THE PERFORMER | Keri Russell
THE SHOW | “The Diplomat”
THE EPISODE | “Birdwatchers” (Oct. 16, 2025)
THE PERFORMANCE | Like a D.C. think tank stacked with genius-level intellects, Season 3 of Netflix’s taut political thriller was stacked with Emmy-caliber acting, from Allison Janney as the brittle yet brilliant new President Grace Penn to Bradley Whitford as Grace’s supremely sarcastic husband Todd. But “The Diplomat” centers on Kate Wyler, putting Keri Russell squarely in the spotlight, and Russell delivered once again this season, revealing fascinating new layers to Kate’s psyche as the geopolitical stakes climbed higher than ever.
Season 3 absolutely exploded in its final episodes, and Russell was fantastic there as well, but her finest hour came back in Episode 5, when Kate and her estranged husband Hal — played by an also excellent Rufus Sewell — tried to broker an uneasy peace between them. Kate had taken a new lover in Aidan Turner’s Callum, and Russell let us see the easy intimacy between them with a subtle brush of her hand against his chest. But then Hal paid her a surprise visit, and Russell shifted into rom-com mode, slapping on a phony smile for the cameras before letting her face sink into a death stare. (Even her underlings noticed: “The face is back.”)
The awkwardness ratcheted up even higher as Hal directly confronted Callum, and Russell giggled her through the discomfort before warning Hal with fire in her eyes: “I can make this much, much worse.” They finally had it out in a bedroom fight, and Russell and Sewell were both hitting on all cylinders as Kate and Hal dredged up years of old grudges in a matter of minutes. For just a moment, Russell’s voice cracked, heartbreakingly, as Kate reminded him: “You chose this! You chose the vice presidency!” She then locked herself in a room alone and collapsed to the floor in sobs, letting out the hurt she couldn’t allow anyone else to see.
In a moment of exquisitely bad timing, Kate and Hal were then scheduled to do a TV interview as husband and wife, and Russell had to put Kate’s armor back on, playing the role of the upbeat spouse sitting loyally by Hal’s side. But we already knew the simmering stew of emotions churning just underneath Kate’s delicate features, thanks to Russell’s exceptionally nuanced portrait of a woman who only looks like she has it all figured out. All of “The Diplomat’s” actors deserve a standing ovation for Season 3… but we’re saving our loudest cheers for Russell.
Scroll down to see who got Honorable Mention shout-outs this week…