Netflix's Binge-Worthy Political Drama Is Secretly The Best Soap Opera On TV

A Russian nuclear submarine is leaking radiation off the coast of the UK, a doomsday weapon of mass destruction on board needs to be recovered at all costs, and fraying diplomatic relations between superpowers have never been more conducive to all-out war ... but all anyone in the highest seats of power on "The Diplomat" can seem to focus on is keeping their own disintegrating marriages and relationships on life support. The binge-worthy Netflix series is back and as melodramatic as ever with its fourth season, and it remains one of the best shows on TV. That's not just a result of its attention to espionage detail taken straight out of "The Americans" (as Keri Russell's lead performance calls to mind every moment she's on screen) or the overt "The West Wing" influences. No, there's something much more nuanced in how creator Debora Cahn and her creative team embrace and expand on the matrimonial metaphor at the heart of this story.

If the previous three seasons hadn't made this evident enough, then Season 4 of "The Diplomat" goes above and beyond to make the truth plainer than ever. Of course, the show's writers know exactly how to push all the right buttons and thrill us with sociopolitical shockers of global import. A covert false-flag attack on the UK enacted by a schemer far too close to home. A U.S. President killed by a phone call. This season even adds an assassination attempt into the mix, and that's somehow not the biggest twist in the early episodes. But, at every turn, these world-shaking events are almost secondary to the real appeal of the show: arguments, sex, betrayal, deaths, and cliffhangers galore.

Yes, "The Diplomat" is a soap opera masquerading as a political thriller, and that's just how we like it.

Sometimes, the simplest pitches really can be the most profound ones. "The Diplomat" isn't trying to portray every instance of corrupt governmental scheming and ladder-climbing machinations with the journalistic fidelity of "All the President's Men." Popcorn entertainment is the name of the game here (elevated and with a strong whiff of prestige, though it might be), and the series' scripts never shy away from its more tawdry and scandalous tone. But viewing the gears of the political machine  through the lens of how the relationships between countries can oftentimes resemble those between individual people? It's a surprisingly inspired approach to a genre with very little territory left unexplored.

That's precisely what makes the soap opera dramatics of Kate (Keri Russell) and Hal Wyler's (Rufus Sewell) bumpy marriage, and the ever-present question of how it can possibly survive its next hurdle, so engrossing. As our title character, Kate's rise from diplomat to ambassador to prospective Vice President in her own right has been spectacular to watch — almost as much as the rollercoaster ride that unreliable loose cannon Hal has enjoyed, ultimately landing him in the Oval Office as second in command behind President Grace Penn (Allison Janney). The two have endured an early torrid affair, a decade and a half of highs and lows in wedded "bliss," a marriage in name only as Kate focused on her career, and now, a series of breakups and reconciliations complicated by their parallel political journeys.

Season 4 somehow increases the pressure even more on our co-leads, all while the geopolitical map threatens to burst apart at the seams. But that's where the secret weapon of "The Diplomat" comes into play the most.

In an era where years-long gaps between television seasons have become the irritating norm, let's just say there's a reason why "The Diplomat" has managed to release a new batch of episodes every single year since its debut in 2023. Where far too many competitors rely on a killer hook and the distant memory of the last season's highest of highs, the Netflix series is a portrait of consistency — even if its wildcard cast of characters is anything but. Some may interpret this as an over-reliance on formula to keep viewers coming back. But while that's not entirely wrong, the devil truly is in the details of how it keeps doing so.

The secret, as it turns out, has to do with its grasp of all the tropes of a traditional soap opera. While that could come across as a pejorative, it's the highest of compliments to state that "The Diplomat" understands the intrinsic value of a well-timed twist, pulling the rug out from under viewers without cheating them in the process. Season 4 ups the ante to heights previously unreached, yet every gasp-inducing plot swerve or abrupt cliffhanger (of which there are many) rarely feels like shock value for the sake of it. Rather, the show's writing team has the confidence in their decisions to follow each new, game-changing development to their most extreme endpoint.

Sure, there's enough in the way of sex, secret relationships, jealous exes, and trust-destroying betrayals to rival "Days of Our Lives" on its best day. But getting us in the door is only half the battle. Keeping us hooked is what "The Diplomat" does best.

The entirety of "The Diplomat" Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.