It’s been 18 months since made its splashy debut on , but the -led political drama doesn’t miss a beat in its sophomore outing. The Season 2 premiere picks up just moments after the explosive cliffhanger that saw a car bomb put four people in jeopardy. Depending on how much you remember about the show’s thorny web of UK-based international intrigue, that “lets jump right back in!” quality may or may not be a good thing.
For future binge watchers, however, the show’s seamless continuity is the ultimate diplomatic gift. For those who need a refresher, the first season follows Russell’s brazenly smart, endearingly slouchy American ambassador Kate Wyler as she’s reassigned from serious long-term work in Afghanistan to a high-profile gig in the UK. In between managing her egotistical ex-ambassador husband Hal (Rufus Sewell), befriending her idealistic second-in-command Stuart Hayford (Ato Essandoh), flirting with the handsome UK foreign secretary (David Gyasi), and considering an offer to step in as the next vice president of the United States, Kate’s main mission was to figure out who bombed a British aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf.
After ruling out Iran and Russia, Kate eventually came to the shocking realization that the attack might have been a false-flag operation carried out by the UK’s trigger-happy prime minister, Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear)—an idea she barely had time to process before learning that Hal and Stuart were caught up in the car .
