The Diplomat (2023) s01e04 Episode Script

"Hellfire on Tehran" got
Nicol Trowbridge the bump of a lifetime.
If he's standing next to the president,
he's gonna say it again.
We'll send a carrier group to the Gulf,
give them a ride to Bahrain.
His ship is sinking.
How do you not tell me
the ship is sinking?
Because it isn't.
If the house is on fire, you tell me.
The house is on fire!
The prime minister is setting the stage
for an attack
on American hardware and American troops.
When Hal and I first spoke,
it sounded ridiculous,
but a month later, it seems brilliant.
- She called you a month ago.
- It's the vice presidency.
- You want me to think about it?
- Yeah, I do.
When you said, "We're done,"
- did you think we were done?
- No.
You think they'll swarm the Fifth Fleet?
I think they're gonna load an RPG
onto a fishing trawler
and see what they can hit.
- How are we doing?
- No ships.
You're doing great.
Just knock off that "I resign" shit.
It really pisses me off.
I don't have that kind of time.
- Morning.
- Good to see you, sir.
- She's still upstairs.
- Ah.
Thank you.
- Good morning.
- Morning.
Help yourself.
You're chipper.
For a guy with a shiner
he got from his wife?
Wasn't gonna mention it.
Good man.
So how's it you know?
- Going?
- Yeah.
With Kate?
Don't look so scared.
We walk a bumpy road.
Hi there.
Morning.
Still didn't break?
Not in the papers.
Like waiting for an elephant
to drop on your head.
Good morning.
Hello.
Hello.
The station in Tel Aviv got a tip
that the British government is talking
about pulling nonessential personnel
out of their embassy in Tehran
and issuing an advisory
to British nationals.
To leave the country?
Yes.
- Iran didn't do it.
- They didn't.
So why is the British government
doing the things you do
before you go to war with a country?
Maybe it's just a good way for Trowbridge
to keep the Iran scare alive.
What the fuck? Somebody else did it.
Doesn't he wanna know who?
Iran is a good target.
Gets people in a lather.
Is he worried he'll find out it's Canada?
Nobody will be upset
because everybody loves Canada?
See the gala on your schedule tonight?
It's a good place to ask the Brits
about the embassy in Tehran.
Give people a chance
to let you know it's on the table.
- Not what we should be focused on.
- Ma'am.
We are talking
to every intelligence service on the map.
We'll figure out who did it.
We're not.
We're not talking to Iranian intelligence.
- No.
- Best in the region.
- Only people we aren't asking.
- We'd reach out to Shahin again,
but someone said it would undermine
the fragile web of relationships
built over decades by the Foreign Service.
Could we get them a message,
like a hidden-in-plain-sight thing?
- You do that, right?
- Sure.
Iran follows everything
we say about trade.
Maybe we put a flag
in a speech about trade.
Yeah. Or is this a bad idea?
No. It's a good idea. Ma'am.
Mm-hm?
You said someone
at Whitehall was confiding in you.
Can you make a phone call?
About whether they're planning
to evacuate people from Iran?
Tel Aviv got it from a reliable source,
but until it's confirmed,
I don't wanna get Washington all spun up.
- No.
- Okay.
It'll spook him. He's a brand-new source.
You know, he's not a source.
I got it. You said no.
Bye.
Okay, so how about this?
"It's time to resume arms trade
with Turkey
because resolving our differences
and pooling our resources
is the right choice
- both for Turkey and its allies."
- Iran's not our ally, but Turkey's ally.
Nobody's gonna get it
but Turkey and Iran, but they will.
Don't do "pooling resources."
Do "frank and targeted exchange of views,"
with "Turkey and its allies."
In the nuclear talks,
"frank and targeted exchange of views"
is what Iran always said
when they were ready to cut to the chase.
It meant, "Let's meet out back
by the dumpsters and really talk."
Okay, that's better.
See if you can find a place to plant it.
Did you really meet by the dumpsters?
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
You know, I talked to Billie today.
She said you were thinking about it.
- The vice presidency?
- Yeah.
Now I'm thinking about it.
And?
I said no.
