Boring cocktail parties in honor of a senior official from an obscure country, endless meetings on hyper-specific geopolitical issues, exchange of polite smiles at all times, we imagine the life of an ambassador as a succession of ceremonial events that are not very thrilling, even deadly flat.
Then we watch the invigorating series The Diplomat on Netflix, also available in French under the title of The diplomat, and we have an irrepressible urge to apply for one of these representative jobs in a major European capital. London or Paris would do the trick, yes.
Latest canon success of the Netflix platform, the political thriller The Diplomat incorporates elements of The West Wing, Homeland And Scandal. Both fun and brilliant, the series deftly weaves soapier stories into an international conflict boiling over in the Middle East.
The Diplomatwhich comprises eight one-hour episodes, features a terrific and underrated actress, Keri Russell, aka Felicity in the late 1990s series of the same name and aka KGB spy Elizabeth Jennings in the excellent series The Americans.
In this thrilling new offering, Keri Russell plays Katherine “Kate” Wyler, a seasoned diplomat rushed to London by the President of the United States to fill the post of ambassador.
The challenge ? Containing a potential WWIII that threatens to explode after a UK aircraft carrier is bombed off the Persian Gulf. First country suspected of this military attack, which killed forty British soldiers: Iran.
The furious British Prime Minister demanded immediate sanctions against Iran and dragged the United States into this complex and delicate conflict. But our valiant ambassador Kate, who was to settle in Kabul, has seen others in her career in Lebanon and Afghanistan. His sources tell him that Iran would not have tried to sink the ship. It would be another enemy country, which is trying to trap Iran and thus trigger planetary hostilities.
A heavy mandate for Kate, who moves to London with her husband, the attractive and cunning Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell). It’s here that The Diplomat spice up. Hal is a former ambassador himself, who should, in theory, let his wife shine in London and take a step back. But Hal, who has contacts all over the world, is not one to play secondary roles.
Hal is scheming on the phone and pulling strings behind the scenes, which embarrasses Kate. We even wonder if Hal is not trying to torpedo his wife’s work by interfering in sensitive files, protected by the secret services.
Also, the relationship between Kate and Hal is as twisted as it is fascinating. They sleep apart and prepare to divorce, but are unable to do without each other.
In Homeland, we followed the intrepid agent Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) in the dusty streets of Pakistan or in the Iraqi desert. In The Diplomat, we stay more often in the antechambers of power. These two American productions clearly do not have the same budgets.
Still, Carrie and Kate share several traits. Both hate worldliness and fluff. Both have a superior intelligence and do not hesitate to shake up conventions to protect their country from an offensive by a belligerent country.
The Diplomat incorporates the funniest moments into tense situations well and the balance never breaks. If you’re looking for smart entertainment, this Netflix series is the perfect diplomatic compromise between the frivolous and the serious.
A sweet spring with Marie-Lyne Joncas
We don’t talk enough about Fabulous Spring by Marie-Lynewhich Noovo relays from Monday to Thursday at 6:30 p.m., just before Survivor Quebec.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NOOVO
Marie-Lyne Joncas
It’s really very good. It’s different and fun, without falling into the cliché of “the interview in a pedal boat on the lake in La Fontaine Park” that we’ve seen a billion times in Sweety salty.
In the context of a so-called light summer talk show, Marie-Lyne Joncas always manages to surprise us with amusing and well-thought-out interviews, which lead the stars to reveal themselves more.
The quirky and irreverent tone of the 35-year-old comedian, who was an effective co-host of Everybody talks about it last season, makes the exchanges even more original. Nothing looks forced or artificial on her set, where you never get bored.
We also see that Marie-Lyne Jonas loves her Quebec showbiz and that she knows it well. We won’t pass him a little quickly on STAT Or Indefensible.
It’s rare for animators to find their signature so quickly. Marie-Lyne is on her X in her fabulous spring. Add to the portrait a beautiful visual signature and a lit realization, which evokes that of OD, and you obtain a beautiful spring radiance which sparkles in your living rooms every evening.