The Diplomat

- You want me there on day one. - I should've dry-cleaned this.

What's the point?

- In waiting a week? - Yeah.

I will no longer be jet-lagged. I will be able to focus

and graciously accept your help getting me on my feet.

But the first week is when you do that. That's when you get on your feet.

It wouldn't kill you to take a couple days and just like... sit here and think.

Figure out the next move.

Maybe it's Kabul.

Maybe that's the next move.

Oh, you think the nation of Afghanistan is not big enough for the both of us?

- It isn't. - What the fuck is this?

- Put a few in my wallet. - It should say "ambassador."

- Not yet it shouldn't. - I'm gonna write "ambassador" on there.

Hello? Hi. She thinks she has to wait for the embassy in Kabul to open

before she can call herself "ambassador."

Well, that's really fucking stupid.

Kate, it's Tim.

He's writing "ambassador" on my cards. It looks like "ambulance."

Off the coast of Iran, a massive explosion

aboard British aircraft carrier HMS Courageous

has killed at least 25 Royal Navy personnel.

Britain's Ministry of Defence is expected

- to give a statement imminently. - What the fuck?

- Tim, hang on a sec. - Earliest reports indicate the damage...

Hello?

- Ms. Wyler? - Yes.

I have the chief of staff calling from the White House.

- He's right here. - Ma'am...

- Hey, I'm back. - Hello?

- Why? - Yeah.

No, I get them going after us, but why the Brits?

Kate, they want a briefing.

- At State? - No, the White House.

Okay. I gotta go. White House wants Hal to brief.

It'll take me ten minutes to prep him. I'll call you back.

Katie.

Not me, you.

Hello?

Hey.

- Come on in. - Can your guy make two copies of this?

I made a list of who in Tehran could order a strike on a British vessel

and who seemed pissed off

- we took their tanker. - I think they're all pissed off.

But some tweeted about it and not who you'd expect.

- Billie. - We gotta go.

I guess you can share one.

This is Katherine Wyler.

She was our number two in Beirut and Islamabad.

When we seized the tanker last week,

the Iranian regime signaled its outrage in a couple of unusual ways.

What is she doing?

She knows a lot about Iran. I didn't get into what we wanted to discuss.

This would be easier if you each had your own copy.

Have a seat.

Okay.

- How's Hal? - He's good.

- He's a good man. - Thank you.

- Did great work in Afghanistan. - Sure did.

- We don't have anyone in London. - Mm-hm.

- A bad time not to have anyone in London. - Right.

Twenty-five of their sailors get killed because Iran wants to send me a message.

- We don't know it was Iran. - Whoever it was,

we need someone substantial to be the ambassador in London.

- He'll be great. He's a great choice. - I'm sorry?

Hal. And you didn't have to ask me.

- We worked in different countries before. - We're not talking about Hal.

You're experienced. You'd signal we're taking this seriously.

You'd be at every funeral, memorial--

Sorry, I'm going to Kabul.

We'll take care of that.

They'll love Hal in London. He's good at all that.

- It's not gonna be Hal. - Why not?

Because he called the secretary of state a war criminal.

I promised I wouldn't send him anywhere ever again.

I realize London has a ceremonial component to it

and you were ready to do more substantive work in Kabul.

I'm hoping to save a shred of what we spent 2400 American lives building.

It feels substantive.

- Billie. - I'm just saying it's hard to imagine.

- She can't imagine it. - The president is asking you to serve

as ambassador to the United Kingdom. We have a plane waiting.

We'd like you to get on it.

It is an honor and a privilege.

That's more like it.

It's exactly what they wanna hear. They've been hosting garden parties for 50 years.

The president is asking you to take it up a notch.

Mm-hm.

- He picked you because you're experienced. - He wants an experienced person

- to show up and look sad. - You're such a fucking snot.

There was an argument between Billie and the president

about whether my mission was to look guilty or just sad.

People died. Showing up matters.

I am an emotional support dog.

- It was probably Iran. - Please. They're broke.

They don't want to bomb somebody for taking their oil. They want the oil back.

- So who? - Russia, China, ISIS.

Russia is not gonna torpedo a British aircraft carrier.

- Why not? - Because they're busy.

Takes the focus off Eastern Europe. Gets the president bogged down

in the Middle East, makes him look like an asshole.

It's a British vessel. You don't wanna consider the possibility

it was attacked because someone doesn't like the British?

