User reviews

The banner, description, image, number of episodes (6), etc on the page for this series of "The Diplomat" are for the UK version, NOT the 8 episode Netflix version. So why hasn't some moderator removed the reviews that pertain to the Netflix version??

This (the UK 6 episode series) is quite light entertainment if a bit confusing at the start. The mystery in the first episode continues beyond that episode while, in the subsequent episodes, there is a new - and solved - mystery per episode.

The first episode is confusing in that it introduces various characters without giving enough background on each to make it understandable as to exactly why they are there in the first place or the reason there is a "relationship" among them. I had to read a couple of recaps to finally get the drift or who was who in the zoo. Otherwise, it's a good enough series to spend a bit of time with if you can get over the initial confusion - particularly when you get to Episode 2 and it starts out with a completely different mystery and the new characters necessary for that plot.

But again, reading the reviews here will also confuse the heck out of people because some are for this series (as described at the top of the page) while others are for the 8 episode Netflix series. Can a mod PLEASE remove those?

I think the heavy "by the producers of The Bodyguard" advertising is a mistake, because this is nothing like The Bodyguard.

If you picture an enjoyable easy-watching six-part political spy drama, as might be made by the team behind Murder In Paradise, then you'd be much closer to what to expect.

There's one overarching plot that covers all six episodes, and while it's not exactly John Le Carre, it still kept me hooked throughout.

And then each episode contains a separate subplot exploring the day-to-day dramas of visitors to Barcelona. These can be a bit hit and miss. Some genuinely pull at your heartstrings, some are a bit silly.

The characters are all likeable, the two lead actresses are engaging, the locations look great, and there's a nice paired back contemporary feel to it. It does sometimes drift into "daytime TV" dialog, but not often enough to be a problem.

Overall, a fun night of binging and it kept me a lot more interested than I was expecting. I hope there's more to come!

My first ever review! I thoroughly enjoyed this. Good story lines. Enjoyed the acting. Was a bit confusing the overall story but all came together in the end. You don't have to have watched all of them as there's a new story to each one but there is one that follows through all 6 episodes. Easy watching and I found it difficult to turn off. The relationship between the consulate, police and "victims" is good and sometimes can bring a tear to your eye.

Only reviewing because this is the second show I've looked up on IMDb and there was no ratings and/or reviews?! What's up with the Now TV dramas on here?!

There were two TV series released in 2023 and they are both titled "The Diplomat" and they are very different series. This is the better one, though it has a lot of flaws. This series is set in Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain and centers on Laura Simmonds the British Consul to Catalonia, Aragon and Andorra as she likes to say. It shows different types of cases that a diplomatic consul handles, providing support to British subjects traveling in Spain and Andorra.

The flaw is that it makes Laura Simmonds out to be part diplomat, part investigator, part social worker, part spook...it's hard to swallow that a consul really plays all those roles and more. Sophie Rundle is always good, a RADA trained actress, last I remember seeing her was in "Bodyguard" where she played Richard Madden's wife. I like the rest of the British/Spanish caste and of course beautiful Catalonia, Spain.

The body of British boy Jay Sutherland is found floating in The Marina, his persistent father Colin refuses to accept the narrative given by The Police and powers that be, instead he looks for answers with the help of Laura Simmonds.

Every week The Consulate tackle a new case, all of which involve a British Citizen in Barcelona, but one case continues, The Sutherland case.

It is such an enjoyable series, it's one of those I'd class as a Sunday teatime show, I'd put it along with Mallorca Files and Father Brown, perfect viewing for Sunday teatime. It's light viewing, with a hint of grit thrown in.

It's a very well acted show, regulars Sophie Rundle, Steven Cree and Serena Manteghi are all great, and there are some fine guest performances too, Esther Hall and Lindsey Coulson stood out.

It looks great, with terrific location work, a City I would totally recommend visiting, it really is as gorgeous as it looks here.

Please let there be a second series.

8/10.

As a crime drama it is Ok but many of the characters sort of appear without any background almost like we are supposed to know who they are and already know their history from a prevoius season.

