Diksha Sundriyal
The third season of Netflix’s ‘The Diplomat’ leads Kate Wyler into an even more turbulent political scenario. Picking up after the shocking events of the Season 2 finale, where President Rayburn dies of a heart attack, this season focuses on Grace Penn’s Presidency. This, once again, poses the question of a new VP, and Grace’s choice shocks everyone. Kate finds herself pushed into a new role that gives her unprecedented power, but it also comes with its limitations, which start to tighten their grip on her. In the midst of this, she meets Callum, with whom she develops a professional as well as a personal relationship.
Callum’s Arrival Shakes Up Kate’s Personal and Professional Life
Callum Ellis is introduced in the second half of ‘The Diplomat’ Season 3. This is a few months after Grace Penn has assumed the highest office in the US, with Hal serving as her VP. By this time, things have worsened between Hal and Kate, who are separated in their personal lives and are living on different continents. One day, Hal decides to surprise Kate during an event, which is when he sees her with Callum. One look is enough to show him that Kate and Callum are sleeping together, and this makes him jealous and angry. Later, he discovers that Callum isn’t some random guy she came across. He is a “bird watcher,” which is code for a spy in MI6. His birdwatching led him to discover that there is a Russian nuclear-powered submarine off the coast of his country, and it needs to be taken care of.
Because the US is the only ally that the UK can trust with such a sensitive mission, he turned towards Kate for help. Or, at least, that’s what he tells everyone, at first. Later, Kate discovers that there is more to the submarine issue, and it involves a mythical Russian weapon called Poseidon. The reason he didn’t go to Trowbridge or anyone in his own government was that he didn’t know if anyone, including his own government, could be trusted with this weapon. He kept the information to himself, but when things got out of hand with the Russians making their move towards it, he knew that he couldn’t keep it a secret any longer. Thus, he sought out Kate.
A romance blossomed between Callum and Kate, especially as she was nursing her broken heart since her separation from Hal, which, despite being her choice, didn’t make her life any easier. Callum’s dynamically different personality and the circumstances keeping him in close vicinity made it easier for them to sustain a secret relationship. Though Kate thinks no one’s the wiser, Hal points out that if he could see there’s something between them, then so could others. Still, the complicated romance is just the beginning, as over the next few episodes, things become so politically entangled that, at some point, Kate has to wonder if Callum is the only one she can trust.
Aidan Turner Brings Charm and Charisma to Callum
The role of Callum Ellis in ‘The Diplomat’ is played by Irish actor Aidan Turner. The Dublin native had, at one point, shown talent for dancing and was once placed third in the All-Ireland National Dance Championships as a teenager. He was especially skilled at ballroom and Latin American dance, and it seemed he would continue on that path. However, reportedly, the money issue in pursuing a dance career at an international level turned him towards acting. In 2004, he graduated from the Gaiety School of Acting and immersed himself in theatre roles. In 2011, he was cast as Kili in Peter Jackson’s ‘The Hobbit,’ and reprised the role in its two sequels.
He is also known for playing Ross Poldark in ‘Poldark,’ Philip Lombard in ‘And Then There Were None,’ Leonardo da Vinci in ‘Leonardo,’ Declan O’Hara in ‘Rivals,’ and Dr. Joe O’Loughlin in ‘The Suspect.’ Once a strong contender for the role of James Bond, Turner has proven his skills on stage while appearing in plays like ‘Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons,’ ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ ‘The Lieutenant of Inishmore,’ and ‘Cyrano.’ He is also set to appear in Terrence Malick’s ‘The Last Planet’ and will lend his voice to Unferth in ‘Grandel.’ With his role in ‘The Diplomat,’ Turner expands his increasingly versatile body of work, portraying a layered character whose presence adds more gravity and drama to the story.
Read More: The Diplomat: Is Nicol Trowbridge Based on a Real British PM?
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