- My hands are swelling. This is not good. - Whoever it was, the Gulf is on fire.

The president is sending you to stop a war before it starts, not... butter a crumpet.

White House wants you in the SCIF.

We're screening imagery from the Pentagon, NSA and NGA,

- see if we can figure out who did it. - I have a guess.

- We're not guessing. - My guess is Iran.

Is the door closed?

- Yeah. - Still seeing that girl?

Twenty-five British sailors just died.

Gonna tell you something five people know. You're six. I don't want her to be seven.

- I won't tell her. - We're gonna lose the vice president.

Like, die?

Resign. Something will come out, she'll get knocked around for awhile,

then step down. Maybe six months.

- Whoa. - Yeah. So we need somebody else.

And I have a few ideas.

But one of them... I want you to check her out.

Tell me if I'm crazy.

Her corridor rep is fantastic, but she's a little...

- What? - I don't know.

- Needs a haircut. - Pfft. No.

I'm not asking for "return of the kingmaker."

- Just take a look. Tell me what you think. - When you call me that, it makes it worse.

- Kingmaker? I'm sorry. - No, you're not.

You're right. I'm not. I'm asking you a favor and you're being a pain in my ass.

And you're being a bully. No means no.

You can't say no. I put her on a plane. She's gonna be your new ambassador.

Thank you.

Welcome to London, Ambassador Wyler.

I'm Stuart Hayford, your deputy chief of mission.

I guess this is what arranged marriage feels like.

- Gwen Hempill from the Foreign Office. - Such a pleasure.

I'm so sorry. What a terrible thing that's happened.

Ambassador Wyler, it is an honor.

Call me Hal. One ambassador is plenty.

- Have the numbers changed? - Twenty-eight casualties.

Search and rescue is still looking.

Jesus Christ.

This is Frances Munning, the residence manager.

- Welcome to Winfield House, ambassador. - Thank you.

Hello, everyone.

Hello, ma'am.

- And welcome to you, Ambassador Wyler. - Call me Hal. One ambassador's plenty.

Perhaps Mr. Wyler.

Please. Follow me.

We gonna do this every time?

The house was purchased by Barbara Hutton shortly before her marriage to Cary Grant.

Big piece of land for right in the middle of London.

Miss Hutton moved to Winfield with her young son

just after the abduction of the Lindbergh baby.

Regent's Park provided, you know, a reassuring perimeter.

The only private garden in London larger than Winfield is Buckingham Palace.

Oh, for God's sake.

The vice president was missing

from yesterday's Situation Room meeting.

Her office cited schedule constraints,

but there's a growing sense of frustration among supporters...

The president is talking to the PM at 12:00. He wants her on the call.

- Holy shit. - Fancy.

- Ambassador Vayle wasn't on those calls. - Yeah.

Everything all right?

I showed them around. She checked the sheets in the Adams Suite.

- Okay. - To see if they were on the bed.

Were they?

Yes.

After your call with the president and prime minister,

you'll go to the Foreign Office and present a copy of your credentials.

Is the secretary of state on the call with the president?

Ganon? He shouldn't be.

- Neither should I. - He's not.

In the afternoon, you'll visit the Greenwich Naval Memorial.

To lay a wreath in honor of the fallen sailors.

- Right. - And at the end of the day,

we'll have a rehearsal for the official presentation of credentials.

- Why are we doing it twice? - You can't start work

until you give a copy of your credentials to the Foreign Office.

Then you'll submit them officially at Buckingham Palace.

We try to do a dry run with all the gear.

There have been issues getting in and out of the carriage.

- Carriage? - Mrs. Vayle split her skirt up the back.

- Then the horses-- - Nothing to worry about.

Did you pack a dress, maybe tea-length?

No.

- Pippa. - We have a stylist.

She'll come by the embassy. You get a top hat and tails.

This is today? When is the ceremony?

We're not sure exactly, but if we can run the rehearsal, we'd like to.

So you can photograph it?

Inviting a couple reporters?

- One. She's good, she'll do a feature. - Push it.

Give them a break. They need a picture for the website.

- On a horse? - They'll do before and after photos.

First-time ambassador. Lean into the Cinderella thing.

I am not Cinderella.

I'm here for 30 funerals. The only tea-length garment I packed is a burka.

I have a black suit and another black suit,

and I'm not getting dressed by someone named Pippa