The Diplomat vs Borgen

Warning: spoilers! Netflix's hot new show, The Diplomat, promises thrills and delivers. The Diplomat's protagonist, Kate Wyler (portrayed superbly by Keri Russell), is forced to resolve a crisis of international dimensions between Britain and Iran that involves Russia, using unorthodox means. Being the US ambassador to Britain, Kate Wyler mediates between the first two countries with the usual American interventionism. The crisis erupts when a British aircraft carrier blows up in the Persian Gulf, leaving 41 British soldiers dead. Suspicion immediately falls on Iran for the attack, but it quickly becomes apparent that it is more likely that it was Russia which planned the attack. Through a series of manoeuvres quite reminiscent of a CIA operation, the protagonist navigates the murky waters of international diplomacy, demonstrating extraordinary management skills to de-escalate the crisis - at a cost she could not have foreseen, for the truth is far worse than anyone could have imagined. Keri Russell is wonderful as the lead - she excelled in the espionage series The Americans but here she is given even more material to work with and takes every opportunity to showcase her craft and shine as an actress. The series has a tight, complex script that delivers in terms of drama. However, the way the characters handle politics is a disgrace to the job of a diplomat in every possible way - we watch a lot of "boring" diplomats as secondary characters, versus outrageous protagonists who break the rules of diplomacy at every turn, with few people in between who are just trying to do their jobs properly. The Diplomat series delivers in terms of entertainment, but doesn't get enough points in terms of realism. In drama, the balances are delicate. Up to what point should there be realism, and at what point after that, should the drama deal with the unlikely and the extraordinary as entertainment? When we have over-the-top characters doing unlikely things, we watch with undiminished interest, but the aftertaste can fall short of substance. When we have excessive realism, the danger lies in the lack of suspense. Borgen, a similar series with a political theme, strikes a much better balance between the two elements, as a European production that honours its origins. The Diplomat plays well with suspense but loses substance in comparison, as many American series of this kind do. Just out of the box, and The Diplomat is already being compared to The West Wing, which is flattering for the former. However, the comparison between "The Diplomat" and "Borgen" is much more apt, as both series deal with the subject of a woman navigating a career in politics while her marriage is falling apart, not just the subject of top-tier politics in general. If we have to compare The Diplomat and Borgen thematically, the protagonist in The Diplomat goes through unorthodox trials and tribulations with the promise to end up as Vice President of the United States, whereas in Borgen the protagonist already holds the position as the head of a government (in Denmark). Borgen deals with the character arc of a woman, Birgitte Nyborg (played by Sidse Babett Knudsen) who does an excellent job as Prime Minister of Denmark, but when she has to leave politics temporarily for her family, she is forced to start from scratch by building a new political party and a new career as Minister. We don't know what Kate Wyler's character arc will be on The Diplomat, but it certainly looks promising, as she's likely to end up as the first female president of the United States if the show gets the green light to continue into future seasons. It would be interesting to watch Kate Wyler's rise to power, as her character is competent and fascinating, and to watch the show maintain the suspense, something that The House of Cards failed to do when Robin Wright (as Claire Underwood) took over as the President of the United States. In terms of the script, the show is clever and uses subtext constantly and effectively to convey the manipulations behind the scenes of diplomacy. Kate Wyler feels like a fish out of water as a politician and is much better as a behind-the-scenes tactician. She has no desire to be Vice President, although the lure of taking the job is extremely tempting. We don't yet know if she will rise to the challenge. The paradox of the character is that she finds herself deeply involved in CIA business from the start, willfully ignoring the fine line between diplomacy and espionage, which works from a dramatic point of view, but not from a realistic one. Interpersonal relationships in The Diplomat are complicated and affect politics in many ways. The protagonist of The Diplomat has given up on solving her marriage problems, is about to divorce, and is furious with her husband, the quirky diplomat who always plays diplomatic games in an unorthodox manner and often meddles in her affairs, often to her detriment. The terrific dynamic between Keri Russell as Kate Wyler and Rufus Sewell as Hal Wyler is one of the show's strengths, as they are a great lead pair in every way - as characters, as actors, and in the exploration of their relationship with each other. Kate Wyler's courtship with Britain's Foreign Secretary (David Gyasi as Austin Dennison) promises a quirky love triangle, where the husband is fully aware of the situation and encourages his wife to "go after" the Secretary. Does Hal Wyler, after all, deliberately want to sabotage his wife's career? These and many other questions are raised in the series on the relationship level. Compared to Borgen, Kate Wyler's marriage is much more interesting than Birgitte Nyborg's. Borgen handles the issue of a failed marriage due to a woman paying more attention to career than family - it sounds cliché because it really has come to be an issue. Despite this, Borgen is honest and deals with the issue fairly and not in a superficial way. Kate Wyler's marriage is to one of her equals, and offers a much fresher approach thematically because it explores the dynamics of a marriage between career professionals who are equal in their abilities - sometimes they seem to be allies, and sometimes they seem to be competitors. Finally, it would also be unsuitable to compare "The Diplomat" to "The West Wing," as the former does not center around a benevolent protagonist like the latter, and does not set out to create such a portrait of its protagonist. Kate Wyler is fighting to find the truth on a front invisible to most people, that only she can manage so effectively. She doesn't have a staff around her to support her like a President - she needs to fight to be heard. Both protagonists are well-intentioned, but The West Wing is far more interested in idealism, flatteringly painting a portrait of a progressive President, while The Diplomat is not afraid to let its protagonist's image crumple over and over again. The Diplomat doesn't rely for a moment on displaying idealism, doesn't flatter or protect the protagonist's image as much, and also isn't as interested in an upbeat ending to each episode as The West Wing is. The way the two shows view politics is diametrically opposed. There are many great actors who round out the cast, such as Rory Kinner in the role of British Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge, and Michael McKean as US President William Rayburn. Wonderfully performing their roles are Ali Ahn as CIA agent Eidra Graham, and Celia Imrie as Margaret Roylin, a Conservative MP in Britain. If you're looking for suggestions for a good show to watch, I highly recommend The Diplomat as entertainment. You will be left with a spectacular cliffhanger at the end, and you'll be annoyed that you'll have to wait for the next season, but it will entertain you with plenty of suspense, as the best Netflix shows can do. However, if you've never been tempted to watch Borgen, now is a great opportunity to discover it.