'The Diplomat' Ending Explained: An explosive finale for the lady in red

Can anyone really have a happy ending in ‘The Diplomat’ season finale? Or does it all burn down?
PUBLISHED APR 20, 2023
Kate Wyler in the season finale for 'The Diplomat' (Netflix)
Kate Wyler in the season finale for 'The Diplomat' (Netflix)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: If you are a fan of political dramas, then 'The Diplomat' has probably already made it to your Netflix watchlist. However, if that isn’t the case, don’t wait any longer, because 'The Diplomat' deserves your attention even if you aren't a fan of the genre. After a mixed bag of episodes, 'The Diplomat' finally ends with Episode 8, and there’s plenty to look forward to in this episode. Although one must be warned, this episode is most definitely a nail-biter!

It doesn’t matter who your favorite character in 'The Diplomat' has been so far because this episode is bound to change that. Things continue getting worse for Kate Wyler as her personal and professional life faces several challenges in 'The Diplomat', but the stakes are significantly higher in the season finale, and rightfully so! There have been several questions on everyone’s mind after the previous episode, and 'The Diplomat' Episode 8 is going to make your head spin a little more — in a good way, of course.

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Kate and Austin make their way to Paris

In the previous episode of 'The Diplomat,' we witnessed an unlikely yet eventful meeting between Kate Wyler and the Russian ambassador, which led to Kate having the location and time to zero in and find Lenkov and possibly plan an arrest. 'The Diplomat' Episode 8 deals with the conclusion of the "international incident" that started it all in the first place. Everyone has had their own guesses about who the culprit is, and this season finale does manage to answer a few burning questions.

Episode 8 takes us to multiple locations, but Kate and Austin make their way to Paris. Hal is clearly affected by this trip, and in order to cheer him up in some way, Kate offers he makes a speech on her behalf, which no one thinks is a good idea, but if Kate deems it appropriate, it must happen. Hal’s speech at Chatham House was one of the main highlights of 'The Diplomat' as a whole. His moving speech also leads to a Tory MP wanting to have drinks with Hal later, and when Hal tells his wife about it, she is bewildered and angry.

There’s no doubt that Kate has a lot on her plate, more than usual in fact, but she tries her best to balance it out. She even puts on a red gown, which is very unlike her. But cinematically and in relation to everything that goes down in the finale, it is almost symbolic, apart from being a great fashion choice.

How does 'The Diplomat' end?

Kate’s big moment is ruined in Paris when she finds out that what should have initially been an arrest, was signed off to be an assassination. The British were hell-bent on having Lenkov turn up dead, and there is no way an arrest will be enough for them. By this point, the hints are getting glaringly large about the culprit and their intentions. After Austin finally catches up with Kate on a cold Paris night, they both try and understand why Trowbridge would want Lenkov dead, because that would never lead them to the person who hired him.

If you guessed it before Austin and Kate did, major props to you! The realization dawns upon them that it might have been Trowbridge behind it all, and the more you think about it in regard to the previous episodes, the more sense it makes. While Kate and Austin are still reeling from this realization, Hal and Hayford are on their way to approach the Tory MP, Merritt Grove. There's a huge explosion as Grove opens his car door, and the casualties are unknown.

'The Diplomat' Episode 8 ends with Kate possibly learning about this explosion as tears fall down her cheeks. 'The Diplomat' has an open ending of sorts, leaving plenty of room for another season to tie up loose ends. Everyone knew Hal and Kate’s relationship was reaching the end of its tether, but no one expected it to blow up like this, no pun intended!

Kate Wyler in 'The Diplomat' episode 8 (Netflix)
Kate Wyler in 'The Diplomat' episode 8 (Netflix)

You can stream 'The Diplomat' exclusively on Netflix from April 20, 2023

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