The Diplomat season 2 ending explained:  Who caused the explosions and fate revealed

The Diplomat season 2 released on Netflix on October 31, 2024 with six episodes that took American diplomat Kate Wyler’s story ahead. The season involved much political strife and power plays after a deadly explosion in London caught government officials by surprise.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for The Diplomat season 2.

The season picked up after the ending of season 1 when Kate got her job investigating the British ship that was bombed in Iran. At the end of that storyline, another bomb went off in the heart of London, leading Kate to believe that the two attacks were linked and British Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge was responsible for them both.

However by the end of the second season, Kate started to connect the dots and realized that it was the United States government that orchestrated the explosion. This was done to stop Scotland from gaining independence.

It was the US Vice President Grace Penn who ordered the attack. Kate realized that she would have to oust Grace from the Vice President position and take over instead. But before she could do so, the President mysteriously died off screen, and Grace ascended to the position of President herself.

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Was Trowbridge involved in the bombings in The Diplomat season 2?

A still from the trailer for The Diplomat season 2 (via Netflix / YouTube)

Despite being Kate’s main suspect, Trowbridge was not involved in the explosion that injured Kate's husband Hal, or in season 1's ship bombing that caused many fatalities to occur. His employee Margaret Roylin was the one who planned the ship bombing.

Trowbridge fell into a mental crisis after the reveal that Margaret was the one responsible. After coming to terms with his own employee's betrayal, he even considered resigning from his post as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He informed his advisor Dennison that it was a decision he would have to think about and stormed out of the room.

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Who was responsible for the bombings? Reveal at the end of The Diplomat season 2

A still from the trailer for The Diplomat season 2 (via Netflix / YouTube)

Kate and Grace had a conversation in the last episode of The Diplomat season 2, where Grace revealed that she and the United States government are the ones who planned and orchestrated the explosions. Grace explained that she had to conduct the bombing to prevent Scotland from gaining independence.

Grace went on to elaborate that Russia had acquired nuclear submarines that were very hard for their technology to detect. Scotland was the only place that the States and Britain could dock their own missiles and even detect Russian weapons before they could launch.

With the possibility of war in Europe and the looming threat of Scottish independence, Grace was worried that America would lose its naval and missile base in the country. This would make both them and Scotland more open to damage from Russian adversaries. Grace decided that the best way to prevent the situation from escalating into war was to try and ramp up national sentiment within the country.

By orchestrating the Britain explosion, Grace ensured that sympathy and sentiment dulled the separatist views in the country. She also told Kate that she did not regret the sacrifice of a few people for the sake of millions who would have to suffer if this plan was not put into motion.

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Did Kate take on the post of Vice President of the United States?

A still from the trailer for The Diplomat season 2 (via Netflix / YouTube)

Initially, Kate was reluctant to even consider taking on the Vice President post. She spent the whole season avoiding the notion, but soon started taking a liking to it. She even began wearing a blue suit, much to Grace's chagrin.

After the reveal that Grace was the one responsible for the bombings, Kate and her husband Hal had an argument about the Vice President's position. Kate felt that Grace could retain her post as the Vice President and there was no point in trying to overpower her. Meanwhile, Hal felt that they must go to the Secretary of State and tell him about Grace's questionable political moves.

Kate pondered over the many delicate aspects of the situation. At a point, she even accused Hal of just wanting her to take the post so that the two of them could have more political power. Despite all this, Kate decided that she would take up the position.

The next day, Hal volunteered to reveal Grace's truth and Kate decided to confront Grace herself. Kate told Grace that she didn't want to be Vice President but was having to step up to the role, given Grace's poor decision making track record. During this conversation, Kate received an urgent call from Hal.

Hal informed Kate that he had decided to go to the President himself instead of the Secretary of State. After telling him about Grace's role in the bombings, the President died. The manner of his death was not revealed to Kate (or the audience), but it was clear who would take on the post next. With horror, Kate realized that Grace was to become the next President of the United States.

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How is the story set to proceed after the ending of The Diplomat season 2?

A still from the trailer for The Diplomat season 2 (via Netflix / YouTube)

Netflix has announced a third season of the show before the premiere of The Diplomat season 2. It is likely that the new season will explore how the current President died and the way in which Grace takes on power in the country.

It also remains to be seen whether Kate will be able to take on the Vice President position or not. Considering Grace's intense dislike for her, it seems unlikely. However, Kate has also been known not to back down, which could result in an interesting situation indeed.

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Audiences can watch The Diplomat season 2 streaming on Netflix from October 31, 2024 onwards.