‘Outstanding’ political thriller flies up Netflix top 10 streaming chart

An acclaimed Netflix political thriller is back on screens after 12 months away, with its third season already racing up the top 10 TV ranking.

The Diplomat, which began in 2023, follows the story of Kate Wyler, the US ambassador to the UK, and the high-stakes world of foreign policy and international relations.

Kate is played by five-time Emmy winner Keri Russell, while her husband and fellow politician Hal is played by Laurence Olivier winner Rufus Sewell.

Season three dropped on Netflix on Thursday, October 16, and has left TV fans and critics wondering if it might be the best season of the show so far.

The series was initially received warmly by critics, with its first season – consisting of eight episodes – earning a respectable score of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The second season only improved things on that front, with The Diplomat’s Rotten Tomatoes score leaping to 96% for the six-part return, while its Metacritic rating crept up from 74 to 76.

But that initially warm reception is now burning white hot, with the eight-episode third season sitting at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and boasting a Metacritic rating of 84.

The series cast list also boasts huge names such as current Celebrity Traitors star Celia Imrie, Interstellar actor David Gyasi, and Black Mirror star Rory Kinnear.

In the series, the President of the United States is played by Better Call Saul and Spinal Tap actor Michael McKean, while Alison Janney plays the Vice President.

All eight episodes of season three dropped on Thursday, meaning that fans are already making plans to binge the entire thing before the weekend is over.

On X, @Orisirisiii beamed with delight: ‘Their best season yet! Give these writers a raise!!!! Give the actors more money! Blow the bank for these people! Outstanding. Never binged-watched something so quickly in my life. 10/10 minus NOTHING!’

@EffOff1988 said: ‘1st season was strong. 2nd season was stronger. 3rd season drops on Thursday. 4th season starts filming next month. The show is a rare combination of smart AND entertaining with a great cast led by a reliably brilliant Keri Russell. Love this kind of scripted TV.’

The series was nominated in the outstanding drama category at the 77th Emmy Awards earlier this year, only losing out to medical drama The Pitt.

@Indimindofbrad compared it favourably to a show from Netflix’s past, writing: ‘Finished Season 3 of The Diplomat and I can now say this is the best political show that Netflix has done since House of Cards. Can’t wait for the next season.’

@Bella1L1 celebrated one character in particular: ‘Nobody plays the political and emotional game like Hal Wyler. Dangerous, brilliant, and never boring.’

@PrspctVibeCheck agreed: ‘Hal Wyler is one of the single best written and acted characters on television right now.’

And the good news doesn’t end there for The Diplomat fans, with a fourth season already in production as the show aims to keep up its one-year-per-season run.

Production on the next batch of episodes is apparently set to begin in just a matter of weeks, with fans hoping for an October 2026 release date.

A version of this article was originally published on October 17.

Watch The Diplomat on Netflix.

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