Which didn't seem to land.
Yeah, they're enthusiastic.
Tell them I'm getting divorced.
What if this is?
You know, relationships are hard.
For fuck's sake.
Thanks.
I'm fine.
- Because of the shoes.
- Understood.
Excuse me.
You have the rich history
of this institution
I'm all for domestic manufacturing
and reducing our dependence on China,
but if your government and my government
are simply introducing this initiative
to make it look like
they've jumped into action,
five years from now
I'm gonna have a half-built plaza.
- Some semi-built
- AD Tyler.
I'm sorry.
Forgive me, I have to steal her.
- Sorry.
- Sorry.
- The comment about Turkey went out.
- Turkey, the nation.
- Ah. Where?
- Aspen Security Forum.
"A frank and targeted exchange of views
is the right choice
for both Turkey and its allies."
- Anyone pick it up?
- It's been five minutes.
How long do you think it'll take?
We talking a week?
- Walk with me.
- What? What?
- We're gonna dance.
- Oh. No.
Hey. You're gonna kick me out in a week.
Let's put on a good show.
Oh, my God.
When you do that,
people can see your face.
Is this Stuart's idea?
No.
He thinks he's a marriage counselor.
- Who, Stuart?
- Yeah.
That's adorable.
It isn't.
Gorgeous.
Okay.
Thank you so much
to the November Greens.
That was just delightful.
- Ladies and gentlemen
- Ma'am.
- it is our great honor
- Thank you.
to welcome Prime Minister
Nicol Trowbridge.
Thank you. Thank you. Much appreciated.
Ah, so I'd hoped to come here
and raise a glass to the
British-American Business Alliance's
50 years of vibrant friendship.
Sadly I have something else to share.
I've just learned
that President Rayburn
of the United States
who had pledged his support
in a rather complex mission
rescuing our men and women at sea
saw fit to revoke that promise.
Mm. Smarts, doesn't it?
So I must take my leave.
The more appealing
and considerably more wise
Mr. Pelham-Voight
will speak on my behalf, and
I will turn my attention
to our sons and our daughters
- and bringing them home.
- Yeah.
Hear, hear.
With fire for fire,
we shall defend our island home.
And if our friends turn tail
we shall do it alone.
Well, now we know why he invited you.
- Good morning, Mr. Hayford.
- Good morning.
- How are you today, sir?
- Just great. Thanks.
Morning.
- Hey there. Hungry?
- Ah. Not gonna turn down some coffee.
The cartoons are all variations on the
theme of Rayburn as rat off sinking ship.
He's doing a jaunty little dive
in one of them.
Makes him look spry.
- Don't let me stop you.
- Oh. It's It's not for me.
- Hi.
- Good morning.
How bad is it?
The president expects
Trowbridge to apologize.
Trowbridge expects
the president to apologize.
I hear they're calling Rayburn
President Ratburn.
Anyone mention the fact
that Trowbridge knew we weren't
sending ships for close to, what?
- 48 hours.
- The whole weekend?
Before he announced it
like it was breaking news?
Press isn't on to it.
He got one tear in the corner of one eye.
Did you see that?
- He's a pro.
- Leak it.
To the press?
That's a dick move.
- You think we should?
- Let's see how today goes.
Rayburn can't apologize.
He didn't lie, he just reversed course.
We're gonna get you on the phone
with the NSC
and the British ambassador in Washington,
- figure out some mutual climbdown.
- Okay.
Any response from Iran?
To our secret message?
Maybe it was too hidden.
Not enough in plain sight.
Well it could take some time.
I don't wanna talk
about the vice presidency.
That's fine.
Is Mr. Wyler the reason?
Would you consider it
if your marriage wasn't?
A dead horse?
If it wasn't the issue.
It is the issue.
People have arrangements.
Like what?
Whatever
works.
I I just
I don't see how it would, I mean
how would it work?
Separate bedrooms.
Separate lives.
It's a professional partnership.
Sex or no sex?
Um
Well, whatever you want.
You get to make the rules.
Like, just oral?
Ma'am, are you messing with me?
I was gonna ask for a drawing.
