Don’t Call It A Kidnapping – The episode opens with Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell) waking up after being drugged. When Ambassador Katherine “Kate” Wyler (Keri Russell) walks away from the photo shoot, Frances Munning (Penny Downie) requests a few shots with Hal. Stuart Hayford (Ato Essandoh) convinces her to change her mind. Pensy (Georgie Henley) says Hal is nowhere to be found. Francis demands she looks harder. Basir (Reza Diako) orders Gwen Hempill (Christine Kavanagh) to cut Hal’s restraints.

Watching surveillance footage of Hal getting into a vehicle with Gwen, Kate insists on alerting security because he isn’t a cheater. Francis calls for the grounds to be sealed. Eidra Park (Ali Ahn) assures Hayford that Hal’s disappearance isn’t part of a training exercise. Joan Bassett (Anne Wittman) explains the route the suspect vehicle took before potentially disappearing into a parking garage. The vehicle was likely replaced to allow the operatives to maintain a low profile. Don (Arthur Lee) tells them CCTV footage from the parking garage is being pulled. Basset says although the female operative received clearance for the stylist crew, the firm denies having a record on file for her. Kate warns MI5 involvement will cause hysteria. Hayford informs Bassett of Hal being abducted in the past. Kate claims he escaped from Hezbollah after a week in captivity.

Basir hands Hal the phone to speak with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Rasoul Shahin (Bijan Daneshmand) in Tehran. After immediately apologizing for the abduction, he claims to have Naziri’s support. He assures him the intel he is about to receive demonstrates their sincere concern that the situation will grow direr. Basir denies Iran had anything to do with the HMS Courageous strike. He claims the reckless strike thwarted the planned assassination of US General Bradford Symes for his part in the murder of Quds Fords Commander Qaseum Soleimani. He warns any unprovoked retaliation on Iran will prompt an unprovoked attack by Iran.

Hal is dropped off in front of the Winfield House. Kate suggests vitamin IV therapy but he assures her he is fine. Eidra asks Howard (Adam Silver) to get the operatives’ descriptions so they can be found. Hal warns apprehending them could enhance the issue. When Howard questions if Hal truly spoke to Shahin, Hal claims to have asked him about his stomach which he described as “awful.” Kate says two years ago, Shahin underwent GI surgery in Geneva. Hayford admits fault for the security breach. Kate suggests he put his resignation in writing. Stunned, he agrees to comply with her request. After adding his resignation will of course be denied, she says it would give the impression he is a man of good character.

Hal tells Kate what Shahin did was extremely risky. She suggests Iran wouldn’t risk it because they need the US to lift the sanctions. He denies being abducted, only pulled aside. She warns if he contacted Shahin, they would never get another government job. He assures her that he didn’t call Shahin.

When Park ignores him when she crawls into bed, he asks if she wants to discuss Cairo. She reminds him that he said “no.” He voices concern about taking Kate to Brize Norton. After suggesting ramping up security, she says it is a heavily secured military base.

Park informs Kate that their sources claim retaliation for Soleimani’s murder is an active issue. She says Symes’ assassination was perfectly timed until the British warship was attacked. Kate tells Park that she will call Danny at the US embassy in Beirut to validate their intel with the Supreme National Security Council. Park says the FBI will seize Winfield house’s phone records. Kate suggests requesting a call list from GCHQ. When Park asks if Hal can speak with Danny, Kate warns Secretary of State Miguel Ganon (Miguel Sandoval) isn’t a fan. Howard will chauffer Hal around until he gets his own car.

India’s satellite picked up a boat potentially carrying a reverse-engineered Chinese 802 missile. Elaine Simms (Jacqueline Boatswain) points out an Iran missile will bear Quds Force initials. Park tells them a counter-indication from a credible source surfaced last night. Merritt Grove (Simon Chandler) warns it could be an unreliable source.

Hal claims to have worked with Shahin on the Iran Deal. Howard tells Park that Quds Force is known to utilize meteorological metaphors when discussing an op. Hal says their weather rarely changes. Park asks someone to validate any weather inconsistencies over the last few days with the NSA.

