The Diplomat

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[twitter]u

Anonymous wrote:I liked this show when it was first on Netflix, and am glad that they have finally put up another season…but the gap between Season 1 & 2 has been SO long that I don’t recall the characters and their connections/back stories. That is pretty aggravating.

This is, to me, is one of the drawback on the way most interesting shows are launched these days. Happens to me with most shows.

Not that hard to go back and re-watch the first season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nothing about this show makes sense.

Here’s what they should have done:

1. Made Kate look at least as good as the moms at a DC private school or Big Law. Her suits and blouses are good, but she needs to wash her hair and wear makeup (think: a fresh Bobbi Brown face).

2. Play up the heat between Kate and her sexy husband. ICYMI: most women watching this show think that actor is hot. And plenty of us have angry sex with our partners…even when we can’t stand them…and it’s still hot.

3. Zero chance the hot black Brit would be attracted to greasy/frizzy no butt pantsuit lady. None. You can’t have that storyline unless you style Kate.

4. The Asian lady needs more lines. And they need to make her even more of a smartass and more fun (with dry humor).

5. You know a show is way too complicated when you can’t remember any of the names of the characters. And I can’t follow what the PM has done—or allegedly done. It’s a mess.

6. They need more outdoors/background shots. American viewers want to see the foreign cities and cool scenery…especially when there aren’t any fashionable clothes on the screen.

I’m the one who said the Night Agent was better. They checked all the right boxes after starting with a simple premise with plot twists.

Such a missed opportunity.

I'm worried for your cognitive health...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kerri is looking anorexic these days.

Wrong. She’s thin and always has been. So sick of the thin-shamers.

Have a cookie.

Omg. You can tell by how her legs look that girl works out. She looks fit and healthy.

[Anonymous]

I like her. She’s real. I’ve known ambassadors like her

However the plot is way too far fetched!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just started season 2. I think the problem with Hal and her is that they both are and want to be powerful independent people so they are in each others way but love keeps them tethered

I would say the conflict is desire for power [Hal] v responsibility to serve [Kate] and
Moral flexibility [Hal] v rigidity [Kate].

It’s not that Hal wants to do bad things, but he very much wants to be the one doing the good things, and he’s much more open to the ends justifying the means. Meanwhile, Kate may find the prospect of serving as VP somewhat enticing, but she’d really be just as happy contributing to the greater good in whatever capacity flows to her.

I think there is only one thing we actually know about Hal's motivation and that is that he is crazy about Kate and wants to stay married to her. Everything else is her interpretation and commentary on what he does, and I guess we are just supposed to take that as we are spoon-fed? What about his Chatham House speech? He is only in it for power? What about Kabul? I don't understand her bitterness - if he really negotiated a one-day delay of the Taliban, a lot more than 300 people got out because of it. Even sending his speech to Billie could have been about wanting to not cause controversy in the midst of the vetting. Etc. Etc.

Assuming Kate is all good and Hal isn't is simplistic.

[Anonymous]

A dash of The Americans
A generous spoonful of House of Cards
A pinch or two of West Wing
A hint of something else vaguely familiar (not quite Downtown, maybe vaguely Remains of the Day?)

Anyway, I’d like more than six episodes a season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Season 2 is great. I LOVE that Keri looks like a typical civil servant. She’s intelligent, witty, and knows how to work the system. She looks showered. Her hair isn’t coiffed. I’m so sick of the female newscaster look.

It's not just not coiffed, it's not brushed.

[Anonymous]

Just finished season 2. Is it the best show? No. But watchable and kept me interested. Loved trowbridge (very humorous character and portrayal). Keri is a good actress despite some iffy writing. Allison Janney was a treat. However, I am definitely tired of the relationship plot line between CIA lady and tall guy. I don’t care if you get back together!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just started season 2. I think the problem with Hal and her is that they both are and want to be powerful independent people so they are in each others way but love keeps them tethered

I would say the conflict is desire for power [Hal] v responsibility to serve [Kate] and
Moral flexibility [Hal] v rigidity [Kate].

It’s not that Hal wants to do bad things, but he very much wants to be the one doing the good things, and he’s much more open to the ends justifying the means. Meanwhile, Kate may find the prospect of serving as VP somewhat enticing, but she’d really be just as happy contributing to the greater good in whatever capacity flows to her.

I think there is only one thing we actually know about Hal's motivation and that is that he is crazy about Kate and wants to stay married to her. Everything else is her interpretation and commentary on what he does, and I guess we are just supposed to take that as we are spoon-fed? What about his Chatham House speech? He is only in it for power? What about Kabul? I don't understand her bitterness - if he really negotiated a one-day delay of the Taliban, a lot more than 300 people got out because of it. Even sending his speech to Billie could have been about wanting to not cause controversy in the midst of the vetting. Etc. Etc.

Assuming Kate is all good and Hal isn't is simplistic.

