'The Diplomat' Season 3 Ending Explained And Season 4 Theories

The Diplomat Season 3’s ending was mostly centered around developing a strategy to better handle the tantrums of British Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge and calm him down so he would be open for a dialogue with POTUS Grace Penn, who wanted to inform him about the doomsday weapon lying on his doorstep, figuratively speaking. [Spoiler Alert] A foreign national named Callum Ellis had received intel about a lost Russian submarine carrying a top-secret radioactive torpedo called Poseidon that could plunge the entire British Isles into the sea. Through marine sensor data received from various countries near the North Sea, Callum figured out the exact location of the nuclear submarine; however, none of these countries had the technical capabilities to retrieve the submarine. Under normal circumstances, Trowbridge would have sought help from Britain’s longtime ally, the USA, but their relationship had turned sour shortly after Trowbridge found out that America’s former president, William Rayburn, had his hands soaked in innocent British blood. In order to protect her own position, Penn and her officials, including Kate and her husband, VP Hal Wyler, lied to British authorities that the dead president was responsible for the terrorist attack on the HMS Courageous that took the lives of 41 innocent British sailors.

During the press conference, Trowbridge was supposed to inform the reporters that important members of both nations were involved in the conspiracy, but at the very end, Trowbridge flipped. He likes to do that a lot. He made it clear to his countrymen and the world at large that the actions of the Americans wouldn’t be forgiven or forgotten. Well, it was a blatant decision to cut ties with the Americans, and Grace Penn wouldn’t even have entertained his theatrics if it wasn’t for Poseidon. Trowbridge was planning to contact China to get rid of the Russian submarine, and if the Chinese would have gotten their hands on the doomsday weapon, it would have turned the world upside down. Any emerging superpower like China could easily replicate the tech and make more of these nuclear torpedoes that can be deployed on undetectable submarines, thereby threatening the security of the entire world. So, in The Diplomat Season 3’s ending, Penn had to finally set her dignity aside and offer an apology to Trowbridge so that they could sit and talk about the submarine. Penn proposed a bilateral summit, to which Trowbridge agreed. He invited them to Camellia House to listen to whatever lies the Americans had to sell him this time around.

Hal Made Kate Lie to Trowbridge

Any attempt to have a sensible conversation with Trowbridge feels like hitting your head on a hard rock. You see, even his foreign minister, Austin Dennison, and the other MPs don’t trust Trowbridge. Dennison still suspects that Trowbridge ordered a hit on Margaret Roylin to secure his own position in the government. I mean, it’s funny that Dennison thinks more highly of Trowbridge than is justified. With Roylin gone, he is nothing but a bully making all these rash decisions that will sooner or later expose his true face. Nevertheless, back to business, Penn tried to convince Trowbridge that the submarine was a serious threat, but he called the Americans liars to their face. I think Trowbridge was of the opinion that the Americans wanted to get their hands on the Russian submarine to copy the technology, and I really didn’t want to say this, but “he is not entirely wrong.” The US Navy had estimated that it would take years to make these nuclear warheads deployable in a submarine. But to their horror, the Russians have got there already, and now the Americans eagerly want to know how. Now here comes the fun part.

Penn had ordered an American submarine to procure pictures of the Russian submarine to make Trowbridge realize that the threat was real. But even though Trowbridge was ready to give them the benefit of the doubt, he didn’t trust them with the submarine. It didn’t make any difference to him if China got their hands on the submarine or the Americans. At least the Chinese hadn’t conspired to blow up a British vessel. For global politics, handing China the submarine was a matter of concern, but for Trowbridge, it was about revenge, about making the Americans realize that they are not the supreme authority in the world. He wasn’t ready to just hand over an apocalyptic superweapon to an unchecked superpower found guilty of manipulating global politics through violence. Hal knew where this negotiation was leading, and therefore asked Kate to propose to Trowbridge that they bury the nuclear submarine instead of removing it, and in that way, no one would be getting the piece of cake, neither China nor the USA. Finally, Trowbridge agreed to the deal to initiate the remediation mission with the help of the Americans. But unfortunately, this is not the end.

