POWER MOVES ONLY: Before The Diplomat Season 3 drops, these political thrillers are a MUST-WATCH binge list 💥

From backroom betrayals to global power plays, these shows pack the same edge-of-your-seat chaos that made The Diplomat unmissable. Get ready — the countdown to Season 3 has officially begun 👇👇

Netflix’s hit political thriller series The Diplomat returns for season 3 this fall, but while waiting to find out what Keri Russell’s Kate Wyler does next, these similar shows are just as compelling. The Diplomat season 3 will be released on October 16, and the show’s new teaser already hints at a bigger villain than ever.

After The Diplomat season 2’s ending saw Allison Janney’s Grace Penn become President in a shocking twist, the show’s conspiracy plot will become even messier. The Diplomat season 3 will excitingly see Kate grapple with how to keep the new President in check. Until The Diplomat’s October premiere, these alternative political thrillers share a similar feel.

Homeland

Available To Stream On Hulu

Much like The Diplomat, Homeland is based upon paranoia and unraveling political conspiracies. Homeland centers on Claire Danes’ Carrie Mathison as a CIA agent who begins to suspect that a former US soldier is planning a terrorist attack against the United States, despite the disbelief of her superiors.

While the attacks seen in The Diplomat feel more over-dramatized, Homeland‘s approach to the question of terrorism is far grittier. The series reflects national fears from the 2000s and early 2010s in the wake of 9/11, and its tense tone makes audiences immediately aware of that.

Homeland‘s eight seasons received consistently high reviews, with season 1 even earning a 100% Rotten Tomatoes approval rating. It is a great watch for fans of The Diplomat that want something longer and even more intense to sink their teeth into.

Bodyguard

Available To Stream On Netflix

The British limited series Bodyguard uses its six episodes to the absolute fullest in creating a tense atmosphere full of mistrust and some great action moments. Netflix’s thriller series follows David Budd (Richard Madden), a veteran of the Afghanistan War who is promoted to a position on the Home Secretary’s personal security detail.

Part of what makes Bodyguard interesting is its exploration of the conflicting viewpoints of Budd and the Home Secretary, Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes). Crucially, Montague is planning to introduce a bill that would increase surveillance and threaten civil rights, and she supports further intervention in the Middle East.

While these beliefs create an interesting contrast between Julia and Budd, they also serve as an important jumping off point for the main conspiracy plot. Much like The Diplomat, Bodyguard weaves together the pasts of the characters and their perception of current world events while attempting to find out the truth.

The Night Agent

Available To Watch On Netflix

Aside from The Diplomat, The Night Agent is one of Netflix’s most popular thriller shows currently airing, and it’s easy to see why. The show instantly hooks audiences with its unlikely hero, FBI agent Peter Sutherland, and his strange job monitoring a phone in the White House basement.

When the phone rings, Peter is thrown into the world of espionage in a completely unexpected way. In his new mission, he is introduced to Rose Larkin, who becomes integral to both Peter’s story and the central conspiracy. Much like The Diplomat, Peter learns quickly that he cannot trust anyone, even those closest to him.

While The Night Agent skews more towards the action side of the political thriller genre than The Diplomat does, the two actually pair well together. Their conspiracy plots are equally twisty and both are fast-paced, so audiences won’t want to look away.

Scandal

Available To Watch On Hulu

Despite having fairly different premises, Scandal feels like a great spiritual precursor to The Diplomat in both its drama and romantic elements. Scandal centers on Kerry Washington’s Olivia Pope, a DC-based fixer who is called in to handle the most difficult image problems that her clients encounter.

While some of Olivia’s work focuses on individual clients, and there are some great stand-alone episodes that focus on these cases, the majority of the show sees Olivia, her team, and the White House tied to greater conspiracy theories. From attacks on political figures or attempts to sway the course of American democracy, Scandal has it all.

Arguably, Scandal is even more dramatic than The Diplomat, but they have the same type of frenetic energy that can make it difficult to guess what will happen next. Fans of The Diplomat‘s messy relationships will also enjoy Scandal‘s even more shocking pairings.

The Americans

Available To Watch On Hulu And Disney+

The Americans is a Cold War thriller that, since its release in 2013, has come to be regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time. It is also the perfect chance for fans of The Diplomat to see Keri Russell in a completely different role within the political thriller genre.

The Americans stars Russell and Matthew Rhys as married couple Elizabeth and Philip Jennings. The pair are seemingly a normal American couple living with their children just outside Washington, DC in the early 1980s, but they are actually KGB spies attempting to maintain their cover and gather information.

The Americans maintains a great balance between showing Elizabeth and Philip going about their “American” lives with their family and friends and the missions they are assigned by their Russian handlers. Keri Russell is great in her role, and The Americans received numerous awards in recognition of the talents of everyone involved.

Designated Survivor

Available To Watch On Netflix

For audiences who enjoyed The Diplomat season 2’s ending twist, the premise of Designated Survivor feels a little like starting from that ending. Kiefer Sutherland leads the series as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Tom Kirkman, who suddenly becomes the President after all the country’s political leaders are killed.

Tom Kirkman is immediately aware that he is unprepared to be the President and everyone else knows it too, so the series deals with him overcoming a lot of big challenges. While becoming President would be challenging no matter what, Designated Survivor‘s deadly explosion gives Tom Kirkman an even bigger task to look into.

Like The Diplomat, Designated Survivor blends the day-to-day political problems that its characters face with the vast overarching mystery of who attacked the US Capitol Building and why. With its shocking start and solid premise, the series is very easy to get into and serves as a solid political drama to watch while waiting for The Diplomat‘s return.

Madam Secretary

Episodes Available For Purchase On Apple TV And Amazon

Madam Secretary sees Tea Leoni’s Elizabeth McCord become the US Secretary of State after the suspicious death of the post’s former occupant. Much like Keri Russell’s Kate Wyler, Elizabeth McCord is an unconventional, but intelligent and capable politician who becomes involved in important political discussions.

Likewise, McCord also realizes that there is potentially more to the death of the former Secretary of State than meets the eye and begins digging into a potential conspiracy. Over the course of the six-season show, Leoni’s Elizabeth McCord remains an impressive political figure who is quite simply fun to watch.

Madam Secretary boasts an impressive and strong female lead who will resonate with fans of Keri Russell’s role in The Diplomat. Elizabeth McCord is adept at handling the political problems that come her way all while juggling the struggles of everyday life with her family.

The West Wing

Available To Stream On HBO Max

While there are several great options to watch before The Diplomat returns for season 3, The West Wing is arguably the best for several reasons. First and foremost, The West Wing is one of the most influential TV shows of all time, and it set the standard for what a political drama series should be.

The West Wing takes viewers into the heart of the White House, centering on the President, his family, and his staff. Aaron Sorkin’s series features the quick-witted politically-minded characters that are still popular within the genre today, and two of those characters were played by Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford, who will both appear in The Diplomat season 3.

After Allison Janney’s season 2 introduction and Bradley Whitford joining The Diplomat‘s cast for season 3, now is the perfect time to check out their iconic political series. The West Wing‘s entire cast is great, the writing is exceptional, and each episode’s plot will keep audiences easily entertained, making it a perfect The Diplomat replacement.