‘The Diplomat,’ a political thriller on Netflix, tells the tale of Kate Wyler, whose life is abruptly changed when she is transferred from Afghanistan to London. Having worked in some of the most politically explosive regions of the world, she is renowned for her razor-sharp wit and exceptional decision-making under pressure. She is therefore assigned the task of managing the crisis between the UK and Iran when the time comes.
Despite being promised an easy position where all she needs to do is show up in support, Kate finds herself becoming embroiled in a situation that could have disastrous repercussions. She needs to identify the source of the issue and determine what precipitated this crisis in the first place in order to find a solution. She discovers a startling discovery, albeit it might already be too late. The conclusion of “The Diplomat” and what it means for Kate are as follows. Spoilers follow.
The Diplomat Plot Synopsis
HMS British battleship Courageous is blasted in the middle of the ocean, and Iran is suspected as a possible culprit. The UK wants America to support it when it takes action in retaliation. The American President is happy to comply, but neither party wants to push the situation further when there is no evidence linking Iran to this incident. Kate is appointed as an American ambassador to London because of her experience in handling such circumstances.
Given that her nation doesn’t want to get involved in tense situations, Kate initially thinks she is being sent as a part of the show. But she quickly realises that this is not a straightforward task. She is being assessed and rated based on her capacity to operate under pressure and the political ploys she employs. She is a potential nominee for the position of vice president.
Kate is caught between her political career and her failing marriage as she weighs the offer. She won’t be able to divorce Hal, a cunning diplomat who can’t help but meddle in her affairs, because she will be the vice president. She initially has more of an interest in escaping Hal and living alone. She then, however, gets a glimpse of what it may be like to be in a position of power and make choices that could alter the course of history. She tosses around the idea of accepting the position, but she has to make sure that neither the American nor the British leaders take any actions that could trigger the next major conflict.
The Diplomat Ending: Did Trowbridge Plot the Attack on HMS Courageous?
Following an unprovoked attack on the British warship, tensions between the UK and Iran were apparent. Iran seems to be the lone suspect in light of the situation. Kate was one of the many, though, who believed that they were being exploited as a scapegoat by someone else. When a satellite photograph reveals an Iranian boat leaving its coast and then turning up in the area close to the battleship, Kate suddenly begins to have reservations about the scenario. This is sufficient evidence for anyone in need of it. Kate is aware that the story is not over, though.
By starting the events that result in his kidnapping and having an Iranian minister insist that the government is unaware of the attack, Hal wants to shift the focus away from Iran. When Nicol Trowbridge, the British prime minister, refuses to consider all the options and appears hell-bent on attacking the Middle Eastern nation, Kate and her team realise that the only way to calm him down is by identifying the true offender.
It doesn’t make sense that Russia, which is already involved in another war, would act so recklessly as to bring additional turmoil to its shores when Ambassador Hajjar informs them about Roman Lenkov. Then then, some speculate that it might be a ruse to divert public attention. Knowing that the US would join the fray, Russia must have wanted to blame Iran and start a war between the UK and Iran. The focus won’t be on Russia’s conflict since the West will be preoccupied with this new issue.
When confronted, Kate is aware that Russia will deny any involvement in the attack, which is what actually happens. But then something else makes her reconsider the issue. The mercenary group, which has close ties to the Russian government, is led by Roman Lenkov. One would assume that since the Kremlin frequently uses their services, they would shield Lenkov. Instead, Kate receives him from the Russians. They provide her with his exact address and arrival time in France. If not, it would have been difficult to obtain this information, which is why Kate questions whether the Russians are acting innocently in this case or just trying to wash their hands of the whole situation.
They now have Lenkov, whatever their involvement in the attack may have been. Kate thinks that making him an arrest will work. She needs to persuade the French government to give them permission to conduct this operation on their territory. She persuades them, but the French then make it clear that the plan goes beyond simply apprehending Lenkov and discovering who hired him. The goal of the British army is to kill him. Dennison is astonished when Kate questions him about it. He was never informed of the PM’s decision or that it had ever been discussed with him.
Kate makes the connection between two at this point. The only individuals who would want Lenkov gone are those who wish to silence him. Trowbridge didn’t want Lenkov to be arrested alive, so he went around Dennison and kept the Americans in the dark about the murder. Lenkov had been hired by Trowbridge to plan the attack on HMS Courageous. How come he did that?
UK politics are in disarray, as Roylin informs Kate. Scotland and Northern Ireland are experiencing a surge of discontent and want to leave the union. Trowbridge needs something to restore his reputation as a trustworthy leader because it has fallen off sharply. Whatever their disagreements, a country’s citizens always come together in times of need, and Trowbridge required that. When it didn’t occur naturally, he made the decision to create his own crises and capitalise on the political advantages.
People wouldn’t pay as much attention to their Prime Minister’s mistakes if they thought of Iran or Russia as their enemies. It’s conceivable that Roylin gave Trowbridge this advice. We are aware that she has his ear notwithstanding their public disagreements. He immediately pushes the topic after she orders him to bomb Russia. It seems logical that he actually carried it out after she instructed him to blow up their own ship so he could keep his job.
Do Hal and Stuart Die?
The fact that a desperate Trowbridge might murder his own people didn’t bother him, but it did to other party members. The PM intentionally kept his minister in the dark because he knew Dennison would never consent to such measures. No matter how hard he tried to keep it a secret, it would eventually leak. Merritt Grove, a Tory MP, realised he needed to inform someone as soon as he learned about it. Because he was aware that any one of his party members may be an accessory to the crime, he was unable to have faith in them. It needed to be a stranger.
Kate was scheduled to speak at a gathering at Chatham House as an American ambassador. Grove was there, and he considered saying anything to her. Instead, her husband appeared, and Grove was moved by his remarks. To tell Hal everything, he set up a meeting and stressed how urgent it was. When Kate learned about it, she believed Hal was advancing his personal interests. She asked Stuart to end the meeting because he wanted to become Secretary of State. Hal attended the meeting despite his hesitation to wave off the MP.
Ronnie was already there by that point. Grove stayed silent when he saw her. He would only speak with Hal, so he made his way to the car from the restaurant where they were scheduled to meet. Grove’s automobile blew up while Hal was only a few feet away from him. Security arrives in Paris and informs Kate and Dennison of the information. She had a worried expression on her face. Does this imply Hal has passed away?
Hal had to have been hurt because he was so near to the explosion. Stuart, who was nearly at Grove’s identical distance, would have done the same. But they were both close enough to succumb to it. Grove and Ronnie, however, are an exception to this rule. We can presume that since they were right adjacent to the car when it exploded, they both perished. It is obvious that Trowbridge killed him after learning that Grove was speaking to Hal—likely from Roylin.
They set up the car in an effort to silence Grove before he revealed the conspiracy involving the PM and Roylin to others. They would have spent the rest of their lives in prison, ruining their careers in the process. They planned to assassinate Grove and silence any witnesses because they were so close to solving the issue by killing Lenkov.
