The Diplomat

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Au contraire! These are all the things I like about her character. She’s supposed to be serious and dedicated and sincere. And come on, wouldn’t you be a little put out if you thought you were going to do one job and then got told to do a totally different one?

You can be serious and still wash your hair and not fall apart when you need to put on a show in order to do your job.

As someone who works in Washington, I just don’t find this character believable. Even the most serious women wear lipstick.

Separately, I can’t help but feel like The Night Agent had better casting than this for the supporting characters. Rufus and Keri are terrific, but everyone else seems less interesting than their counterparts in shows like The Night Agent, The Recruit, etc. Weird.

Plenty of "serious" (and successful) women don't wear makeup, stylish hair or clothes, etc.

Show me a frumpy ambassador without makeup. I’ll wait.

Plus, fat chance anyone is swooning over Kate with her clean face and greasy unbrushed hair and sweaty pits that have become a bizarre plot line.

That’s the whole point - she was not an ambassador. She was a foreign service wonk, promoted suddenly to ambassador.

DP. As I read this thread, it occurs to me that in her role as wife to a charismatic ambassador, she probably would have had to do the glam thing once in a while, right? Hal is known for his star power, not just his diplomatic genius, so there had to be occasions where she accompanied him to dressy events.

Exactly!

The storyline just doesn’t make sense to the extreme level they’ve taken it to.

[Anonymous]

I love this show. It’s a show. People are waaaaaaaay too serious about it. Nothing is perfect. But the plot moves, actings good, actors good looking. There’s humor, intrigue and it’s at least a different take from a serious drama genre.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:My coworker and I were talking about it this morning. We're so proud of Felicity all grown up! Look how far she's come.

It seems weird that they named her husband Hal. That's such an old man name (nickname for Harold). Keri Russell is like 47 or 48 - it'd make more sense if her husband's name was Stephen or Matt or Scott or David.

I'm only three episodes in, but will keep watching.

Rufus Sewell is 55 and is a stud. Is it weird that I am 3 episodes in and couldn’t tell you what Keri’s character’s name is?

It's Kate. Katherine. Rufus is hot, but his name being Hal is ... not hot. Honestly RUFUS would have been a better name for his character than Hal.

He is a terrible actor. Punchable in every role.

Rufus Sewell played a cad very well in The Holiday. I found him extremely sexy in a show called Zen.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I am on a number of foreign service groups in which this show is being 10000% eviscerated for being so unrealistic.

Not surprising.

Does anyone really believe they fly ambassadors into emergency Oval Office meetings to discuss foreign affairs and strategy related to countries they aren’t remotely involved with?

Plus: no woman is walking into the White House without being all dolled up. That’s precisely the time to upgrade your pantsuit to a shift dress and blazer—plus killer heels and a bold lip with a sleek blowout.

^^^
That’s our power move.

State person here. Correct on first point, kinda laughable on second. Career officers aren’t all wearing heels with blowouts.

How about ambassadors?

I’m just a dc policywonk, but I know I step it up when I’m going to the White House, the Hill, or anywhere I’m meeting with people.

I’d never go outside my house with greasy hair.

PP here. If you are a hardship post kinda FSO who isn't usually primping, you aren't necessarily going to all the sudden get a bold lipstick and blowout to go to the WH. That's not to say there aren't stylish senior FSOs - two of my friends are DCMs in Europe and look amazing, and one of my best friends is a male Ambo who dresses impeccably (and has done many hardship tours). But it's not unrealistic that someone upset about London instead of Kabul would not be interested in appearances even if going to the WH. Her archetype exists at State as well, and one of the most badass women I know over the past 20 years fits this mold.

[Anonymous]

Why does Rufus Sewell’s hair look blue?

I’ve loved him since A Knight’s Tale!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Au contraire! These are all the things I like about her character. She’s supposed to be serious and dedicated and sincere. And come on, wouldn’t you be a little put out if you thought you were going to do one job and then got told to do a totally different one?

You can be serious and still wash your hair and not fall apart when you need to put on a show in order to do your job.

As someone who works in Washington, I just don’t find this character believable. Even the most serious women wear lipstick.

Separately, I can’t help but feel like The Night Agent had better casting than this for the supporting characters. Rufus and Keri are terrific, but everyone else seems less interesting than their counterparts in shows like The Night Agent, The Recruit, etc. Weird.

Plenty of "serious" (and successful) women don't wear makeup, stylish hair or clothes, etc.

Show me a frumpy ambassador without makeup. I’ll wait.

Plus, fat chance anyone is swooning over Kate with her clean face and greasy unbrushed hair and sweaty pits that have become a bizarre plot line.

Caroline Kennedy!!!

Was going to say the same thing. Met her on a plane when she was Ambassador: zero makeup. It pisses me off that anyone thinks make up is must for women in 2023.

[Anonymous]

I love Rufus so much!

[Anonymous]

Keri’s character was preparing to go to Kabul! Luxurious hair was not a requirement.

Heck Claire Danes character in Homeland looked frumpy many times and she is beautiful. Heck she was doing a wipe down of her crotch in the very first episode!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Au contraire! These are all the things I like about her character. She’s supposed to be serious and dedicated and sincere. And come on, wouldn’t you be a little put out if you thought you were going to do one job and then got told to do a totally different one?