The confusing part is why the female lead as a consul is acting like Agatha Christy instead of a diplomat there to assist travellers in trouble. Her involment in the investigations is far above what her primary job description entails. She is also a bit cynical and sanctimonius that annoys. The remaining consular staff are a laughable street wise nympho and an androgynous somebody that we never quite get to find out what they actually do all day,

Big surprise. I Hope it's renewed for another series. Funny, smart. Contemporary. Good acting but even better dynamics and one-liners that skewer modern manners and obsessions. Sophie Rundle is great but whole roster work well together, particularly amongst the embassy staff Good observations about modern workplace hierarchies too. I like the concept of an overarching narrative with smaller embassy work dovetailed in between. And I'm happy for Spanish dialogue to be kept in rather than anglicise it or use accented speaking. Thanks. I didnt expect a huge amount but this cleared the bar easily !

The woman suspected of killing her husband was released without anyone asking about the prominently photographed blood on her bare foot or why she was walking round in just one shoe????? It was so jarring. Otherwise interesting characterisation and plot lines. Good visuals. Entertaining on a superficial level. Loved the hen party episode. Interested to see where the 'undercover' story is going as it's currently hard to decide who exactly is the bad guy! Shows a lot of interesting parts of Barcelona. Some of the comments and interventions by the Consul seem a bit over and beyond the reach of her job but I don't actually know the full extent of her job.

Well, when I looked at the synopsis, I thought this would be rather tedious fare, but I gave it a chance and it surprised me!

Ok, it's hardly an all-time great, but it was really quite entertaining. The episodic storylines were interesting, with some sympathetic characters and some "Boo! Hiss!" ne'er do wells.

The season-long story arc held up well, even if some of it was a bit obvious and it wove in some personal life storylines quite effectively.

The principals all did a good job: Sophie Rundle, Serena Manteghi and Steven Cree were all very good. The Barcelona scenery was lovely and it was well shot.

Worth watching!

This series is from 2023 and starts off With 4/10 main characters being gay and 3/10 being black. The diversity push is in your face from the getgo.

Acting is great as is the directing, music etc. Its a high quality production.

The story plays out in Spain circling a gang of brittish diplomats trying to help out brittish citicens in trouble. There are internal and external storylines making it an interesting watch. With that said I cant help being annoyed with "the message" being pushed in your face. There are also elements of feminism and anti w racism.

Ignore that and its an easy watch.

6/10⭐

If The Diplomat were a paint colour it would be magnolia. If it were an ice cream it would be supermarket own-brand vanilla. Crisps? Ready Salted. Prime Minister? John Major. You get the drift.

Let's start with the characters. Not a single one of them was interesting in any shape or form. From the 'mysterious' restaurant owner to the British/Catalan 'streetwise' assistant - they was no spark to engender any kind of empathy, no emotion or drama in any of the dialogue, no jeopardy, no intrigue, no cliffhangers.

The tired 'female protagonists doing it for themselves against the slightly old-fashioned stick-in-the-mud Consul General' trope is painted in 50ft high neon letters all around and just makes you think the writers cobbled it together during siesta.

It's pretty but banal. Paint-by-numbers telly. The kind of thing that belongs on BBC just after the lunchtime news.

You'd like to think Sophie Rundle (the only actor with any real clout) only did this due to some contractual obligation like Edward Norton in The Italian Job remake but maybe it was the lure of working in Barcelona. It certainly wasn't the script.

... what are the odds.. two series, both released in 2023, both called 'The Diplomat'... one staring Keri Russell, other Sophie Rundel.. both well-done and VERY-entertaining

... English series produced by BBC Studios & World Productions released on Alibi Network of course to be overshadowed-dwarfed by the American production released on Netflix... actually think slightly-prefer the English offering over the American production... it's much less big-budget and cast & storlines more-interesting approachable-intimate-viewing

... yet they're equally looked forward to when awaiting next season series.. wishing both were just a little bit longer in episode number.

(Reviewing after binge-watching the whole of the first season.)

