October 15, 2025

Hold onto your seats, because The Diplomat just dropped a huge bomb! The dramatic season 2 finale ended with President Rayburn dying during a tense phone call with Hal Wyler. But before the president’s last breath, he spilled troubling truths linked to his deputy, Vice President Grace Penn. Now, Grace Penn — played powerfully by Allison Janney — has suddenly stepped up as the new President. But it’s not an easy ride! Her old rival Kate, from whom she once battled for the vice presidency, is now going head-to-head with her. Kate, played by Keri Russell, has even accused Grace of being a terrorist. Political drama? Oh yes! Allison Janney shared her own shock about the twist, telling RadioTimes.com, "I think she's completely shocked, as I was when I read the script. As I've said before, I threw it across the room, because I couldn't believe… that was such an unbelievably incredible ending." She added, "Grace is just catapulted in in the start of season three, we start right there where she doesn't even know, she's like, ‘What's happened, what is going on?’" Not only is Grace grieving, but she’s also facing deep betrayal and fierce ambition in the political arena. Janney called this mix a "perfectly written cocktail" of emotions and power struggles. Is Grace ready to lead? Janney firmly believes so: "Grace is more than ready to step into this role. She's VP, after all. So you get elected, you know that people are usually comfortable with the vice president, knowing that they could someday, in a certain situation like this, become president. So it's an honour for me to step into a role like this, especially when we haven't been able to elect a female president in these United States. It's a reminder of the political barriers that women still face. So, I'm loving it." And wait — there’s a new star joining the scene! Season 3 introduces Todd Penn, Grace’s husband and the nation's First Gentleman, played by Bradley Whitford, Janney’s old co-star from The West Wing. Whitford expressed his excitement: "I was absolutely beyond thrilled. It's an exquisite privilege to be able to work with Allison anytime, and after all these years, to be able to put all this history we have in this sort of funky, weird relationship is really, really fun." So, get ready for more thrills, power plays, and surprises as The Diplomat unfolds its next chapter!

Read More at Economictimes →

Tags: The diplomat, Grace penn, Allison janney, Bradley whitford, Season 3, Tv show cliffhanger,