Brize Norton – Upon arrival, Kate is briefly greeted by British Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi). Margaret “Meg” Roylin (Celia Imrie) identifies herself. When Kate reaches out her hand, Meg warns the cameras are rolling. Meg offers to provide her with some background. Kate questions if she is on the naughty step. Meg assures her it is only in public because her phone is continuously ringing. The caskets of the deceased servicemen are centered in the room. Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) promises to serve justice when their enemies are found. A deceased serviceman’s wife calls him a “disgrace.” He threatens to rain “hellfire” on Tehran if they’re responsible.

Hal accuses Trowbridge of throwing gas on the fire. Hayford asks if he has sufficient intel to report. Park tells Kate that Hal warns against treating a diplomatic pull-aside like a felony. Hal asks her to check his phone to ensure Kate he never called Shahin. Park admits to already running his phone. Alysse (Pearl Mackie) shows Kate the Vogue feature.

Hayford informs Kate of a van mowing down a family of four. The mother died and the three other victims were hospitalized. Park says she will be filling Langley in on the details of Hal’s experience in the pipeline. Kate warns her to be cautious since Hal is the source. Hayford says Ganon’s opinion of Hal doesn’t mean…. Interrupting him, she explains how the State has mixed feelings about Hal’s mission to convince the Taliban to delay the seizure of Kabul by a day. Ronnie (Jess Chanliau) alerts of the US President Rayburn (Michael Mckean) arriving in London soon.

Kate calls Carole (Laurel Lefkow) from a delicatessen restroom. She asks her to check the zone for unusual phone calls. Carole says a call was made to Rome from a burner phone the day Hal was abducted. After pulling the burner phone from Hal’s pocket, she accuses him of calling Niccolo. He admits to reaching Shahin through Niccolo. She warns if anything goes wrong, Shahin will be executed.

Kate assures Ganon that the decision to cancel Bradford Symes’ assassination is a significant gesture. He claims the CIA is still running a probe on the intel. She warns of skepticism with Hal as the source. She insists on canceling President Rayburn’s stop in London. He suggests the president got what he asked for before denying her request.

Kate voices her concern about Trowbridge’s “hellfire” remark. He suggests Trowbridge was repeating a phrase utilized by the US president. She reminds him that President Rayburn was made during a private call. He tells her the father mowed down by the van was recently pronounced dead. She repeats what she told Ganon about US General Symes’ assassination being abandoned and Hal’s abduction. She says the British Prime Minister needs to walk back his remark. He says to direct her concerns to the president.

Kate pleads with Hal to leave so she can focus on her job. He says they can’t divorce because they want her to be the next vice president. Watching the president’s helicopter land on the lawn, Kate finds herself speechless. The episode comes to an end.

 

The Diplomat Review

Shahin, with the help of Basir and Gwen, abducts Hal to provide intel validating that Iran didn’t order the strike of the British warship. The Quds Fords planned an assassination on US General Symes for his part in the murder of their commander. Basir, who was chosen to carry out the assassination, called it off.

Upon arriving at the Winfield House, Hal insists it was a pull-aside, not an abduction. Kate orders phone records for the Winfield House. Park runs Hal’s phone without his knowledge. Still unsure of Hal’s involvement, Kate reaches out to Carole from a café restroom. A call was made to Rome from a burner phone. Kate finds the burner phone in Hal’s pocket. He confesses to calling Niccolo to have him contact Shahin.

During the funeral for the servicemen, Prime Minister Trowbridge comes under fire for his inaction. He makes a serious threat against Tehran if found liable for the HMS Courageous attack. Kate is notified of the president’s plan to stop in London to meet with the British prime minister. She tries to convince Ganon to cancel the president’s London visit but he refuses.

Kate asks Hal to leave so she can concentrate on her job. He says they can’t divorce because she is a prospect for the next vice president.

The show changes direction, focusing less on Kate’s idiosyncrasies and more on Hal’s manipulative-intrusive acts. It’s nice to see Kate take a more authoritative approach to being the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Viewers will have different expectations of the show but everyone expects to be entertained. While the military aspect is expected, it may be too complex for some viewers, to the point of reducing the entertainment value of the show. Too complex, viewers will lose interest. I prefer the characters’ backstories.

The episode deserves a 6. Get more The Diplomat recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking the link. Learn more about our onsite advertising by reaching out to our customer support.