Netflix's Best Show Officially Returns Next Month After One Year Away

Published Sep 3, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT Liz Hersey is an Editor and Critic for ScreenRant's TV team, editing, reviewing, writing, and creating content about the iconic shows you love to watch. She began her editing career at ScreenRant in 2019, shortly after joining the site as a Writer that same year. With a passion for all things books, Liz frequently attends Toronto literary events and conferences, and loves interacting with her book lover community. In addition to being an avid reader of the romance and thriller genres, Liz is a writer of several short stories, and is currently at work on a young adult witch novel. When she's not working, reading, or writing, Liz can be found seeing movies at her local cinema, attending live jazz events, or curling up on the couch to binge her favorite TV shows. You can reach her at liz.h@screenrant.com. Netflix may not have a reputation for producing the best shows, but their crowd-pleasing yet critically acclaimed political thriller that's returning for its fourth season is a feather in the streaming platform's cap. When Netflix first started making original series, shows like House of Cards, Orange Is the New Black, The Crown, and Mindhunter were some of the most prestigious on television. Early in the 2020s, however, streamers stopped competing over artistic integrity in favor of perfecting the algorithm and increasing subscription numbers. The result was a glut of new TV shows with diminished quality, many of which would go on to face inevitable cancelation, with Netflix being especially guilty of prematurely pulling the plug on myriad original series. This makes Netflix's The Diplomat such a welcome outlier. Premiering in 2023, The Diplomat stars Keri Russell as Kate Wyler, the titular official who becomes the ambassador to the UK amidst a major conspiracy. Throughout The Diplomat's first three seasons, Kate has navigated personal and professional betrayals, global power struggles, and life-or-death stakes. She'll be back at it when The Diplomat season 4 premieres on October 15, 2026, with the series looking to hold onto its crown as Netflix's best show. The Diplomat Has Quietly Become Netflix's Best Show The Diplomat works so well because of its brilliant blend of accessibility and prestige. Just as important to the series as global crises is Kate's very messy, complicated marriage to her husband, Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), the former US ambassador to Lebanon and Iraq. This makes The Diplomat's leads not only more relatable but also much more entertaining to watch than the protagonists of other political thriller shows. Of course, Kate and Hal wouldn't be nearly as captivating if not for Russell and Sewell's incredible talents, not to mention their unmatched chemistry. The casting in The Diplomat is superb and keeps getting better, with The West Wing alumni Allison Janney and Bradly Whitford joining in seasons 2 and 3, respectively. Primetime Emmy Nominations for The Diplomat Season Category Season 1 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - Keri Russell Season 2 Outstanding Drama Series Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - Keri Russell Season 3 Outstanding Drama Series Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - Keri Russell Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series - Rufus Sewell Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Allison Janney Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series - Bradley Whitford It's telling that each subsequent season of The Diplomat sees a spike in Primetime Emmy nominations. In season 1, only Russell got the nod; season 2 saw her receive the honor again, with the show also being nominated for Outstanding Drama Series; and in season 3, The Diplomat received a grand total of seven nominations for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards. Whereas most contemporary shows diminish in quality, The Diplomat ​​​​​​keeps getting better. Can The Diplomat Maintain Its Streak Of Improving With Each Season? Image via Netflix The longer a show runs, the more it's at risk of growing stale or jumping the shark. However, The Diplomat has kept getting better, with season 3 earning an impressive 97% on Rotten Tomatoes — compared to season 1's 84% and season 2's 95%. While there's no guarantee that The Diplomat season 4 will continue this upward trend, it's certainly poised to make it happen. With Whitford joining the cast as Todd Penn, the First Gentleman of the United States and husband to Janney's President Grace Hagen Penn, in season 3, The Diplomat became a taut, gripping four-hander between these former West Wing co-stars and Russell and Sewell. After the shocking betrayals in The Diplomat season 3 finale, marital and political alliances have been thrown up in the air, and what will happen next is anyone's guess. There is a chance that this intensity could bleed The Diplomat season 4 of the show's lighter satire, and create too somber a tone. However, with creator Debora Cahn's track record and the cast's impeccable, lived-in chemistry, it's not likely. All will be revealed come October 15. Release Date April 20, 2023 Network Netflix Showrunner Debora Cahn Cast Keri Russell Ambassador Kate Wyler Directors Alex Graves, Andrew Bernstein, Simon Cellan Jones, Tucker Gates Writers Peter Noah Creator(s) Debora Cahn