The Diplomat season 2 finale had a very dramatic ending, and while some of it would have been almost impossible to predict, one moment was quietly teased in the Netflix political drama’s first outing back in 2023. The massive twist in The Diplomat season 2’s ending will inevitably influence the show’s future, meaning The Diplomat season 3’s story will almost definitely pick up right where season 2 finished. However, one member of The Diplomat season 2’s cast won’t be returning.

The Diplomat has already been a show of twists and turns throughout both of its seasons. It’s the kind of show that makes the story seem as though it’s being fully presented, and then another wrinkle emerges out of nowhere. Certain events are easy to see coming from a mile away, whereas other incidents are genuinely surprising. That being said, there are moments that are somewhere in between spontaneous and foreshadowed, and The Diplomat season 2’s massive character death fits that description.

Michael McKean’s President William Rayburn Is Revealed To Have Heart Issues In The Diplomat Season 1, Episode 3

The President plays a prank on his staff by pretending to order coffee

The Diplomat season 1, episode 3, “Lambs in the Dark,” is McKean’s second of three appearances as President Rayburn in the show’s inaugural run. While meeting with Rory Kinnear’s Nicol Trowbridge, Rayburn’s staff falsely learns that the President has ordered coffee, which causes something of a fuss. When Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) informs Nana Mensah’s Billie Appiah of the President’s order, Billie explains the fuss to Kate as guards storm the room in which Rayburn is dining with Trowbridge: “He can’t have real coffee. It sets his heart in AFib, and he f*cking sneaks it.“

” AFib ” is short for ” Atrial fibrillation ,” which is when the heart takes on an irregular heartbeat.

The caffeine in coffee presumably triggers Rayburn’s condition. Luckily, Billie’s panic is unwarranted, and Rayburn is simply showing Trowbridge his staff’s alertness. That being said, AFib is not a minor concern, and it would be a little unusual if The Diplomat revealed this about McKean’s character if it didn’t later become relevant. As such, the shock of learning about his Vice President’s actions from Hal probably triggered Rayburn’s compromised heart and caused the implied cardiac arrest that resulted in his death.

President Rayburn’s Clever Casting Still Makes His Death In The Diplomat Season 2 Pretty Surprising

Michael McKean barely appeared in The Diplomat before his character died

Michael McKean is one of the biggest names in The Diplomat‘s cast. Despite his reputation and storied acting history, he is barely used in either of the two seasons before President Rayburn’s death in The Diplomat season 2, episode 6, “Dreadnought.” He is used even more sparingly in season 2, snagging just two episodes out of six, and neither appearance is especially prolific. McKean’s limited presence in the show made it seem as though he had an enormous onscreen role in The Diplomat‘s future that would make his casting make sense, but his surprising exit now makes that impossible.

Michael McKean’s Appearances As President Rayburn in The Diplomat Seasons 1 & 2

Title
Season
Episode
IMDb Score

“The Cinderella Thing”
1
1
7.6/10

“Lambs in the Dark”
1
3

“Keep Your Enemies Closer”
1
7
7.9/10

“When a Stranger Calls”
2
1
7.9/10

“Dreadnought”
2
6
9.0/10