The Diplomat Season 3 recap: Here’s what to remember before next chapter arrives

0The Diplomat Season 3 ©YouTube/@NetflixThe Diplomat Season 4 is just three days away from its premiere, which makes now a good time to take a look back at what happened in Season 3.

The Diplomat Season 3 saw Kate and Hal's marriage fall apart as Hal became the vice president under Grace Penn. Kate, on the other hand, chose to stay in London and explore a new relationship with Callum. However, she later gets back with Hal. According to The Viewer's Perspective, the season also revolved around the missing Russian nuclear submarine, which threatened to worsen relations between the US and the UK.

Continue reading for the complete recap of The Diplomat Season 3 before Season 4 arrives.

Season 3 of The Diplomat starts with Kate Wyler facing a situation that gets more complicated with every turn. President Rayburn's death puts Grace Penn in the White House, while Kate continues her work as the US ambassador to the UK.

On the other hand, Hal is offered the vice president's position instead of her. And with Margaret Roylin's death adding another layer to the political mess, Kate has to deal with more than just international tensions.

Speaking of Hal taking up the role of vice president, showrunner Debora Cahn told Tudum that it was exciting to see Hal step into a position where he feels more comfortable. She added that after spending two seasons supporting Kate while staying in her shadow, Hal finally gets a chance to show what he can do.

Season 3 also puts Kate and Hal's marriage under difficulty and strain as their ambitions pull them in different directions, according to The Viewer's Perspective. Kate in the end decides to stay in London as the US ambassador, and they agree to keep up appearances as a couple.

However, months later, Kate starts a relationship with MI6 operative Callum Ellis. Showrunner Debora Cahn explained to Tudum that Callum is more like Hal than Kate realizes, as she might be drawn to the same kind of person again.

Speaking of Hal and Kate's connection, the showrunner told Tudum:

"In Season 3, Hal and Kate’s marriage is over as far as they’re both concerned. The two of them have gone through what we refer to as a divorce of the heart. Publicly, they’re still married. Privately, they know that they’re not, although Hal is never a give-up kind of guy."

As the season progresses, Eidra Park comes to know that it wasn't Russia but the US that was behind the attack on HMS Courageous. Hal and Kate, along with President Penn, try their best to keep everything in control. But Prime Minister Trowbridge decides to ignore their plan and openly blames former President Rayburn.

Even before they can deal with the situation, another problem arises after MI6 reports a missing Russian nuclear submarine in the North Sea. Kate has a new problem to deal with, as the missing submarine carries a dangerous torpedo that could put the whole world in danger.

In The DiplomatSeason 3, Kate comes up with a plan to bury the Poseidon weapon at sea after Trowbridge refuses President Penn's help. In the end, he finally agrees, and Kate takes the chance to fix everything with Hal. But their peace doesn't last long!

Callum soon tells Kate that Russia has found the submarine, but Poseidon is missing. Later, Todd shares what Grace told him about her connection with Hal, saying it is all about power and strategy. This makes Kate realize that the Russians were never the ones who took Poseidon, but it was the United States.

Kate realizes that Hal and Grace have used her to keep Britain from learning the truth. If the secret comes out, Britain could see this as an act of war. Hal warns Grace that Kate has figured things out. However, both decide to continue hiding the truth. When Todd asks if everything will be fine, Kate stays silent. At this point, she knows how much damage this lie could cause.

Speaking of Season 4, Cahn told Tudum that she is excited to continue the story and believes there is still more to explore, adding:

"It’s going to be a lot of fun. We get to the end of a season and I always think, ‘Well, there’s no way that we can do this again.’ And then we dig back into it, and it’s like, ‘Oh my God, we have to keep going.’"

The Diplomat Season 4 is scheduled to premiere on October 15, 2026.