Not Even Keri Russell Knows Where The Diplomat Is Going 

Early in The Diplomat’s fourth season, one fleeting image packs a considerable amount of tension.

Riding in the back of a car, U.S Ambassador to the U.K. Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) pensively sits next to her husband, Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), who happens to be the Vice President of the United States. As they stare out their respective windows, the uncomfortable silence they share speaks volumes about the drama ahead.

The emotional and geopolitical stakes have never been higher on the Netflix series, created by Homeland veteran Debora Cahn. Season four picks up on the third season’s shocking revelation that Hal and U.S. President Grace Penn (Allison Janney, who scored the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series last month) worked together to quietly steal a disabled Russian nuclear weapon from a submarine off the English coast. Kate struggles with the fallout of this theft — if the truth is found out, then the U.S., U.K. and Russia could find themselves locked in a war.

But at the end of season three, Kate and Hal managed to reconcile despite Kate learning of Hal and President Penn’s plot. As the couple continues to navigate the toll that their professions take on their marriage, First Gentleman Todd Penn (Bradley Whitford) finds himself searching for his place in both his marriage and in his wife’s administration.

Ahead of the season-four premiere, Russell spoke with the Television Academy about the new season’s never-ending supply of twisty drama, how she navigated its growing impact on her character and what it was like to shoot in Italy.

Television Academy: How would you describe the trajectory of the Kate/Hal relationship in season four?

Keri Russell: What I love, and maybe it's very true to Kate and Hal, but they start off [the season] with a lot to clear up. Then, they have to walk into a room and act like everything is fine. You have a fight with your significant other, then you have to walk into a fancy dinner and you're like, “Yeah, later we're gonna figure this out.” And then a bigger thing happens and — strangely, in that way that life does when a big, monumental thing happens — it can be a real unifier.

For Kate and Hal, when they met, so much of their goal and their passion in life is about getting close to those rooms of power. To make significant change. They're finally so close, but at what cost? That is what the season explores.

So much of the show is about not only how President Grace Penn sees Kate, but how Kate perceives Grace.  

She has a lot of judgment about Grace — a lot. I also think she respects her.

Kate really believes in government. Despite having some judgments about Grace, Kate is like, “She’s the leader, I'm here to do her bidding and I'm gonna speak up. But ultimately, I will do what [the President] wants me to do — until I don’t.” At her core, Kate respects Grace.  

First Gentleman Todd and Kate are really thrown together this year, especially in the latter half of the season.

Throwing the hand grenade of Bradley Whitford [as Todd] into Kate's world is unreal. First of all, he's so funny. There were so many times I was physically crying trying not to laugh. Then there is that cool writing element to his role in the story about how he becomes an asset. And then Todd and Kate can become allies. That [aspect] is so great, because it's so not black and white. You can write [Todd] off as silly or funny, but by the end [of the season], he made me sad. He only wants the best for his wife, and he knows something's not right.

We see Hal giving Kate a lot of advice and telling her what she should do. But we have also seen what Hal has done in the past in light of the advice he gives. How did you approach that dynamic?

There's a lot going on there. It's her husband. It’s so hard this time, since she has been the loose cannon. She's like Holly Hunter in Broadcast News, just letting it rip. She’s like, “I know what's right. I'm gonna be the loud person in the background.” Kate is trying so hard to keep it under wraps, stay in line and be the supportive partner.

But she doesn’t agree with her husband’s tactics. She thinks he's shady. Sometimes it's a means to the end — and you need those people who can take risks — but she obviously doesn't agree with it.

The show has always shot in some beautiful locales, but this season’s trip to Tuscany really takes it up a notch. How did you focus on work when the stunning scenery was right there in front of you?

It was a dream. Debora always says that she would be shooting on Homeland in some crazy location, like in the middle of the night in some bad neighborhood of Morocco, and then going, “Why are we here?” And then she said, “You know what? I'm going to write something that can be somewhere wonderful.” I remember looking at her — we were finishing up what we were going to be [shooting] in London — and I said, “Oh, where are we going?” She goes, “I think maybe Italy.” I said, “Why?” And she goes, “Because it's nice there.”

There are so many surprising moments throughout this season. How was it for you to read these scripts?

So fun. Debora Cahn never disappoints. I can honestly say I never know where it's going. But as big as the twists and turns are this season, I love where it ends up — especially everything that happens to this group of people in the last two episodes. It's why I signed on to this show. I care about these [characters] that are so valuable, these unsung heroes. I was really happy with the way [the season] ended.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

The Diplomat is now streaming on Netflix.