Entertaining, but too gentle to be described as a thriller.

The strong points are: Sophie Rundle's performance as the central character, Consul Laura Simmonds; Philipp Boos' performance as Fabian Hartmann; Isak Férriz's performance as Inspector Castells; and the generally well-paced script.

Sophie Rundle is reported as saying: "This is the closest to myself that I've ever played. I know women like Laura, and I went to school with girls like her." (Source: "What's on TV", UK listings magazine.) And the story arc of the death of the young man on the yacht provides a solid backbone, one from which single episode stories are successfully hung.

The weak points are that the conclusion of the story arc feels very rushed in the final episode -- in stark contrast with the way it had evolved at a natural pace in the previous episodes. And Carl Hyndley (played by Dylan Brady) is an underused character and appears to be there only to provide someone who takes offence at an apparent "Karen" in episode 5. If this gets a second season, they need to put some work in to evolve the character from a simple stereotype.

Nothing that requires an on-screen warning with the exception of some random fruity dialogue that comes right out of the blue. It would suit an afternoon slot as much as a post-watershed placing. We watched all six episodes over 3 nights and thoroughly enjoyed the simple plot lines and great shots of Barcelona. The characters were straightforward and likeable and it wasn't difficult to spot the good guys from the bad guys. We found this a refreshing change from all of the complex stuff you get nowadays. We liked the lead characters and hope they all return for a second series. All-in-all this was a fun and easy watch.

I was looking forward to watching something new and different as I watch far too many repeats.

I'll start with the main character. She doesn't have the air of somebody with such a responsible job - she's more like a receptionist. She gets far more involved than a diplomat would and she has this daft expression on her face half the time.

The music is a strange choice for the type of programme.

The characters and actors are ok, but the storylines are a bit weak and mostly police not consular matters.

The overall story could have been grittier.

The setting was great and I loved that there was dialogue in Spanish or Catalan.

I binge watched in an afternoon. I wouldnt have bothered if I'd had to wait for each episode, week by week.

Shame as I was hoping for something new to get into.

I feel pretty confident in saying that the writer's room for The Diplomat was a place of good humor - it shows in how they have deftly managed to avoid the trap of unrelenting drama. Instead we have a show quite deliberately punctuated with some great light touches and humorous exchanges - well executed and delivered with some subtlety.

It adds up to a watch that is quite compelling, easy to get invested in - all against the back-drop of the very photogenic Barcelona.

The comedic elements are not over played, but they do provide a perfect foil for the human dramas that the consulate has to navigate - and are well used to flesh out characterization and even minor plot points.

The end result is a show that is relaxing to watch and engaging - a great ensemble clearly enjoying their work. An easy 8.

This is dreadful in every respect. The acting is bordering on amateurish and too much time is taken up trying to make the cast look glamorous at the expense of the actual drama or story. This is American TV drivel masquerading as a British consul dramas. The actors have the most awful way of pronouncing their words, professionals in a consulate would not drop their 'T's neither would they should like they work in a north London cafe. It's a pathetic attempt at what could have been a really good story line, ruined by the acting, the annoying music. The director is obviously clueless about the subject.

I won't spend time telling you what it's about.. if you've gotten this far you probably have a pretty good idea of the storyline. Each episode has a vignette with an overall Arc storyline which gets revolved in episode 6. Let's face it, if it took place in Boise, idaho, ( no offense) it wouldn't be nearly as interesting. But it takes place in Barcelona.. a place most of us have never seen ..although the Brits seem to go there a lot. And get into a lot of trouble. Beautiful scenery good looking actors wearing very colorful pretty clothes. Lots of fast-paced dialogue which at times you need to rewind to get. But, I think this makes it all the more interesting. It really doesn't flag and holds your interest for all six episodes my husband and I watched it at dinner two nights each so we would always have something to look forward to the next night lol.

Who will tell me?

