‘The Diplomat’s Ali Ahn Says This Shocking Season 2 Moment Had the Cast “Throwing Scripts” (2024)

Editor's note: This interview contains spoilers for The Diplomat Season 2.

The long-awaited return of The Diplomat is finally here. After a shocking Season 1 finale, we finally learn what happened to those affected by the car bomb — including Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell) and Stuart (Ato Essandoh) — as well as how their loved ones like Kate (Keri Russell) and Eidra (Ali Ahn) are coping. Oh, and there’s also that whole international crisis going on. And the fact that Eidra just broke things off with Stuart. And Kate’s complicated relationship with UK Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi).

If you thought The Diplomat Season 1 was dramatic, Season 2 raises the stakes even higher. But even with the added tension, the show still manages to find some hilarious moments, thanks to Debora Cahn’s phenomenal writing and the pitch-perfect delivery of the cast. Ahn is more hilarious than ever this season, delivering quips with dry, deadpan ease, and Gyasi gets his own juicy material to sink his teeth into, especially when it comes to his characters’ scenes with Hal. They’re not just comedic relief, though — Eidra and Dennison both have deep moments of discovery and transformation this season, which are a true treat to watch as well.

Collider got the chance to speak to Ahn and Gyasi about the spy escapades their characters get into, their favorite lines, what could be next for their characters in Season 3 after that wild Season 2 finale twist, and more.

Ali Ahn Loved Doing “Spy Escapades” in ‘The Diplomat’ Season 2

First of all, congratulations on the show — it's legitimately one of my favorites on right now.

ALI AHN: Oh, that's so nice.

I love it so much, and one of my favorite things about it are the secret, creative ways people communicate. Eidra circling “PM” on the doctor's whiteboard when talking about the Prime Minister I found so clever. I'm curious if you guys have a favorite clever little moment like that because the show is just so riddled with them.

AHN: Oh, gosh — there are so many things like that.

DAVID GYASI: I loved — I know we're talking about Season 2 — but I loved the Russian speaking in the office and writing a note.

AHN: Oh, yeah — that was incredible.

GYASI: She left, and he had to do this whole rant, and she went and found out and then came back in — how cool that was.

AHN: That was incredible.

GYASI: But that's Season 1. And hey, look, there's bigger and better ways that we do it Season 2, so make sure you come.

AHN: We have actual spy escapades in Season 2 and operations that you get to see, which I think is fun.

GYASI: With the bait?

AHN: Yeah, there's a bag switch, there's also like the decoy. Obviously, there's stuff in Inveraray Castle.

GYASI: There’s a name for it, isn’t there?

AHN: There is an actual procedure taken from The Spy Manual. I think that's what it's called — The Spy Manual. It's an actual maneuver.

GYASI: And that is possibly even better than the Russian thing.

Ali Ahn and David Gyasi Highlight ‘The Diplomat’ Season 2’s Comedic Moments

It's so good. I never know what's coming next. David, we get to see Dennison versus Hal this season, and seeing you and Rufus bounce off each other is just so much fun. What was it like getting to play with that element of things?

GYASI: I love Rufus to bits, and it’s just nice to have a scene where two men are being very silly and peacocking. It’s like, “Oh, we actually do this, don't we?” We do this like women are our property or something. It’s so ridiculous but incredibly fun to play. He's sitting on the edge of his chair, so I sit on the edge of my chair and be a bit taller, and he's a bit taller, and then — at the end — he delivers a wonderful line, and we're like, “Okay.”

AHN: And then Keri gets to be like, “Boys, boys, stop.”

I love it so much because, obviously, yeah, the show is a drama, but there are so many of those fun comedic moments, and there are so many lines that make me laugh out loud — especially Eidra’s. One that I feel like I'm going to be quoting is, “Go to cocktails and act normal.” With your deadpan delivery, it just killed me. I'm wondering if you have a favorite Edra line or even just a favorite line in general.

AHN: Oh, gosh. I think that the way that I understood Eidra’s sense of humor was in Season 1 — let me see if I can get this right…. She has a line where she’s trying to question Hal, but Kate keeps interrupting, and I think Eidra says something like, “I could use a little less of that.” Something like that.