The Americans Stole Poseidon

I guess Hal and Penn already knew that Trowbridge would never agree to hand over a weapon of mass destruction to the Americans, especially after they breached their trust. This was why Penn was skeptical of sending an American military surveillance vehicle into British territorial waters just to gather evidence to coax Trowbridge’s ego, because invading a country’s territory without their permission would amount to an act of war. Penn wasn’t ready to take that chance, especially when she was well aware of Trowbridge’s tantrums. However, Hal came up with an offer that would serve the needs of both nations. He asked Penn to instruct the American submarine to steal the torpedo from the Russian vessel so they could give Trowbridge the offer to destroy the submarine, which they knew he would eventually agree to. As for now, Trowbridge doesn’t know that Poseidon is missing from the submarine, but someone on his team does. Shortly after the meeting, Callum received maritime data that reported a 60 percent decrease in the radiation level around the submarine. He believed that the Russians retrieved their weapon and left the damaged submarine behind. And I am sure Callum is going to communicate the same theory to Trowbridge, suggesting that it was the Russians, while the reality is far different. There’s only one person, except for Penn and Hal, who knows the truth about the conspiracy, and that’s Kate, but no matter how ethically motivated Kate is as a person, she won’t betray her own country, right?

The thing is, this is not the first time that Penn has pulled such a stunt. In the previous season, Penn told Kate that it was she who asked Roylin to stage a harmless attack on HMS Courageous to unite Great Britain. Due to a shift in the political dynamics, Scotland had decided to no longer be a part of the United Kingdom, but it meant that shortly after attaining its freedom, the Scottish government would close down the nuclear submarine base, Creegan. It was the only nuclear base Americans had in Europe, and losing it would not only mean exposing themselves to the Russian submarines and warships but also losing on the nuclear front to the Russians. In short, they couldn’t afford to lose Creegan. Now, in season 3, Penn, on Hal’s advice, ordered the Navy to steal the nuclear warhead from under Trowbridge’s nose so that the doomsday weapon wouldn’t fall into the hands of their enemies. But this is the narrative they will be selling to their countrymen and to the world if they are ever found guilty of the act.

We really don’t know what the Americans are going to do with Poseidon, but as far as I am aware, they didn’t steal it to design a defense mechanism or detection radar to protect them or other nations from similar weapons. They stole it so that they can replicate the technology and create more and more nuclear torpedoes, which will make them stronger than their sworn enemy, Russia. And for a country like the UK, they are just stuck in the middle of these superpowers flexing their nuclear arsenals. As I mentioned earlier, for Trowbridge, Russia or China are no different than America. He can’t trust any of them because when it comes to protecting their own sovereignty, they won’t mind throwing 41 sailors under the bus just to keep one nuclear base from shutting down. It’s dirty, it’s evil, but that’s what politics is.

Kate’s Hands Are Tied

Okay, let’s just forget the politics, because a dimwit like me won’t understand the true depth of global politics or the true intentions of our leaders. They do what they “think” is in the best interest of our country. But what’s Kate going to do next? If you ask me, she doesn’t have much say in the matter. She can’t tell Callum or anyone the truth because that would mean betraying her own country, and for that crime, she will not only lose her job but also jeopardize her entire career as a diplomat. The most Kate can do is leave Hal because he used her as a puppet to further his own plans, but again, this isn’t the first time Hal’s done something like this. He’s known for using these crazy methods to help his country and the people in government, so the only thing Kate can do is feel bad about Callum. The thing is, Callum is a foreign national, and Kate cannot go public with her relationship with him as long as she’s Hal’s wife and a holder of public office. If she’s ready to sacrifice it all for love, then maybe, but as of now, it’s no more than a fling, which they will have to keep a secret as long as it lasts. And the way I see it, it won’t last long. You see, it’s quite obvious that Trowbridge will hold Callum accountable for the mess that is about to unravel. Maybe he’ll accuse Callum of being a double agent for the Kremlin and throw him in a prison, and no matter how badly Kate wants to help him, she won’t be able to do much. I believe in the end, Callum will become a scapegoat for the Americans, and Trowbridge will be left grinding his teeth because even if he knows that the Americans stole Poseidon, he won’t be able to procure evidence against them. The Americans will once again be hailed as heroes in Great Britain for helping the government clear the radioactive wreck spilled by a Russian submarine on the North Coast of England. But the real question here is: will Kate and Hal’s marriage survive another blow?

In The Diplomat Season 3’s ending, Kate had decided to go back to America to give her marriage another chance, but will her stance remain the same now that she knows the truth about Poseidon? The reason why Kate asked Hal to take her back was because she felt that the two of them would make a great team. Together, they solved a world crisis, but in the end, she realized it was just a trap set by Hal to get Trowbridge onboard with their plan. So Kate will never have any individuality in her career for as long as her husband is around, or she’s with him, which means she has to leave him sooner or later so she herself can have her own presence or voice. And I believe Kate is ready to make that leap of faith. The whole Poseidon ruckus is just a reminder for her to no longer let Hal or anyone else use her as bait, because she is much more capable than that. But with all that said, I will really love to see what decision Kate finally makes in season 4.

