‘The Diplomat’ sent fans spiraling with the announcement that its second season was dropping with only 6 episodes, as opposed to the standard 8 episodes its first season enjoyed. It’s been done so many times that it’s now public knowledge that episode drops in a show correlate to budget cuts, but this time round, budget was actually not the issue, timeline was. Here’s what the show’s creator has to say about it.
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The Diplomat – Debora Cahn Says Episode Drop Decision Was Not Made By Netflix
It wouldn’t be the first time that Netflix has slashed the episodes of our favorite shows – or worse, cancelled them – but this time, they’re not to blame for ‘The Diplomat’s’ shorter season 2 run. Or maybe they are, indirectly, if you do consider it.
According to the series creator Deborah Cahn, she made the decision to have a shorter script this time round due to the tight deadline Netflix gave them to work with at the time. According to her, the idea to have a shorter run did not sit well with Netflix.
“It was my decision,” Cahn told TVLine, “[Netflix] was not happy. They wanted the full eight….I was really tired. It was a time thing. It felt like there wasn’t enough time to turn around eight of them. It was a lot to do in what appeared to be a short period of time.”
Having fewer episodes turned out to be hugely unnecessary because they later got an extension to match the industry standard of 18 months.
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If Cahn had known from the start, fans would have gotten the full 8-episode package. “Had we known it was going to be a year and a half before we got back on the air, it would’ve been different,” Cahn said.
The Diplomat – What To Expect From ‘The Diplomat’s’ Second Season
The synopsis for the political trailer reads, “A deadly explosion in the heart of London shatters US Ambassador Kate Wyler’s world (Russell),” reads the synopsis. “Struggling to rebuild the lives that broke and the team that split apart, Kate’s worst fears unfold: The attack that brought her to the UK didn’t come from a rival nation, it came from inside the British government.”
“As Kate chases the truth, her only real ally is her almost-ex-husband Hal Wyler (Sewell), very much alive, and very much involved,” it continues. “She faces a fraught marriage, a complex dynamic with British Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi), and a threatening visit from Vice President Grace Penn (Janney).” Happily, it’s not the last we’ll see of ‘The Diplomat’ because it’s been greenlit for a third season.
However, this goes to prove that Netflix’s rise has sort of changed the way shows are produced. Previously, we got 20 to 25-episode shows every year, and now, if we get our favorite 8-episode shows turned around in two years, we’re considered lucky.
On that note, we’re still waiting for Jenna Ortega’s ‘Wednesday’ following its first season premiere in 2022.
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