I love the characters. Especially the not to be trusted Fabian. There's something quite interesting in his mannerisms. The interplay between the Barcelona staff is fun and the show should be renewed for a second season because I can't keep playing scenes over and over again. I hope there is a second season of the Diplomat although you should change the name to Diplomat in Barcelona. Or Consul in Barcelona, or The Consul . Sam and Fabian up to something in next year's Diplomat. Laura secretly watching. Is she pretending with Fabian or not? And what about Sam? Will he be looking around? We need a second season.

I thought it was great! Nice twists and turns to keep us guessing. GREAT views of Barcelona, of course, and the first time I ever hear Catalan spoken (yes, I had to read the subtitles to know what was being said).

Hope there's a second season...

Meanwhile, just a note that the TRAILER on the IMDb page is NOT the right one for this series... It's for a Netflix Series that is scheduled to being April 20th!

The confusion is that TWO TV series with the SAME title were/are released about a month apart... by two different production companies.

I suppose that neither had a look around to see if another series had the same title?

By the way, from what I've read on the page of "User Reviews", this one sounds way better than the Netflix offering! Just sayin'........

Lots of comment highlights The casting and play,The scenario Or The city shots (Barcelona is beautifully depicted ) and all rightfully so !

But I would like to suggest that the "spice/groove" of this serie (that makes it gently stood out) is what I would like to call a "subtle feminine and original point of view" ( no sexism intended ):

The way attractive women are dressed ( quite classy but not showy/sexy, and definitely alluring)

The dialogs imphasing empathy and just compromise over dominance/hierarchy.

How women's desire is treated.

The way coworkers have a deep and meaningful understanding (castels/Simmonds Ortiz/Simmonds).

The dilemmas along the scenario showing true concerns over modern society.

Even the soft color palate and the pace of the story telling.

It feels somewhat more subtle/deep and give weight at key moments of the story.

When so many series seeks the viewers attention through confrontational situations/violence and clock ticking dooms;

This one takes you on a smoother ride, not without bumps! But with a refreshing point of view that feels really feminine to me !

You probably won't enjoy it if you are looking for a "violent non stop action/cliffhangery thriller spy show" or a drama about a character striving and confronting a "life or death diplomatic nightmare".

But if you take the time to savour it then maybe you'll find it as deeply flavourful as I did.

Surprised in a very good way, I now find myself hoping for a second season!

Got through this in two sittings. If I'd gone by the IMDB score I might have given it a miss but that would have been a mistake. It's cleverer than it seems at the outset, it's fun, it's a little bit tense and everyone looks great. Oh, and it's set in Barcelona so what could go wrong. I enjoyed it more than the 'other' Diplomat which probably had a much bigger budget. Scenario is straight forward - the charming young British consul in Barcelona helps out troubled British tourists ably assisted by her two offsiders especially Alba who mixes Catalan and West London spunk. Then along comes a murder of a young English man working a bar and the action ramps up. I wish there was another series because it's a successful formula and at only six episodes it doesn't drag things out unnecessarily which has become the norm elsewhere.

This had so much potential, but sadly it has fallen short of drama, entertainment. The characters are good but some of their acting is so lame and wooden. I like the premise of the story but it's like if you made " Line of duty":for a children's channel. I will watch the the last 2 episodes as I want to see the outcome of the original/Main storyline. Actors Sophie Rundle and Danny Sapani stand out amongst the very weak acting of the others. For me this is what I would expect if I switched on to watch on the mainstream channels during the daytime to avoid loose women or cash in the attic! Harsh I know but please don't compare this to Bodyguard or line of duty, it's like offering me steak and ending with a Greg's sausage roll.

Great character development. Excellent acting. Good plot lines. Love the international feel. Could not stop streaming till the very end. Well, except to take necessary bathroom breaks and get snacks. I am truly hopefull they have gained enough interest from viewers and the cast and have the budget they require for the making of many more seasons to come. Just can not say enough about how enjoyable this series was to watch. I would also love to know what kind of diving watch is featured. It was gorgeous. I could not find it on the internet. I see that America made another TV show by the same name. I hope it does not overshadow this series. I would definitely go for more of The Diplomat UK series.