Billie Can Turn The Table Upside Down

There’s someone in the White House who might turn out to be Kate’s strongest ally. Billie Appiah has never been a big fan of Hal’s outlandish ideas, nor does she like Penn much. She was the one who wanted to get rid of the former vice president, as she was well aware of the ruckus she had created with Roylin. However, Billie didn’t inform Rayburn about the conspiracy because she believed his weak heart wouldn’t be able to handle such a scandal. She’d wanted to attend to matters quietly, but Roylin spilled her secret. In the present time, Penn, on Kate’s advice, had decided to pin the entire blame on Rayburn, but Billie wasn’t happy with the decision, as it ruined the legacy of the former president, whom Billie considered no less than a father to her. But she couldn’t do much about it because her hands were tied as well. However, if Billie found out that Penn and her VP had a hand in another scandal that could jeopardize the position of the US and sever their ties with most of the European countries, then she could be the whistleblower who wouldn’t mind exposing Penn, Hal, and their treacherous schemes. What I am trying to say is that Kate alone can’t do much about the stolen torpedo, but what if Billie backs her up? I know this is quite a far-fetched theory, because it was Billie herself who had stopped Stuart Heyford from doing anything stupid, but we never know. She is really fed up with the way Penn is handling her presidency, and her loyalty can flip any moment. Everyone has a boiling point, right? Also, the way I see it, Kate looks likely to become the President of the United States of America, and Billie will have a larger role to play in it. I don’t know how that is going to happen, and exactly when, but I am quite certain that Kate is destined for greatness? We will find out more about it in the upcoming seasons.

Hal and Penn May Get Closer

Honestly, I am not the one suggesting that the president of the United States will start a fling with her VP. It’s the First Gentleman, Todd Penn, who is spreading such rumors because he feels a bit envious of Hal’s charisma. The thing is, Hal’s not interested in such trivial things. He’s laser focused on becoming president, but if sleeping with the current president will help his cause, then why not? Speaking of Todd, he has poisoned his own mind with such thoughts, and trust me, he will no longer be able to stop entertaining them every time he sees his wife spending time with his VP. Penn and Hal may be discussing policy or staying out late for work, but Todd is going to suspect foul play, and it will eventually affect his marriage with Penn. I guess that’s what happens when a spouse’s colossal success casts a shadow on their partner’s existence. They no longer feel like they belong or are worthy. Speaking of couples, it seems Eidra and Stuart are also getting closer to each other. Well, they are still not a “thing,” but I believe in season 4, they are going to rekindle their relationship and try to make it work. And last but not least, we’ll finally find out the fate of Dennison’s new marriage. Will he be able to make it work this time?

Trowbridge May Resign or Be Kicked Out

As you are already aware, Trowbridge had dumped all the blame on late President Rayburn without informing the press that her former political advisor Margaret Roylin was equally responsible for the terrorist attack on the HMS Courageous. And this information is going to come out in the media sooner or later, putting Trowbridge in a tough spot. The very same countrymen who hail him as a hero will accuse him of withholding crucial information from the public to manipulate the narrative. This will eventually lead to a massive PR crisis, and if Trowbridge and his MPs fail to contain the chaos, then he will have no other option but to step down from his post. We already know that Dennison still has his doubts about Trowbridge. In the previous season, he had already advised him to resign, but Trowbridge couldn’t do it. This made Dennison realize that Trowbridge won’t leave his post so easily, and they will have to come up with some hard incriminating evidence that will force him out of the office. It’s not like Dennison wants to betray Trowbridge. He, along with a bunch of other MPs, doesn’t think Trowbridge is suited for the job. As long as Roylin was alive, she was guiding him to make the right decisions, but now Trowbridge is slowly losing his credibility because of the decisions he is making without considering the consequences of his actions. I believe the news of Roylin’s involvement will be the final nail in Trowbridge’s political career, but I could be wrong. I won’t deny the possibility that even though this piece of news can have a devastating effect on the UK’s political setup, Trowbridge may be able to dodge the bullet somehow. I am not sure how, but I have a feeling that he will pin the blame on someone else to preserve his position as the prime minister, and if that happens, then Dennison will lose another opportunity to kick Trowbridge out of the office. Well, it’s going to be a roller coaster ride in the next season. Also, the distressed Russian submarine could also play an important role in Trowbridge’s downfall, if it is supposed to happen. The thing is, no one really wants Trowbridge to be in a position of power. Neither the US nor his own MPs. Even his wife is slowly losing her faith in him, so we don’t know what the tides are going to bring him next.

Well, these are all the theories and explanations I can come up with in regard to the ending of The Diplomat Season 3, but if you have any other opinion or a suggestion, please feel free to drop a comment below.

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