You can be serious and still wash your hair and not fall apart when you need to put on a show in order to do your job.

As someone who works in Washington, I just don’t find this character believable. Even the most serious women wear lipstick.

Separately, I can’t help but feel like The Night Agent had better casting than this for the supporting characters. Rufus and Keri are terrific, but everyone else seems less interesting than their counterparts in shows like The Night Agent, The Recruit, etc. Weird.

Plenty of "serious" (and successful) women don't wear makeup, stylish hair or clothes, etc.

Show me a frumpy ambassador without makeup. I’ll wait.

Plus, fat chance anyone is swooning over Kate with her clean face and greasy unbrushed hair and sweaty pits that have become a bizarre plot line.

The Foreign Service is made up of regular people and not everyone is a fashion plate. But I agree that Kate's shtick here is over the top. We get it already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else bothered by the fact Kate acts like she wants her husband to butt out because she doesn’t need him yet she routinely pulls him in for strategic guidance and sex only to push him away again and again? And she seemingly wants to do the same with her British counterpart?

It’s annoying. She’s not the badass she was in The Americans. She more like a poseur.

She's so intertwined with her husband. As a tandem couple in another organization that part rang VERY true for me. Your careers, your interests, your friends, sometime your kids friends. All of it is very intertwined and even if you are mad at each other sometimes your spouse is only person you trust to bounce ideas off of or get a read of a work situation or challenge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keri’s character was preparing to go to Kabul! Luxurious hair was not a requirement.

Heck Claire Danes character in Homeland looked frumpy many times and she is beautiful. Heck she was doing a wipe down of her crotch in the very first episode!

Exactly! She went from going to somewhere where she could make an impact to a vanity post. I have to say, this post is so depressing. Women can’t win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keri’s character was preparing to go to Kabul! Luxurious hair was not a requirement.

Heck Claire Danes character in Homeland looked frumpy many times and she is beautiful. Heck she was doing a wipe down of her crotch in the very first episode!

She would have gotten her hair taken care of before Kabul. Otherwise who knows when she'd get a chance again.

[Anonymous]

Eatched 10 or 15 minutes of it. It sucked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Au contraire! These are all the things I like about her character. She’s supposed to be serious and dedicated and sincere. And come on, wouldn’t you be a little put out if you thought you were going to do one job and then got told to do a totally different one?

You can be serious and still wash your hair and not fall apart when you need to put on a show in order to do your job.

As someone who works in Washington, I just don’t find this character believable. Even the most serious women wear lipstick.

Separately, I can’t help but feel like The Night Agent had better casting than this for the supporting characters. Rufus and Keri are terrific, but everyone else seems less interesting than their counterparts in shows like The Night Agent, The Recruit, etc. Weird.

Plenty of "serious" (and successful) women don't wear makeup, stylish hair or clothes, etc.

Show me a frumpy ambassador without makeup. I’ll wait.

Plus, fat chance anyone is swooning over Kate with her clean face and greasy unbrushed hair and sweaty pits that have become a bizarre plot line.

That’s the whole point - she was not an ambassador. She was a foreign service wonk, promoted suddenly to ambassador.

Wasn't she going to be ambassador in Afghanistan? Even then she would have had to have been prepared for representational duties and the grooming expectations that go along with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Au contraire! These are all the things I like about her character. She’s supposed to be serious and dedicated and sincere. And come on, wouldn’t you be a little put out if you thought you were going to do one job and then got told to do a totally different one?

You can be serious and still wash your hair and not fall apart when you need to put on a show in order to do your job.

As someone who works in Washington, I just don’t find this character believable. Even the most serious women wear lipstick.

Separately, I can’t help but feel like The Night Agent had better casting than this for the supporting characters. Rufus and Keri are terrific, but everyone else seems less interesting than their counterparts in shows like The Night Agent, The Recruit, etc. Weird.

Plenty of "serious" (and successful) women don't wear makeup, stylish hair or clothes, etc.

Show me a frumpy ambassador without makeup. I’ll wait.

Plus, fat chance anyone is swooning over Kate with her clean face and greasy unbrushed hair and sweaty pits that have become a bizarre plot line.

Because the vast majority of ambassadors are wealthy donors, not boots-on-the-ground policy wonks. The whole point is that she is different from the norm.

And she's absolutely younger and hotter than most, even with unbrushed hair etc.

That's my quibble here, but I am trying to overlook it. I realize London usually goes to a donor, but the DCM would absolutely be a career officer and a senior one to boot. The CIA Station chief would be a very senior person and not the lady running around with rumpled shirts.

Even Ambassador to Kabul would be someone polished and able to make speeches and public appearances. Two suits and two burkas wouldn't cut in in Kabul (and American women didn't usually wear burkas either). All of these people would have had experience leading large offices in their respective organizations and doing things like meeting with high-ranking counterparts in foreign governments. the military, Congress, etc.

But it's TV and it's enjoyable. Rufus Sewell is s gem in this. This isn't my favorite role of Keri Russel's, but I like her as an actress and I do like the way they portray her as an on the spot problem solver and with an inherent understanding of protocol. She was really good in the Secretary of State call and then proclaiming that you can't fire Cinderella.