Netflix’s The Diplomat just released its third season, and it’s already setting new records amid impressive reviews. The series tells the story of a U.S. ambassador to the UK, played by Keri Russell, whose mission is to solve problems around the world, all while dealing with cracks in her marriage.
Allison Janney joined The Diplomat season 2 as a guest star before being promoted to recurring status for the third season.
As of Thursday, October 16, The Diplomat season 3 is available to stream on Netflix. On the day of its release, the political thriller holds a perfect score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
To put this in perspective, the first season of The Diplomat has an 84% (with a rotten 59% audience score), while the score for the sophomore installment shot up to 96% (and a much improved audience reception of 84%).
This means The Diplomat season 3 is the first time that the series has had a perfect score with critics.
The Diplomat as a whole has an average Rotten Tomatoes score of 93%, with 72% of viewers approving of the show.
The Netflix drama keeps improving with each season, as indicated by the overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, and has earned multiple award nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (for Russell) at the Emmys, and Best Supporting Actress (for Janney) at the Golden Globes.
Janney’s addition to The Diplomat was met with a lot of excitement since she would be returning to a political series after starring as Press Secretary C.J. Cregg on The West Wing. This time around, though, she plays Vice President-turned President Grace Penn.
Anticipation for The Diplomat season 3 skyrocketed after it was announced that Bradley Whitford, Janney’s co-star on the seven-season drama The West Wing, would be joining the Netflix series as Penn’s husband, Todd.
While viewership numbers haven’t been revealed for the brand-new season, if the perfect Rotten Tomatoes score is any indication, then there’s a good chance that fans will be tuning in at record numbers for the series as well.
Any West Wing fans who haven’t watched The Diplomat yet might find themselves intrigued by Janney and Whitford’s involvement. This could lead to a spike in viewership.
The Diplomat season 4 is already in development, with filming beginning in November 2025. Both Janney and Whitford have been promoted to series regulars, which means they’ll share even more scenes next season.
With Janney and Whitford’s promotions, The Diplomat is the perfect West Wing replacement and a show that critics can’t get enough of.
Release Date
April 20, 2023
Network
Netflix
Showrunner
Debora Cahn
Keri Russell
Ambassador Kate Wyler
