The Diplomat sings by doubling down on its goofiness

Humor has always been a part of this Netflix hit, which darkly mines laughs from Kate and Hal’s (Rufus Sewell) marital woes. Series creator Debora Cahn (The West Wing, Homeland) wields it as a tool to diffuse the tension of political conflicts as well. But as evidenced by its opening installment, season three doubles down on goofiness. The Diplomat is as ridiculous as it is compelling, with pivotal turns landing in the same melodramatic vein as Scandal, Madam Secretary, and Designated Survivor. While it boasts a prestige-TV sheen thanks to its pedigree, the series actually operates as a tightly packaged network drama, relying on familiar beats to keep the action moving. In this case, there’s no time to mourn President Rayburn (Michael McKean), considering Hal and Stuart (Ato Essandoh) are busy pitching Kate as the new VP, Grace is worrying about the optics of being in a different country, and devoted White House staffers are struggling to manage the situation from afar. Even the final “Emperor Dead” twist—Grace chooses Hal as the VP instead of Kate, as they look on in stunned silence—screams soapy, not serious. 

This curveball adds to The Diplomat‘s enjoyability factor. The show uses the Wylers’ latest strife to elevate its theatrics (probably to the disappointment of those hoping for a more earnest take on the subject matter, as seen in Russell’s previous hit, The Americans). Kate’s disdain for Grace’s decision is written all over her face. So even when Hal promises she won’t be stuck as the Second Lady and makes a bid for her to be a Special Envoy to Europe, she doesn’t bite. By the end of episode two, Kate abandons her husband at the tarmac when he’s leaving for Washington, D.C., opting to remain a diplomat in London and launching a “secret divorce” with him. This kicks off a new level of toxic back-and-forths between them that’s reminiscent of Scandal‘s Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) and Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn), two people who often found themselves on opposing ends but couldn’t stay away from each other either.

In Shonda Rhimes’ series, Olivia and Fitz’s juicy affair launched plenty of ludicrous arcs. (He went to war for her and sent an old military pal to spy on Liv, while she rigged an election for him and later became the campaign manager for his ex-wife.) Scandal stopped caring about any grounded, nuanced political stories as it went on to spin in circles around the ruckus their romance caused. Accepting this made it easier to put logic aside to buy into Rhimes’ increasingly wild plotting. Here, too, suspending rationale is key to enjoying inane storylines that tie the crisis of the moment to Kate and Hal’s relationship status. The Diplomat joins a lineup of shows that make little sense but are entertaining because of it, including Apple TV’s Hijack and Netflix’s The Night Agent.

Season three ups the ante by putting physical distance between the pair, leading to Kate kissing Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi) after two seasons’ worth of buildup. Then, a five-month time jump reveals she’s secretly banging the British spy who’s informing her about a nuclear weapon. This complex triangle gives The Diplomat further ammunition for soapy hijinks. And they aren’t the only turbulent couple dialing up unnecessary drama. After welcoming TWW‘s Janney, Cahn reunites with Bradley Whitford, who plays the exasperated First Gentleman. And boy does he hate the close bond his wife and her new VP have formed. He assumes they’re sleeping with each other when, in reality, they’ve stolen a weapon from Russia. Kate puts two and two together, immediately regretting her decision to reunite with Hal in the finale. And with both couples barreling toward doom, it looks like The Diplomat has teed up an even sillier fourth season.