Sorry.
Ah, none of my business.
He wants to be president. Hal.
He's not gonna be.
- He's okay with vice president.
- He is not gonna be that either.
You think?
You think I'm vice president
and he just starts a quiet initiative
to help blind children learn ballet?
He'll have a job.
He'll have whatever job
you want him to have and not an inch more.
If it's kids and ballet, fine, if it's
Special envoy to Ukraine.
That's what he'll pick.
He shouldn't be the impediment.
- Mm-hm.
- It's not right.
He seems motivated to make this work.
But he's a smart guy, he knows
that he can't pull the stuff he did here
On my first day?
And then on my second day?
And then on the second half
of my second day?
I didn't know.
With a certain amount of preparation,
I'm sure he can be contained.
I don't think
you've been paying attention.
- What's her name, my person?
- Alysse.
Does she read my e-mail?
Up to you. She did for Ambassador Vayle,
screened out the chaff.
That's happening.
But I didn't ask for that to happen.
I'll talk to her. Can we get?
I don't like other people
deciding what I read.
Her e-mail.
Of course. I'm so sorry, ma'am.
- I wanna see what you screened out.
- Yes. I didn't, though.
- You didn't?
- No.
- I've seen all my e-mail?
- Yes.
- You said, "I'm so sorry."
- I am sorry.
- But you didn't do it.
- I'm still sorry.
- Don't apologize if it's not your fault.
- Yes. I'm sorry.
- For what?
- Okay.
The foreign secretary
summoned the Iranian ambassador
for what I assume
is a face-to-face spanking.
Dennison did?
The Iranian defense minister
is ranting about it on Twitter.
Whoa.
The foreign office copied us,
and I wanna see it.
Uh, yep.
This generation of women
apologize for everything.
Gloria Steinem
must be rolling in her grave.
She's very much alive.
Gloria Steinem.
They didn't copy us.
I thought we agreed to work together.
Yes, we did.
You made a pretty big show
of bringing me into your confidence
and asking asking for my help.
- I did.
- Where I come from,
summoning an ambassador
is a public rebuke.
It sends a message.
In Kabul, it's what we sent
before we sent tanks.
Oh, here as well.
Where I come from, one copies
one's allies on giant diplomatic steps
I'm afraid I'm losing the thread.
Why the fuck wouldn't you tell me
you were summoning the Iranian ambassador?
I didn't.
So who did?
Let me speak in terms
that I know you'll understand.
I have no fucking idea
what you are talking about.
- Is there anything I can help you?
- No.
The Turkey comment.
They got it.
They got it.
Which way is the CIA?
They got the hint, in the Turkey speech.
They're asking for cover.
They want the Brits to demand
they come in for a meeting.
If it's real, it's clever as fuck.
It's real.
Worst-case scenario, it's not real,
the foreign secretary has a meeting
with the Iranian ambassador,
- says we need to calm down.
- And you.
The foreign secretary and you.
I don't
No. It's weird.
- Who cares?
- He'll care. The foreign secretary.
I can't ask
No.
Holy shit. It's him.
- What?
- Am I wrong?
- What?
- I'm not wrong. He's your special friend.
Oh, my God, I am not wrong.
It does neither of us any good
for you to know who my special friend is.
That may be the case,
but it's Austin Dennison.
- Jesus Christ.
- It absolutely does us good.
First off
congratulations on gaining the confidence
of the foreign fucking secretary.
- Do not ruin this. Do not be a ruiner.
- Why would I be a ruiner?
This is what you guys do, you want
everyone's source to be your source.
- Which guys, CIA?
- Yes.
You came up with a plan
with the Deputy Chief of Mission.
We deployed a coded message.
It elicited a response.
A highly placed counterpart who asked
for your help in curbing a reckless leader
is in a position to receive
what could be game-changing intelligence.
You think it's the wrong time
to make an approach?
How important is
the Healy meeting at 2:00?
- Moderately.
- Let's kill it.
Ma'am?
Ma'am.
- Two o'clock works.
- Great.
- Two doesn't work.
- Why?
Because it doesn't.
