The Diplomat season 2 episode 6 recap and ending explained: ‘Dreadnought’
By Bryce Olin
The Diplomat season 2 finale is a game-changing episode for the series! I truly can’t believe everything that happened in this episode, and now, I can’t wait to see what creator Debora Cahn and the team have planned in The Diplomat season 3.
The Diplomat season 2 episode 6, “Dreadnought,” begins with Kate and Hal Wyler (Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell) discussing the big revelation at the end of episode 5. Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) and the Americans are actually responsible for the attack on the HMS Courageous and for killing the Scottish independence movement.
Hal also reveals that the President doesn’t know what Grace did. Hal tries to slow down Kate. She wants to blow this up and make it a big deal, but Hal doesn’t want her to.
Kate tells Stuart that he wants to be Vice President
Kate comes to the revelation that she needs to make sure that she, and not Grace, should be Vice President.
At breakfast the next morning, Kate informs Stuart Heyford (Eto Assandoh) that she wants to be Vice President. If the White House offers the job, she’ll accept. She tells Stuart to do whatever he can to make it happen, and that includes a new wardrobe for Kate, new hair, and more.
Grace tells Kate that she appreciates her support to continue as Vice President. Grace obviously knows that Kate is trying to look a little more Vice Presidential.
Stuart tries to get back together with Eidra
After breakfast with Kate, Stuart, feeling himself a little bit, goes to Eidra Park (Ali Ahn) to fill her in on Kate’s decision to try to become Vice President. Eidra is excited at first, but then Stuart uses the news to try to get back together.
Eidra gets upset by this and leaves. When Stuart follows, she asks him to stop doing this at work. There’s still a lot of baggage here. Will they get back together again? We’ll have to see.
Dennison tells Trowbridge to resign
Back with the Brits, Austin Dennison (David Gyasi) is called into Trowbridge’s office. Trowbridge’s wife is trying to get him to resign, but Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) doesn’t want to.
Trowbridge wants Dennison’s advice, although Dennison doesn’t want to give it. After a lot of teeth-pulling, Dennison says that Trowbridge should resign. Trowbridge doesn’t want to do it. He’s dragging his feet.
Later, he drags his feet a little further with another MP. Trowbridge still can’t speak about what actually happened because he doesn’t want to deal with the consequences. Dennison demands that Trowbridge tell him when he’s going to do it, but Trowbridge tells him it isn’t the right time.
Trowbridge called President Rayburn and suggested Grace Penn to be the Nuclear Czar between the two nations
Out of the blue, Trowbridge called President Rayburn (Michael McKean) and mentioned that Grace was great at her job. He also suggested that Grace should be the new “Nuclear Czar” between the UK and US. Allegedly, the President is thinking it over, but Trowbridge is going to praise Grace during his speech at big, important event.
Hal and Kate panic and they mention to Trowbridge not to mention the Nuclear Czar portion of his speech, which catches Grace offguard. She demands to know why Kate is willingly sabotage her new position.
At Kate’s request, Hal informs Grace that they know about the bombing and who came up with the plan.
In the other room, Grace brings in a big giant map from somewhere, grabs a piece of charred wood from the fire place, and puts on a show for Kate. Grace describes the situation with Russia.
Basically, the Russians have a direct path to New York City via the ocean north of Creegan, the UK’s naval military base in Scotland where they house nuclear weapons. It’s the only line of defense between Russia’s nuclear subs.
If Scotland had gone independent, the US would have lost the nuclear base, which would have given Russia a direct attack path to New York City or the East Coast of the United States.
Grace also tells Kate that she can name all of the people killed in the ship bombing, and she admits that the whole thing is her fault. But, she also knows what could have happened if Scotland seceded.
Actually, she tells Kate that the whole world is her “game board, and then she circles the UK on the map and tells Kate that is hers.
It’s a big-time ouch moment for Kate. For the second time this season, Kate hasn’t understood the full picture, and she’s been taken to school.
Kate shuts down Hal’s plan to kill Grace Penn’s career
The Wylers get into a big argument after the party while trying to figure out what to do. Kate wants to let Grace do her thing, but Hal thinks that she should send it to Miguel Ganon.
After speaking with her friend, Kate comes around to Hal’s plan. Hal is going to tell Miguel Ganon, the Secretary of State, so Kate can keep a clean profile. She wants to be the Vice President.
Hal goes to the Embassy to make a call to Ganon, while Kate meets with Grace. They go for a walk in the garden. Kate tells Grace that she isn’t trying to be Vice President and that she will keep the information secret.
Grace doesn’t believe her, and Kate kind of goes off. She said that she would say yes if the President asked her to serve, but Grace still wants to be Vice President. She wants Kate to say no.
Hal doesn’t call the Secretary of State, though. He calls President Rayburn first.
Then, all hell breaks loose!
President Rayburn dies after Hal tells him about Grace Penn’s involvement in the HMS Courageous bombing
In the garden, 20 Secret Service agents run for Vice President Grace Penn. Kate and Grace don’t know what’s going on.
Finally, Hal gets Kate on the phone. He reveals that the President died of a heart attack after he told him that Grace Penn was actually the person who inspired the bombing of the HMS Courageous.
This is such an epic conclusion and cliffhanger! The setup from the beginning of the series with the President’s heart problem paying off in the season 2 finale is so excellent. I didn’t see it coming like this, but I think we all knew what they were hinting at way back in season 1.
This has HUGE ramifications for The Diplomat season 3. So, what happens now?
I think clearly Grace is going to the President of the United States. As of right now, a very small select group of people know about what Grace did, just Hal, Kate, Roylin, and a few others. So, Grace isn’t going to be impeached, immediately, but it’s possible that could happen later in the series.
There are also a few big questions about The Diplomat season 3 raised by the season 2 ending.
Will Grace choose Kate to be the Vice President? Will she fire her for trying to out her plan? Will Trowbridge reveal that Roylin was actually behind the plan to bomb the ship? I don’t think that serves his agenda, necessarily.
All I know that we’re in good hands for The Diplomat season 3.
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