The starting point of The Diplomat, the current series on Netflix, is as believable as it is topical: a world crisis over attacks on the UK in the Persian Gulf attributed to Iran, with Russia’s war against Ukraine as a backdrop. A new spark with devastating potential, mobilizing the foreign and secret services that seem to be the same here. Those who know more than they count, as opposed to the political leaders who talk more than they know and make hasty decisions by looking at the polls.
Very accomplished leads: Keri Russell (the Russian spy in The Americans) as the US Ambassador to London and Rufus Sewell (a Nazi boss in The Man in the High Castle) as her husband, a longtime diplomat who turned to interfere in his work. Sparkling, fast-paced, intelligent dialogue (house brand: director Debora Cahn was on the team for The West Wing of the White House). And a clear vision of the so-called Deep State, that concept advocated by ultras and conspiracy theorists. A deep state that is not only in the sewers but also on the carpets where the network of senior officials serving the country step on their toes and hold some of its reins while Presidents or Prime Ministers come and go. That doesn’t mean there are catwalks: some of these diplomats have political ambitions. But its strength lies in the fact that it has more and better knowledge than the elected authorities. A CIA agent (the character played by Ali Ahn) makes it clear: she doesn’t share everything she knows or thinks she is doing. She is worth what she is silent about.
In reality, things are happening that are difficult to explain: drones over the Kremlin, gas pipelines blown up in the sea, attacks on propagandists. And things you can understand at first glance, such as rockets being fired at apartment buildings or mercenaries displaying their corpses to demand more ammunition from the government. But even the disclosures of secret documents, which are becoming more frequent every day, do not bring anything really shocking to light. Nothing terribly dark.
Says Pedro Vallin that contrary to what the paranoids believe, we are not blind, but blinded. That today we see everything about everyone; The difficult thing is to distinguish what we should focus on.
You can follow EL PAÍS TELEVSIÓN on Twitter or sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.
Receive the TV newsletter
All the news from channels and platforms, with interviews, news and analyses, as well as recommendations and criticism from our journalists
REGISTRATION
Subscribe to continue reading
Read without limits