‘The Diplomat’ Season 2 Responds to Fan Criticism About Kate With This Brutal Scene

4 hours ago

<p id=”par-1_46″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-diplomat-season-2-netflix-political-drama-premiere.html/”><em>The Diplomat </em>Season 2</a> is clapping back. Showrunner Debora Cahn included a scene—and a specific line—about U.S. ambassador Kate Wyler’s appearance in <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/allison-janneys-addition-the-diplomat-season-2-cast-shows-creator-full-on-immobilized-panic.html/”>the new season</a> following criticism from fans during season 1. Ahead, a recap of the scene and why Keri Russell loves her character’s outfits. </p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-debora-cahn-seized-the-great-opportunity-to-respond-to-fan-criticism-about-kate-s-hair”>Debora Cahn seized the ‘great opportunity’ to respond to fan criticism about Kate’s hair</h2>

<p id=”par-2_55″>“From the get-go, I’ve had a lot of feelings about women leaders and who we think is electable and who we think is brilliant—do those things intersect?” Cahn told <a href=”https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/allison-janney-the-diplomat-season-2-exclusive-awards-insider” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Vanity Fair</a>. In <em>The Diplomat </em>Season 2, she addressed criticism about Kate’s hair, a topic that became a source of conversation among fans during earlier episodes. </p>

<p id=”par-3_49″>“People comment on Kate Wyler’s hair a lot more than we imagined that they would,” Cahn said. So she decided to include a conversation about the “soft power” Kate wields through her look in a scene between Kate and vice president Grace Penn, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/allison-janneys-addition-the-diplomat-season-2-cast-shows-creator-full-on-immobilized-panic.html/”>played by Oscar winner Allison Janney</a>.</p>

<p id=”par-4_40″>“This was a really great opportunity to talk about what Kate thinks she’s doing,” Cahn said. “Which Grace very clearly points out: ‘You’re trying to show that you’re working so hard that you don’t have time. That’s not what’s reading.’”</p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-grace-judges-kate-s-appearance-in-the-diplomat-season-2-nbsp”>Grace judges Kate’s appearance in ‘The Diplomat’ Season 2 </h2>

<p id=”par-5_53″>As for the scene, Netflix revealed it in a sneak peek clip ahead of <em>The Diplomat</em> Season 2 premiere. In it, Kate and the oft-mentioned but previously never-seen vice president finally come face to face. Along the way, Grace gives her unfiltered opinion on Kate’s wardrobe and hair. Spoiler: She’s not a fan. </p>

<p id=”par-6_55″>“Wear a suit like the military wears a uniform. Disappear, hide the individual behind the duty to serve,” Grace said. “Or get a gimmick—blonde bob, red lipstick. Pins like [Madeleine] Albright, collars like RBG [Ruth Bader Ginsburg], glasses. A shorthand so people see what you stand for and little girls dress like you for <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/halloween/”>Halloween</a>.”</p>

<p id=”par-7_25″>Kate awkwardly picks the “suit that makes you disappear,” noting she sticks to a “black suit” and “every now and then [wears] a navy suit.” </p>

<p id=”par-8_52″>Grace didn’t stop there. She proceeded to pick apart Kate’s look starting with her hair. “Looking to the north, you probably think your hair says you’re too busy serving your country to get a blowout. But it reads as bedhead, which sends a signal, I think in this case, that’s better unsent.” </p>

<p id=”par-9_73″>Later, she calls out Kate’s so-called “zipper issue” remedied with a paper clip. “If you’re representing the interests of 300 million Americans whose healthcare is failing, whose planet is burning, whose future might get a little bit better or a little bit worse based on what you do in the course of the day,” Grace told her, “it’s best to look like the care of your trousers wasn’t more than you could manage.”</p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-keri-russell-loves-kate-wyler-s-uniform-outfits-on-the-diplomat”>Keri Russell loves Kate Wyler’s ‘uniform’ outfits on ‘The Diplomat’ </h2>

<div class=”related-article related-article–complex”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
<img src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Dax-Shepard-and-Kristen-Bell.webp” alt=”Dax Shepard Says Kristen Bell Doesn’t Kiss Him Like Adam Brody in ‘Nobody Wants This’”>
<p class=”related-article__title”>
<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/dax-shepard-says-kristen-bell-doesnt-kiss-like-adam-brody-nobody-wants-this.html/”>
Dax Shepard Says Kristen Bell Doesn’t Kiss Him Like Adam Brody in ‘Nobody Wants This’ </a>
</p>
</div>
<p id=”par-10_33″>While Janney’s character may not be a fan of Kate’s outfits Russell is. Speaking at PaleyFest ahead of <em>The Diplomat</em> Season 2 premiere, the actor shared her “love” of Kate’s “same black suit.” </p>

<p id=”par-11_46″>“Her clothes and knowledge, I love all of that,” Russell said of Kate (via <a href=”https://people.com/why-keri-russell-loves-the-diplomat-character-wearing-same-black-suit-in-season-2-8732457″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>People</a>). “We are three years in and I still wear the same black suit. I change my shirt color sometimes, but I wear the same black suit, and—gosh darn it—I love it.”</p>

<p id=”par-12_26″>The decision to keep Kate in suits is, as <em>The Diplomat</em> star explained, because a “uniform” allows her to be “free to think about other things.” </p>

<p id=”par-13_62″>“I think maybe men have this more than women get to, but I love dressing up too,” Russell said. “I love all of those things, and the power of clothes and fashion and all of that. But when you have a uniform, you’re not thinking. You’re not spending mental time thinking about anything else other than what you want to focus on.” </p>

<p id=”par-14_13″>“There’s a real freedom in that,” she added. “And I really appreciate that.” </p>

<p id=”par-15_10″>Watch <em>The Diplomat </em>Seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix. </p>