The Diplomat Recap: Going to Hal in a Handbasket

by

By the middle of season three, Kate Wyler finally feels she’s achieved her long-desired goal: a work life separate from Hal, and a personal life where she’s free from him. It seems perfect – no more needing to cover for Hal, smooth things over, or constantly redefine their relationship. They present as married publicly, but are privately divorced. But is this really what she wanted, or is something missing?

Kate quickly finds that her new role as Second Lady and Ambassador isn’t much different from her previous life – it’s just a new version of the same demanding situation. Her brief period of enjoyment ends abruptly upon her return from Washington D.C. Trowbridge immediately takes control of her schedule, disrupting important meetings about North Sea oil drilling and Eidra’s potential promotion. He pulls her away right before she was supposed to accompany Eidra to a crucial meeting with Dennison, and all Kate can do is quickly call and advise Eidra to make a good impression on the foreign secretary. Sounds easy enough, right?

Honestly, the day was the complete opposite of how I thought it would go after talking to Stuart that morning. It’s like everyone just sees me as ‘the Second Lady,’ and my own thoughts or feelings don’t seem to matter. Being far away from Hal doesn’t even register with people; they’re so focused on him. It’s actually *worse* now that he’s Vice President! All anyone wants to do is talk *about* Hal when they’re talking *to* me. I even jokingly complained to Stuart that I must have ‘Ask me about Hal’ written all over my face, because I swear, that’s all people seem to think about when they look at me!

It certainly appears that’s what’s happening. Trowbridge deliberately acts rude towards Kate, repeatedly calling her “Mrs. Vice-President” and playfully teasing her about getting upset when Hal’s name comes up in meetings. He even has his team flood the official Downing Street Instagram with pictures of the two of them. Most concerningly, he refuses to discuss the Eidra issue unless Hal agrees to indefinitely postpone addressing the Danes’ concerns about drilling licenses. Meanwhile, Secretary Ganon mistakenly believes Kate’s simple request for a quick video call is a manipulative tactic orchestrated by Hal, who he fears is trying to get him fired. To make matters worse, Hal’s chief of staff, Nora, actually hangs up on her during the call.

Kate previously accepted being number two to her husband professionally, as it aligned with their official roles. However, being Second Lady has proven much more difficult. Unlike before, where she could balance her responsibilities depending on the situation, she now feels she has no control over how people see her, hindering her ability to succeed in either her role as Second Lady or as an ambassador. Eidra, who has experienced this frustrating situation multiple times recently, bluntly states that the only way to manage both positions is to do both of them inadequately.

Eidra’s meeting with Dennison – and unexpectedly, Tom Libby – clearly illustrates the shifting focus. She expected a discussion about saving her job, but they were primarily interested in determining if Trowbridge was responsible for Roylin’s death and whether the CIA covered it up as a suicide. This seems to be the beginning of the internal investigation Trowbridge previously agreed to. They’re hoping to find something – anything – they can use to control him. Unfortunately for them, Eidra can’t help; Roylin acted independently, and despite Trowbridge’s attempt to harm her last season, he appears to have his violent impulses under control. Without any solid evidence, they can’t assist Eidra at this time, nor are they interested in the Cooperative Global Messaging Initiative.

The Cooperative Global Messaging Initiative could be useful, especially as a way to disrupt Russia. However, it means Eidra will be stuck managing a lengthy and likely unproductive disinformation campaign, adding to the already overwhelming amount of unreliable information her team has to review. Despite this, she’ll take on the role if it protects her job and reputation. This situation mirrors Kate’s growing desperation to reach Hal.

She’d been trying to reach him for hours, growing more frustrated with each attempt. Finally, she sent a single, all-caps word: ARDEN – a code they’d previously agreed upon to signal a serious emergency. He’d explained to Nora that this code would be used for things like a miscarriage, car accident, or other major crisis. We saw a similar moment with Kate and the talkative senator, who was about to ask about her family. It’s never been explicitly said whether Hal and Kate are childless by choice or because of medical issues, but the show referencing pregnancy in two episodes back-to-back feels significant. Importantly, the show doesn’t need to explain it; I appreciate how subtly they’ve introduced this potentially meaningful detail and left it at that.

Kate turning to ARDEN only after Hal’s team had already tried everything takes away from its impact. But what really upsets Hal is that Kate, without any input from the White House, has put him in a difficult spot regarding the drilling licenses – a position Grace will have to publicly separate herself from. It’s a bad look, and he’s angry. However, it feels like she’s simply returning the favor, so maybe it’s just how things go when your public image and private life are at odds.

Okay, can we talk about the D-I-V-O-R-C-E episode?! I was losing it when Kate *finally* reached Hal – it took some doing with her Secret Service agent practically pulling overtime to make it happen, but she got through to him at Dennison’s party. And then, *finally*, after seasons of build-up, Kate and Dennison had their moment! Seriously, I was not prepared for that kiss and the… well, let’s just say they were trying to get comfortable! Just when things were heating up over his desk, the phone rang! Ugh! He quickly passed it to her and made a hasty exit, pretending it was bad timing. Talk about a tease! Here’s hoping they get another chance soon!

Kate, feeling defeated, tried to regain her composure after a wardrobe mishap – her dress was too tight and the zipper stuck. She briefly returned to the party before deciding she needed to be alone. Though she might appreciate solitude later, tonight it felt isolating. Unable to reach the zipper herself and without her husband, Hal, to help, she reluctantly asked her security agent, Bonaventura, for assistance. The intimate act of needing his help after such a difficult day only deepened her sadness.

Honestly, the whole situation was a bit of a mess with everyone trying to figure out security protocols. They were initially suggesting a relaxed approach – just keep a reasonable distance, you know? But then this agent from the U.S. team jumped in and insisted on a very strict six-foot (two-meter) perimeter – not a step more, not a step less! Byron clearly wasn’t thrilled with that level of restriction, but Mr. Bonaventura basically said that her feelings didn’t matter; their priority was keeping her safe, and that’s what they were going to do.

Intrigue and Crumpets

Agent Bonaventura and his team are the highlights of this episode, consistently delivering laughs. Kate continues to view them with suspicion, but the playful rivalry between the American and British agents – especially their running joke about metric versus imperial measurements – is genuinely funny. Kate’s exasperation with her decoy’s messy hair also provides a subtle, amusing touch.

We also loved Kate’s witty comparison of Trowbridge to a “parasitic barnacle” and Dennison’s amusing description of his home’s style as “repression meets inbred chic.”

Eidra’s evaluation of Kate’s performance with her two jobs is accurate, but I’m optimistic she’ll improve now that we’re only halfway through the season.

I initially planned to correct Trowbridge for his colorful description of the US being “reticent” to help Russia, as “reluctant” seemed more appropriate. However, Merriam-Webster has informed me that using ‘reticent’ as a synonym for ‘reluctant’ is actually acceptable, even if it deviates from the word’s original meaning of ‘keeping silent.’ They say there’s no reason to avoid using it! It’s tough being a stickler for correct word usage sometimes, and I could use your support.

I will definitely mark him down for not being able to tell the difference between the North Sea and the North Atlantic. It’s a pretty basic geographical distinction – like knowing the difference between the UK and Northern Ireland! Considering how educated he is, it’s surprising he didn’t know that.

Read More

2025-10-16 16:56