GYASI: That’s my favorite Eidra line!

AHN: She's such a master of the minimal but cutting remark — very few words, but she only says what she needs to. There's nothing extra about her, which I think is fun.

David Gyasi and Ali Ahn Deep-Dive Into Their ‘The Diplomat’ Characters’ Juicy Season 2 Arcs

I have such a blast whenever you're on screen, and you, too, David. Dennison goes through so much this season, and I'm curious how you think he's feeling at the end of things after this whole journey.

GYASI: It's funny because right at the beginning — where we leave Season 1, that explosion — the world, his internal world, external, that completely changes. In many ways, the relationship between him and Kate, they just put it to one side. As we get to the end of it, what they put to one side is, like, festering. I feel like he's like, “This is absolutely not gonna happen. This is not the case. And that’s final.” But that's knocking on the door. And that's where we leave him — that's knocking on the door. But there’s also this not who he can trust — if he can trust her, if he can trust his Prime Minister.

AHN: Everybody needs a drink at the end of the season.

GYASI: That’s how he feels.

AHN: Everybody. Everyone needs a drink.

GYASI: Everyone needs a drink.

We all need to go to cocktails and act normal. I also really love the personal dynamics that Eidra and Stuart go through, and I have to say, Pi is like the most adorable nickname I’ve ever heard. I really, really liked seeing her get to be vulnerable, even though it did break my heart at the same time. So I'm curious for you, Ali — what kind of growing do you think she needs to do in her personal and relationship life?

AHN: I mean, I think it's pretty obvious. She doesn't really let much of her personal life happen. I think Eidra definitely needs to learn how to rely on somebody else. I think she needs to learn to trust people, but it's hard because Stuart threw her under the bus. So even in the moment where she's like, “Maybe I could open my heart a little bit,” she learns no — she cannot trust anyone. I don't think her work-life balance is at all balanced. So that's probably where she's struggling.

Ali Ahn and David Gyasi React to that Shocking ‘The Diplomat’ Season 2 Cliffhanger

I have to talk a little bit, jumping ahead, about that insane cliffhanger that we're left on because the show is just a master of those. I feel like every season, it’s just jaw drop, gasping at the TV. What was your reaction upon reading it, and then what do you think your characters fear the most at the end of the season?

AHN: I think our reaction was your reaction. Half of us were shocked, mouth open, and then half of the cast was actually jumping up and throwing scripts, so I think we were all shocked and delighted. It's so juicy. For Eidra, I think at the end of the season, what she's scared of is like, does she still have a job? And that's all I'm gonna say — no spoilers.

GYASI: I'm still in shock. I'm literally still…you asked me where my character's at, and I think, if the world at the end of Season 1 everything shifts, just when you think it can't shift any more, it's like, “Well, now where are we?” It's so interesting to me. In Season 1, where Dennison’s a bit slick, and he's ahead of the game. Season 2, he’s not quite ahead of the game anymore. Season 3 — if that were to ever happen — where would he be?

AHN: He would still be at the bar. He would still be at the bar.

GYASI: He would still be at the bar drinking cocktails like nothing happened.

AHN: Like, “What am I supposed to do?”

I love it. Well, I'm definitely manifesting a Season 3. I need that in my life. Before I go, Ali, I have to say, I'm really loving you in Agatha All Along as well.

AHN: Aww, awesome!

Ali Ahn fall — I’m deeming it so.

AHN: [Laughs] Thank you!

GYASI: Ali Ahn fall!

The Diplomat Season 2 is now on Netflix.

The Diplomat

Drama

Thriller

Release Date

April 20, 2023

Creator

Cast

Keri Russell , Rufus Sewell , David Gyasi , Ali Ahn , Rory Kinnear , Ato Essandoh , pearl mackie , Tim Delap , Adam Silver , Kenichiro Thomson , Celia Imrie , Nana Mensah , Jess Chanliau , Penny Downie , Georgie Henley , Bhav Joshi , Michael McKean , Miguel Sandoval , Graham Miller , Sandy Amon-Schwartz , Elijah Cook , David Bark-Jones , Richard Dillane , Rupert Vansittart , Pandora Colin

Watch on Netflix