'The Diplomat' review: Keri Russell stars in a series that captures the punch and wit of 'The West Wing'

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Apr 20

Nina Metz | Chicago Tribune

"The Diplomat" on Netflix stars Keri Russell as a newly installed U.S. ambassador to the U.K. She may be great in a crisis zone, but she has no patience for dressing up or standing on ceremony. She's a little like Sandra Bullock pre-makeover in "Miss Congeniality" — she's not the obvious choice for the post but she's sent to London anyway with instructions to nod solemnly and defuse a potential global conflict after a British aircraft carrier is bombed off the coast of Iran.

Along for the ride is her husband (played by Rufus Sewell), a former ambassador himself whose jaunty self-assurance and constant back-channel maneuverings tend to have a way of gumming things up for his more serious-minded spouse. He can't help inserting himself, despite her firm instructions that he not.

To get a sense of the show's tonal sensibility, it's worth looking to creator Debora Cahn's previous credits, namely "Homeland" and "The West Wing." She takes the best from both and jettisons all the stuff that doesn't work, namely "Homeland's" panicky Islamophobia and "The West Wing's" smug self-satisfaction.

Instead, Cahn homes in on the energy of those shows: The political strategizing, the walking-and-talking and low-key wit of it all. The writing has a real snap to it — it's fun — and if you've been experiencing "West Wing" withdrawals and and are pining for some sharp-elbowed banter among high achievers, Cahn lands on a less showy but far more enjoyable stylistic approach than Aaron Sorkin ever did.

Keri Russell, left, as Kate Wyler and Rufus Sewell as Hal Wyler in "The Diplomat." (Alex Bailey/Netflix/TNS)

She's also designed a show geared to a mass audience without dumbing it down. The series is extraordinarily smart, it understands the value of comedy within a dramatic context and it moves at a hell of a clip. This is a show about brains rather than brute force, and the playful intelligence of "The Good Wife" feels like another influence here as well.

Netflix has made this kind of programming one of its specialties ("The Night Agent" among others) but "The Diplomat" is the best in its class. It has a lot of prestige markers — from Russell as the show's lead to its halls-of-power setting — but "The Diplomat" also has general entertainment written all over it. If Netflix thinks it can't get big audiences with niche programming and needs to go broader, this is the way to do it. And the entire cast is sharp as a tack.

Kate Wyler (Russell) is frequently disheveled — there's a lot of offhand commentary about this — and rarely is her affect relaxed. When she does smile, it's a wry, ironic "I warned you about my husband" kind of look. That would be Hal Wyler (Sewell), chaos agent extraordinaire. When they touch down in London they're both greeted with the honorific "Ambassador Wyler," to which he faux modestly waves off: "Call me Hal, one ambassador is plenty." Kate can only roll her eyes. There's an undercurrent of tension between them, but also chemistry and humor. Their marriage is complicated and might be hanging on by a thread, but their sex scenes are legitimately sexy.

She's straightforward and walks around with her hands stuffed in her suit pockets. She doesn't waste time on small talk or dancing around the issues, she's there to do the work! Hal is straightforward too, but an opportunist who likes the thrill of plotting and deciphering whatever the hell is going on at any given moment. He's impossible. But also essential. Sewell's is the flashier role, but it doesn't overshadow what Russell is doing because she's never boring or a wet blanket. It's a terrific balancing act and both performances are pitched just right.

Turns out Kate wasn't sent to London because they thought she was right for the job. A small clique that includes the president (Michael McKean), the chief of staff (Nana Mensah) and Kate's own husband are planning a much bigger role for her down the line. The ambassadorship is just a testing ground — a vetting so the right people can kick the tires and sand off Kate's rougher edges.

She's the last to find out about this, but she has her hands full juggling an insecure British prime minister (Rory Kinnear) who is eager to bomb someone in retaliation in the hopes of injecting some machismo into his reputation. The British foreign secretary (David Gyasi) is quietly appalled by all of this, so he enlists Kate's help to pull the PM off the ledge — or at least placate his ego — before the man kicks off the next war.

Back at the embassy, Kate's No. 2 (Ato Essandoh) is doing his level best to keep her on track. Sometimes that means talking about her clothes, much to her annoyance. His sober-headed approach works in terrific contrast to the blunt-minded CIA station chief (Ali Ahn), who has a lot in common with Kate, personality-wise. Ahn adds all kinds of wry intensity that gives the role real punch.

"The Diplomat" is a show with a smile playing on its lips and it ends on a massive cliffhanger, which suggests all involved are confident Netflix will order another season.

I hope it does. The show is complicated in interesting ways, especially about the interpersonal bull inherent in jobs where everyone is striding around with a sense of importance. Sewell is British but his American accent is on-point and it's the role of a lifetime.

Next, he's slated to star in an upcoming Netflix drama playing Prince Andrew. He's far too good-looking to believably pull that off, so enjoy his work here while you can.

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'THE DIPLOMAT'

4 stars (out of 4)

Rating: TV-MA

How to watch: On Netflix