I agree that take is simplistic. It's more that their personalities clash in the workplace and since they have the same workplace, it gets dicey at times. There isn't 100% trust between spouses, because Kate thinks Hal sometimes has ulterior motives of personal advancement (whether true or not).

In the end I think while dramatized for the screen, it's a more honest picture of a relationship. The romantic, always-there-for-me-no-matter-what relationship rarely happens. Here it's "I will take your shoes off for you because you nearly died and you can't do it yourself, but short of that, I reserve the right to walk all over you when I feel it's important" kind of relationship. A lot more realistic, to be honest! All the relationships I know, including my own, are in the second group. Down to the "Not sure if I want to divorce" bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just started season 2. I think the problem with Hal and her is that they both are and want to be powerful independent people so they are in each others way but love keeps them tethered

I would say the conflict is desire for power [Hal] v responsibility to serve [Kate] and
Moral flexibility [Hal] v rigidity [Kate].

It’s not that Hal wants to do bad things, but he very much wants to be the one doing the good things, and he’s much more open to the ends justifying the means. Meanwhile, Kate may find the prospect of serving as VP somewhat enticing, but she’d really be just as happy contributing to the greater good in whatever capacity flows to her.

I think there is only one thing we actually know about Hal's motivation and that is that he is crazy about Kate and wants to stay married to her. Everything else is her interpretation and commentary on what he does, and I guess we are just supposed to take that as we are spoon-fed? What about his Chatham House speech? He is only in it for power? What about Kabul? I don't understand her bitterness - if he really negotiated a one-day delay of the Taliban, a lot more than 300 people got out because of it. Even sending his speech to Billie could have been about wanting to not cause controversy in the midst of the vetting. Etc. Etc.

Assuming Kate is all good and Hal isn't is simplistic.

That wasn’t the take. You bolded four words and ignored all other content and context.

Now that people are done watching, I loved, loved, loved seeing Allison Janney and I hope we get much more of her next year. The way she illuminated as she realized maybe her goose isn’t cooked after all was fantastic. And I think we all saw the paper clip takedown coming, but it was so perfect. Somehow she’s deliciously bi*chy with no hate at all. Love, love, love her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just started season 2. I think the problem with Hal and her is that they both are and want to be powerful independent people so they are in each others way but love keeps them tethered

I would say the conflict is desire for power [Hal] v responsibility to serve [Kate] and
Moral flexibility [Hal] v rigidity [Kate].

It’s not that Hal wants to do bad things, but he very much wants to be the one doing the good things, and he’s much more open to the ends justifying the means. Meanwhile, Kate may find the prospect of serving as VP somewhat enticing, but she’d really be just as happy contributing to the greater good in whatever capacity flows to her.

I think there is only one thing we actually know about Hal's motivation and that is that he is crazy about Kate and wants to stay married to her. Everything else is her interpretation and commentary on what he does, and I guess we are just supposed to take that as we are spoon-fed? What about his Chatham House speech? He is only in it for power? What about Kabul? I don't understand her bitterness - if he really negotiated a one-day delay of the Taliban, a lot more than 300 people got out because of it. Even sending his speech to Billie could have been about wanting to not cause controversy in the midst of the vetting. Etc. Etc.

Assuming Kate is all good and Hal isn't is simplistic.

That wasn’t the take. You bolded four words and ignored all other content and context.

Now that people are done watching, I loved, loved, loved seeing Allison Janney and I hope we get much more of her next year. The way she illuminated as she realized maybe her goose isn’t cooked after all was fantastic. And I think we all saw the paper clip takedown coming, but it was so perfect. Somehow she’s deliciously bi*chy with no hate at all. Love, love, love her.

Yes, she's very good!

[Anonymous]

Oh my god, I HATE this show, every episode has been just so incredibly predictable. And what's not predictable is just BAD writing. The final clinched it. I am not going to watch Season 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh my god, I HATE this show, every episode has been just so incredibly predictable. And what's not predictable is just BAD writing. The final clinched it. I am not going to watch Season 3.

I would not call the plot predictable.

Then again, I enjoyed it a lot!

[Anonymous]

I also just finished Season 2. I rewatched Season 1 just before, and what struck me was how freaking unlikeable they made Kate in Season 2. She is constantly arguing and it is exhausting. There is no believable way that Hal can possible still be in love with her when she is so freaking mean and childish all the time.

Also - the honey trap thing was insanely unbelievable, and then they basically just ignored it after the episode it was in. Even after that, he was still willing to fight for his relationship with the CIA lady? No way.

Also. I served in an embassy overseas - they definitely got a few things right but the characters are just awful in this show.

[Anonymous]

I enjoyed the VP a lot and the very last scene was fun, but this season was so wordy, too many people talking in vague terms about vague things over and over again indoors. There was nothing actually happening. Characters were not enjoyable at all, just boring and like amateurs.