Netflix's Returning Political Thriller Spoils End-of-Season Cliffhanger 2 Months Early

Traditionally, TV shows don’t resolve a season finale’s cliffhanger until the next batch of episodes arrives. Netflix‘s returning political thriller is just the latest example of how this tradition is becoming more of a thing of the past. The Diplomat Season 4 isn’t set to drop on the streaming service until Oct. 15, which is just a little under two months away. That hasn’t stopped the first proper look at the return of the Wylers from eradicating a major portion of the narrative tension.

Since premiering in April 2023, The Diplomat has dropped a new season every year without fail. More specifically, Season 4 creates a three-year trend of fresh episodes arriving each October. In an age where TV shows routinely take breaks of two or more years, it’s infinitely refreshing to know that The Diplomat‘s return is so easy to predict. Last October, the Season 3 finale “Schrodinger’s Wife” left us all on edge in the wake of several big left turns. Although the new Season 4 trailer doesn’t spoil all of what’s to come, the show’s core storyline is now surprisingly predictable.

‘The Diplomat’ Just Revealed That Kate & Hal Are Still Together in Season 4

Anyone who watches The Diplomat will already know that Kate (Keri Russell) and Hal (Rufus Sewell) being “together” means something different from how the term is normally used. Sure, they’ve been married throughout the series, but that marriage is something that has long been framed as a relic that’s being left in place to maintain political momentum. Kate has had countless moments where it’s made clear she has had enough with Hal’s tenuous relationship with honesty, and the fact that she keeps falling for what seems on the surface to be genuine.

That being said, Hal has never been made out as wanting the marriage to end, waiting patiently from the sidelines as Kate sleeps with other men in an attempt to have her cake and eat it too. Then, Season 3 ends with the realization that it’s actually Hal that Kate wants, not all the people she’s been trying to replicate their borderline toxic dynamic with. It’s about as heartwarming as it can get for the Wylers, but their reunion is immediately thrown off course when Kate discovers her husband is actively involved in the US’ plot to steal a Russian nuke and making out that it disappeared.

That would understandably have been enough to make Kate second-guess her latest U-turn regarding whether she wants to be with Hal. I had no doubt their political collaboration would continue in Season 4, but I was genuinely uncertain when it came to whether their marriage would return to being an ornamental husk. As it turns out, no, Kate still wants Hal, despite the scheme with the Nuke that could result in a major war. The new trailer proves she’s doing everything she can to make the marriage work on a level that’s not strictly political. It seems a shame to reveal this before Season 4 has even premiered, but I guess there is still plenty to explore.

Kate & Hal’s Marriage Seems Just as Complicated as Ever in ‘The Diplomat’ Season 4

Even if Kate and Hal are finally on the same page about wanting to be together for reasons other than their public image, don’t expect them to be the picture of a healthy marriage when The Diplomat returns. The Season 4 trailer is loaded with dialogue that communicates just how complicated their relationship is. If anything, what Hal has just done makes things even trickier to navigate when it comes to how the Wylers interact on a personal level.

That being said, I’m not entirely convinced that Hal and Kate even have a relationship outside of their careers. That’s not to say they don’t love each other deeply, but all the additional baggage only seems to be successfully swept aside when they’re wrapped up in a crisis. I’m no therapist, but that doesn’t sound like a particularly sustainable way to live. It almost encourages both of them to be as near as possible to the worst political scenario at all times, so that their feelings for each other don’t just make sense, but are at full power. It’s a little twisted, but it’s also a big part of what makes The Diplomat so enthralling.