The Diplomat

Keri Russell's performance here is nothing short of a revelation. Her characterization of American career diplomat Kate Wyler is a mesmerizing mash-up of strength, humor, intelligence, vulnerability and, oh my, sexiness. "The Diplomat" deftly caricatures the realm of international diplomacy and its denizens. And while the world hasn't yet descended to the chicanery of the storyline's plot, the wonderfully talented, diverse cast makes it easy to believe that most governments are overrun by people who never emotionally escaped middle school. This series looks good, sounds good, feels good -- it is sublimely fun and smart adult entertainment. All Netflix needs to do now is announce Season 2, and let Ms. Russell and company continue to work their magic.

As hard to believe as it might seem, this series is also 'fresh'. It is truly original - it hasn't been done before. Midway through the first episode, something else of significance occurs, and somehow the makers of this drama managed to convince the people who make the trailers not to include it - or even allude to it. I am only midway through the second episode, but I can already tell you that this is not similar to other shows or books in the spy/suspense genre. It is also somewhat refreshing, because it isn't dominated by the sort of paranoia that bedevils Australians and others. The writing is deft; plot and dialogue flow together seamlessly. The acting is very, very credible.

Absolutely top tier production and acting throughout. The screenplay is clever and interesting, engaging and well-paced. Character development is pretty robust, and the players aren't simple caricatures. Again and again a character at first appears to be one-dimensional, but then the story develops and they actually are much more complex than the first blush.

My only complaint is that some of the injected "romance" storylines are so ham-fisted and out of place they are disjointed and jarring. Professional situations that suddenly devolve into "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy" seemingly out of nowhere. Someone decided to soap opera the show up a bit and it does not improve the result.

I have to admit that I wasn't planning on watching The Diplomat but after hearing so many great things about it and reading all the great reviews I thought I'd give it a chance. I'm so glad that I did because it was great. I'm actually surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I was hooked from the very first episode. Even though Keri Russell was great in The Americans I thought it was more about the writing than her acting so I wasn't really sure her and Rufus Sewell could carry a series as leads but they absolutely do, they both are fantastic here. The chemistry between those two is what makes this show so good. I could definitely see this series winning some awards.

You know those TV series where "the first episodes are a bit slow, but by the end of the second season you're hooked"? Well, The Diplomat is the other kind.

It starts with a bang (literally!) and we're quickly introduced to the Wylers; the rest of the cast follows suit, in a barrage of quick, witty dialogue, instead of wasting an episode to "introduce the characters".

There's good chemistry between Russell and Sewell; their husband and wife banter is well written. Every character is believable even if not necessarily likeable, and the plot is quick paced.

I know this is not real-life diplomacy, much like the 007 movies aren't documentaries: this series is entertainment, and I highly recommend it as such.