Craig Elsten is joined by one of the patrons from the Padres Hot Tub discord, Oliver the Baseball Nihilist, to discuss a series near and dear to both of their hearts, The Diplomat on Netflix. In the non-spoiler zone of the show, the hosts discuss why they like The Diplomat and what makes it such a compelling watch. In the spoiler zone, the guys go all the way in on the big moments of the third season, the wild plot twists in the finale, and what it means for a season four. SHOW NOTES/TIMES:30 Intro, welcome Oliver, housekeepingNON-SPOILER ZONE3:30 why do we like The Diplomat generally?8:00 Keri Russell keeps bringing you back9:45 the show reflects a different era of politics12:30 Would The Diplomat be better served by a weekly release instead of binge schedule?16:15 a very strong bench of supporting charactersSPOILER ZONE18:55 amazing political drama in season three, but the romance wasn’t as strong22:30 episode six, our favorite of the season25:30 did The Diplomat try to cram too much plot into season three?30:00 the big season finale twist between Kate and Hal, was it earned?35:00 Rufus Sewell had an amazing season44:00 in praise of Rory Kinnear as Trowbridge47:45 do we buy all of Kate’s decisions this season?52:30 how can The Diplomat keep Kate in London for a fourth season?56:30 What We’re WatchingIf you enjoy the podcast, please leave us a five-star rating on your podcast platform of choice! Feel free to email us with your thoughts on The Diplomat at: crossingstreamstvpodcast@gmail.com