‘The Diplomat’ Creator on Why Allison Janney’s Grace Character Isn’t a Season 2 Villain

That important turn in The diplomat Season 2 finale doesn’t mean Grace Penn is a “bad guy.” At least not according to TV program‘s creator. The US vice president, played by guest star Allison Janney, would make viewers think that they too “would have made the same decision in that situation.”

(Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from The diplomat Season 2.)

Grace’s role in the attack on ‘The Diplomat’

Kate Wyler (Keri Russell), the American ambassador to Britain, finally got answers The diplomat Season 2. After the attack on a British ship in the series premiere that suddenly found her across the pond in a new job, she learned that Grace was involved. Not only involved, but – gasp – she ordered the hit.

Grace explained herself in the finale. Her reasoning? Dominoes would have fallen, leading to something even bigger. If the British people had not come together in the wake of the national tragedy, and Scotland had continued its quest for independence, the British base that houses nuclear submarines that prevent Russia from bombing the United States would have been closed.

In turn, even more people would have been in danger. So Grace quietly continued to prevent nuclear war, telling only a select few to whom she turned for help.

The news, delivered by Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell) to President Rayburn (Michael McKean), was so disturbing to the country’s commander in chief that Rayburn died. That means that, in yet another twist, Grace became president in the final moments of the episode.

Grace is doing her ‘best’ and is not a ‘bad guy’, according to the creator of ‘The Diplomat’

The show’s creator, Debora Cahn, explained Variety that Grace’s involvement in the attack does not make her a villain. Rather, she is someone who “does his best,” an angle Cahn likes to explore.

“I think there are objectively bad people out there, and I’m willing to invite them. But I don’t want to write about it,” Cahn said. “I feel like it’s done. Just like I don’t want to write about infidelity: it happened! We’ve seen the movie, we’ve seen the TV show – the stories about evil leaders and corrupt, venal heads of state, all that exists. To me it feels a bit like an escape.”

Instead, she likes to put “good” people in complex situations without a clear hero and villain. “What if they’re all good,” Cahn said. “And they all have good values ​​and they all do their best for their country, and we’re still in the fucking s**tshow we’re in now? What if this is what you get when the good people do their best work?”

“I actually believe that is what happens, she continued. “I not I think it happens because the bad people got the big jobs. I just think it’s very difficult to do well.”

“So the hope with the Allison Janney story was, yeah, you go into it and you believe she’s the bad guy,” Cahn added. ‘And then hopefully you learn that You would have made the same decision in that situation.”

The end of ‘The Diplomat’ season 2 gave Allison Janney ‘chills’

The finale twist wasn’t just a breathtaking moment for fans of The diplomat. It was also a big moment for the cast, including Janney. Speak with Vanity fair prior to the season 2 premiere, The West Wing alum recalled how she reacted to the big reveal about Grace’s involvement.

“I got chills and threw the script across the room and I was like, ‘What the f**k?’” she said. “It was the best moment I’ve ever read a script.” As for whether or not Janney will reprise her role The diplomat Season 3 (production is already underway), it is expected but not officially confirmed.

The upcoming episodes will be “so good,” according to Russell. “I have already read everything from season 3,” The diplomat star said Rolling stone. “It’s so good in the way I want it to be good, and I just can’t believe it keeps getting better.”

Watch The diplomat Seasons 1-2 onward Netflix.