know, many more remain surrounding the details behind the attack that landed Kate in London. What’s next? Who can she trust? Those are questions Russell’s character will wrestle with in the new installment.
She’ll also face off against United States Vice President Grace Penn, played by Oscar-winner Allison Janney. Penn offered some unfiltered thoughts on Kate’s wardrobe in a sneak peek, seen above.
