The Diplomat (2023)

Thanks to the fine writing and the obligatory scenes in which someone lays out just what’s happening for our benefit, we can keep up with the dizzying array of dramatic developments. ... [Keri Russell] returns to the international thriller game in fine fashion in this series set in the present day, delivering a knockout performance as a no-nonsense and seasoned diplomat.

“The Diplomat” makes a meal out of blending political parlance with office melodrama. It talks a big game — and backs it up.

The Diplomat isn't perfect — it's not directed in a way that will garner much attention, and some of the plotting is a tad predictable — but the show is more than captivating for eight episodes. In fact, the main draw here is that the show is tightly scripted, well acted, and doesn't overstay its welcome.

The pleasure of The Diplomat, Netflix’s zippy new geopolitical drama, is how enticingly it ties together tropes and tricks from shows gone by, a TV bouquet that’s undeniably familiar and yet still seems fresh.

The Diplomat is pacy, involving and surprisingly charming.

After a slightly turgid opening episode, The Diplomat becomes a hugely enjoyable ride and, while Russell rules the show, everyone around her is a brilliant addition and support.

It’s intelligent and soapy and loopy all at once, a show of many influences that nonetheless walks at its own weird gait.

The series is a tough nut to crack at first, and many will find that exterior completely impenetrable. This is not a 1.5x speed background watch. But once you remember that every line in an esoteric drama like this isn’t supposed to make sense the moment it falls out of someone’s mouth, The Diplomat transforms from palatable to remarkable.

The Diplomat knows what it is (even if it’s a bit more ambitious thematically, and has a stronger overall cast than many of its guy-centric counterparts) and how to deliver the best possible version of that.

Russell and Sewell are worth the price of admission, and if you treat The Diplomat as the story of a really screwed up marriage, rather than a tale of international intrigue, you’ll come away pleased.

Intertwining the dueling demands of idealism and pragmatism with the equally pressing interpersonal dynamics that inevitably shape realpolitik outcomes. It makes for a rich stew of international intrigue and rolled-up-sleeves diplomatic finagling, all held together by a talented ensemble.

The pace is crisp; the acting is fine, striking a balance between dramatic immersion and wink-and-nudge rom-com. I went with it, binged all eight episodes of Season 1, and didn’t hate myself afterward (except until the very end of the final episode, with its three cliffhangers, none of which makes the slightest bit of sense).

A political thriller laced with romance and written, with some success, in an Aaron Sorkinesque high-comic, high-velocity style. ... Russell is not as funny as the show needs her to be. ... Luckily for “The Diplomat,” Sewell has no trouble getting in touch with his inner Barrymore, and he walks away with the show.

“The Diplomat” loses a bit of its luster every time Russell and Sewell are kept apart too long, which becomes a more glaring issue when the international crisis reaches its climax in the final two episodes. Even so, I can’t help rooting for a second season of ”The Diplomat,” which ends with a satisfyingly twist and game-changing, if emotionally manipulative cliffhanger. As long as you go into your next binge looking for a series more akin to “Scandal” than “Bodyguard,” you’re in for an entertaining ride.

It’s an extremely talky show. ... Luckily, the creators hired an ensemble of performers to make this kind of intellectual discourse genuine. So even as “The Diplomat” circles the same drains of dissent and diplomacy, it remains interesting for anyone intrigued by what makes the political world tick.