The Diplomat

Power exercised in conversation

The Diplomat begins with a mismatch between a person's strengths and the job other people want her to perform. Kate Wyler is experienced in international affairs, but her new position also makes her a public symbol. Representation, presentation and access suddenly become part of the work. Someone who wants to solve a problem must also consider what being seen to solve it would mean.

The international crisis gives that tension consequences beyond office politics. A public statement can close an option that remains possible in private, and an apparent concession can serve more than one purpose. The series' premise is particularly appealing if you enjoy asking what a character needs from a conversation before accepting what they say.

A marriage with its own foreign policy

Keri Russell's Kate and Rufus Sewell's Hal have professional experience as well as personal history in common. That makes their marriage part of the political machinery, rather than a separate domestic subplot. A partner may know exactly how to help while also making independence difficult. Advice, affection and a desire to remain indispensable can be hard to disentangle.

Around them, David Gyasi plays Austin Dennison, Ali Ahn plays Eidra Park, Rory Kinnear plays Nicol Trowbridge and Ato Essandoh plays Stuart Hayford. Their different positions place Kate inside several overlapping institutions. Keeping track of who answers to whom is useful, but so is noticing when a personal connection cuts across that formal structure.

The best starting point

Begin with the first season. This is an accumulating political and relationship story, so later negotiations can depend on promises, suspicions and damage established earlier. You do not need specialist knowledge of diplomacy to follow the central dilemma: several intelligent people may want to prevent a crisis while disagreeing about the price of doing so.

It may suit viewers looking for an adult ensemble drama whose suspense comes from conflicting incentives as much as physical danger. Treat it as fiction rather than a guide to an actual administration. A useful question after each episode is whether a decision served a country, a career, a marriage or more than one of those at once.