Who is Dennison in The Diplomat? Character role explored

The Diplomat is a political thriller series created by Debora Cahn that premiered on Netflix on April 20, 2023. It's directed by Alex Graves, Tucker Gates, Liza Johnson, Andrew Bernstein and Simon Cellan Jones. The series premiered its second season on October 31, 2024.

The Diplomat follows Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) as she becomes the new American ambassador to the United Kingdom in the midst of an international crisis. While working with the British Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge's government, she uncovers a deadly plot involving multiple high-ranking members of the American and British governments.

The show's official logline, as per Netflix, reads:

"Amid an international crisis, a US diplomat contends with her high-profile new job as ambassador to the UK and her turbulent marriage to a political star."

Austin Dennison plays the British Foreign Secretary in The Diplomat.

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Dennison's role in The Diplomat explored

An image of Kate and Dennison from Netflix's The Diplomat (Image via Instagram/@thedavidgyasi)

Portrayed by David Gyasi, Austin Dennison is the UK's Foreign Secretary working in Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge's government. His duties include managing all foreign policy-related issues as well as reigning in Trowbridge's brash persona and outlandish ideas.

Dennison possesses a level-headed and calm temperament and has a strong moral compass. He first appeared in the season premiere episode of The Diplomat titled The Cinderella Thing and has featured in every episode of the show's two seasons.

Gyasi described his character as follows while speaking to Esquire Magazine in May 2023:

"Dennison is someone who remembers where he came from and remembers the pressures from that area—from what his parents had to go through.

"That's what makes him such a talented politician. He doesn't support or propose policies that just look out for one section of the community. He's constantly thinking about how these tectonic plates affect the next one, and the next one, and the next one."

He meets Kate Wyler upon her arrival in London to work as the ambassador to the United Kingdom. The two form a close bond, and Dennison become Kate's trusted ally and almost romantic partner. Their se*ual chemistry and will-they-won't-they dynamic becomes a highlight of the series.

He and Kate formed a strong alliance at the beginning of season 1, but their loyalty towards each other got tested with the events of season 2. At the start of the second season, the duo suspect Trowbridge of hiring the Russian Roman Lenkov to bomb a British warship. They later realize that they were wrong, as Margaret Roylin admits to hiring Lenkov to attack the British carrier HMS Courageous in the Persian Gulf.

As the events of season 2 unfold, Kate begins keeping Dennison out of the loop more and more. The pair drift further apart after a car bombing killed Merritt Grove and Ronnie Buckhurst and seriously injured Kate's husband, Hal.

Dennison decides to switch allegiances from Kate to Nicol after a series of miscalculations lead to Roylin almost getting killed. During an event at Blenheim Palace, Dennison cuts ties with Kate by telling her:

"I will no longer be a thorn to Nicol Trowbridge. Roylin’s lack of faith in Nicol brought us an atrocity. I will not undermine him at every turn."

Dennison ends his professional and personal partnership with Kate, calling it "a mistake" in the season 2 finale episode.

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What is The Diplomat all about?

Netflix's acclaimed political drama centers around on the inner workings of the British and American governments as they navigate a precarious international crisis.

Keri Russell plays the American diplomat, Kate Wyler, who discovers that the American Vice-President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) orchestrated the attack on the British aircraft carrier along with the British campaign manager, Margaret Roylin. When President Rayburn learns of Penn's involvement, he dies of a sudden heart attack.

Thus, Penn becomes the new President of the United States, while Kate becomes the frontrunner for the newly vacant vice presidential role.

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All episodes of The Diplomat are available to stream on Netflix.