Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘The Diplomat’ follows the story of Kate Wyler, an American ambassador sent to London to be her country’s face during a volatile time in the UK. Pulled out of the mission in Afghanistan, where she’d put in a lot of work, Kate finds herself in an exposed situation where a camera follows her everywhere. She has never explored this part of the job, which comes with challenges Kate never thought she’d face.
As if the conflict in London wasn’t enough to keep her occupied, Kate discovers that the purpose of sending her to London was much more than showing up for her country. She is being considered for the position of Vice President. This is a shock because Kate never considered herself a politician. Now that the prospect is in front of her, she has to make a difficult choice. Does she agree to it? Let’s find out. SPOILERS AHEAD
Kate’s Decision on Vice Presidency Remains Uncertain
Before Kate was sent to London, she was in the middle of finalizing the details that would start the process of her and Hal’s divorce. There was nothing left in their marriage anymore, and Hal’s continuous meddling and self-absorbed behavior made it hard to trust him. Kate wanted it to end, but then London happened. She brings along Hal, hoping that once he’s helped her find her footing in the new job, he will leave. However, when the time comes, he reveals the true nature of her job.
It turns out that the current VP lost millions of government dollars, which now requires her to recede from her duties and eventually resign from office. It will happen over time, and a replacement is to be found in this small window. Billie, the President’s Chief of Staff, considered a few prospects, most of whom were career politicians with their own agendas behind wanting to be VP. Kate’s name was thrown into the mix (which she suspects was Hal’s doing), and she emerged as a strong contender, given her experience as a diplomat and lack of interest in campaigning.
When the crisis happens in the UK, Billie seizes the opportunity to test Kate to see how she performs under pressure and if she is Vice President material. She loops in Stuart to keep an eye on Kate. His analysis would play an integral role in deciding whether or not Kate is good enough for the job. Not soon after Kate arrives, Stuart realizes that they need to tell Kate what she’s getting into to know if she wants the job in the first place. Hal disagrees, worrying that the pressure will make her ruin everything. However, when Kate brings back the topic of divorce, Hal is forced to dump this information on her.
At first, Kate is not keen on it, especially when she realizes that she won’t be able to divorce Hal if she becomes VP. It wouldn’t be a good look for her. Considering how much Hal had stepped on her and got on her nerves in the past couple of days, she finds it better to continue with her life and leave him. She goes as far as to tell the President that she is resigning and someone else should be appointed as an ambassador. However, the President doesn’t accept her request.
As the people around her talk about why they want her for the job and how well she is doing in London, Kate starts to come around. She also gets a taste of the job, being at the center of the action, influencing the chain of events that could change the world. Even Hal starts to fall back into the role of the wife. He agrees to do whatever is asked of him and nothing else. He is ready to give up his desire to be the hero in every story and let Kate take center stage.
As things improve between Kate and Hal, she starts warming up to the idea more and more. At one point, because she’s still dicey about not divorcing Hal, Stuart tells her that it shouldn’t be that big of a problem in the long run. He advises her to go for VP; if she wants to, she can divorce Hal and still get the job. With this, things get clearer for Kate, whose decision hangs on the future of her and Hal’s marriage.
By the end, Kate still hasn’t made up her mind. And even if she has, it hasn’t been made official. She wants the job, especially after the crisis handling she managed so well in London. After seeing how the brains of the President of the USA and the Prime Minister of the UK work, she realizes that there needs to be someone who can rein in their destructive tendencies and stop them from making impulsive decisions. Someone with a rational mind who can work behind the scenes and impact the world. While there are still many factors for her to consider, there’s no doubt that Kate would seize the chance if she gets to be the VP.
Read More: Are Kate and Hal Wyler Based on a Real American Diplomats?
