Is Netflix's The Diplomat a true story?

Netflix The Diplomat feels realistic as it follows some familiar political storylines, leading to questions about how much of the series is based on fact. The Diplomat stars Keri Russell as Kate Wyler, the new ambassador to the United Kingdom who is dealing with an unhappy marriage with her husband, Hal Wyler, played by Rufus Sewell. The show explores the difficulties of maintaining relationships, whether romantic, like Kate's marriage, or the relationship between two countries. It shows some very real topics between real-world countries, making it feel authentic.

Over the first two seasons of The DiplomatKate adjusts to her new position and the scrutiny of the spotlight, while being drawn into an international conspiracy. As a woman in a position of power, Kate tolerates a lot of sexism, which is one of the most realistic parts of the series, as it is seen a lot in society. With the very real elements The Diplomat present and his stories that seem very familiar, raised many questions about how real he is.

Netflix's The Diplomat is not based on a true story

The fictional story arose from conversations with real diplomats

While The Diplomat may seem real, mainly due to Russell's convincing performance, it is not based on a true story. Instead, the Netflix series is a fictional story of a woman in politics and how she deals with her new power. However, the show takes a lot of inspiration from real-life events. The DiplomatDebora Cahn creator was inspired to create the Netflix series after meeting with US ambassadors while writing for the show Homeland.

Although Cahn took inspiration from real-life people when creating the show, The Diplomatmain characters, Kate and Hal. are not based on real people. Cahn wanted to create a couple who work together to show how such intense work can affect a relationship. Although Russell and Sewell make their characters and relationships so believable, it's easy to understand why there were doubts about how fictional they are.

The Diplomat even includes references to real-life political events

The show maintains realism through topical references

Although the show is fiction, it includes many real-life references. One of them, in particular, occurs during The Diplomat season 1, episode 2, when the show references the assassination of Qasem Soleimani. Soleimani was an Iranian military officer assassinated in 2020 by a US drone strike as he was believed to have plans to attack the United States.. The program also referenced more recent events such as the Russia-Ukraine war.

These references are linked The Diplomat to make the show feel more real and believable. The inclusion of real-life references blurs the line between fact and fiction, further drawing the audience into the story.

How accurate is the diplomat to the real world?

Royal ambassadors pointed out diplomat's exaggerated view

Given that The Diplomat explores a unique world that isn't always seen in other shows, it raises questions about how closely the show sticks to reality. As is typically the case with fictional shows, The Diplomat it seems to stretch the truth of what the real situation is like to serve the drama of the story. The Guardian spoke to several real-life ambassadors and diplomats about their opinion of the series and how accurate it is.

In many cases, those who were asked about the representation of their world in The Diplomat admitted that there is not much precision in the political thriller series. An unidentified British diplomat admitted that they discovered that the show's portrayal of Kate's interaction with British leaders was largely fictionsharing:

“I wouldn't say there is a great effort to understand or reflect the protocol: the way the Ministry of Foreign Affairs interacts with number 10 and the way it interacts with the embassies. They have played very fast and loose with these relationships.”

Other people had some funny things to point out The Diplomat Compared to the real world, as American diplomat Jenna Ben-Yehuda suggested, the people on the show are much more attractive than the real people in the profession. However, there are those who approach the program's inaccuracies more seriously. Brett Bruen, director of global engagement in the Obama White House, was dismayed to see the show embrace the espionage angle rather than portraying the real world of diplomats:

“What was particularly disappointing is that this continues a long tradition of shows that put a foreign policy focus on the title and then veer completely into something that has little or nothing to do with actual diplomacy.”

However, there are still details The Diplomat that others were impressed. In many of the exhibition's settings, the furniture is from the American brand Drexel, known for furnishing the homes of American diplomats abroad. Overall, those looking for an in-depth exploration of what it's really like to be a diplomat should look to other outlets such as The Diplomat it simply draws on a real-world setting to tell its own story.