What if we go right now?
What is going on?
Iran responded
to the thing about Turkey the nation.
Nobody summoned them.
Holy Wow.
So now Dennison needs to summon the guy.
And she thinks I should be in the room.
- Because I'm a ruiner.
- Yes.
We need to see what they're bringing in.
The Brits are planning
an evacuation of Tehran,
and not telling us about it.
We can't count on them
to share what they learn.
- Can we take her for half an hour?
- Who's "we"?
Dennison's got a 2:00
just off the Durbar Court.
I can bump into him.
I'll have one of my guys
run her over there.
It's not a conversation
she should have on the phone.
- If it's now, I should pee.
- Pee.
I didn't have to pee,
and then she said that, now I have to pee.
Gosh, guys, I have to take a shit,
should I come along?
How's she doing?
She's good.
Seems calm.
She's fake talking on the phone.
That or real talking on the phone.
- She got her eye on you?
- Yup.
Yes. Absolutely.
If we could organize some sort of tea,
or even a lunch, with the dairy farmers,
and the milkmaids, Bessie the Cow,
and then at the end, I can kill myself.
I'm gonna call you back.
Shit.
Fuck.
Ambassador?
Oh. I made such a mess.
Look at that.
- What?
- Very natural.
You need to officially summon
the Iranian ambassador.
They have intel for us.
- Us?
- You and I should both be there.
Absolutely not.
No one but the Iranian ambassador
will know I'm in the room.
There's a back stairwell.
They'll get me in.
"They"? Who, the CIA?
When you asked for help,
you did realize that I would then help?
I didn't envisage
a foreign intelligence service
running an operation from behind my desk.
No one but me will be in the room.
If you're choosing to trust me,
this is one of those moments.
Nice to see you, secretary.
I think you're in business.
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
Hey.
- Did she call you?
- No.
This is prep for the Dennison thing.
We talked about it yesterday.
- What kind of prep?
- I brought her a camera.
Small.
She's not CIA.
I know that.
This is starting to look
like an intelligence op.
If I could send someone else, I would.
I'd send me.
What if she blows it?
Or someone finds her?
She has diplomatic cover
to be in the room.
For an official reprimand
from the British foreign secretary
to the ambassador of another nation?
Not really.
- Good morning.
- Morning, ma'am.
This is ridiculous.
My suits are gone.
Replaced with things like this.
You'll be photographed a lot.
The stylist thought
you might enjoy some variety.
It's like a shelf here.
No.
It makes me look like
the woman from the village
who comes in to breastfeed
when the mother dies in childbirth.
Morning, sir.
- Huh. I'll come back.
- It's fine.
No. You're having an intelligence
briefing. This is all I need.
- Hal?
- Yeah.
See?
Here we go again.
I can tell you if you look like
the woman from the village.
Now that I know what I'm looking for.
If we had that relationship, I'd tell you.
Okay. Thanks.
And I can share my muffin with you,
so you can eat in the morning
even though you don't eat in the morning.
Mr. Wyler is not the only one
who has your back.
I just think that you and he and Billie
are all linking your marriage
and the vice presidency,
and I think it's a false narrative.
The whole point is
you don't have to survive an election.
Even if you did,
the American people have heard of divorce,
they'll get over it.
If Billie wants to talk to me,
she should call.
You're a grown-up Foreign Service officer
and you're spending a lot of time
on my marriage and my clothes.
Because I'm good at it.
I didn't join the Foreign Service
to see the world,
I joined to get out of Washington.
I used to run campaigns. With Billie.
When you actually win the presidency
and watch the courts take it away
Oh.
Yeah. Yeah, Billie's tough, she
She got right back on the horse.
But I couldn't take another round.
- Yeah, it sucks.
- Yeah.
But if I had the chance
to get someone good in the door,
no dog whistles, no recounts, I
Mr. Wyler shouldn't be the reason.
If you wanna get divorced, get divorced.
Stuart, you're a very good person.
I'm not.
The leader of the free world heard
what you had to say and reversed strategy.
- The guy wants to know what you think.
- He wants to know what Hal thinks.
That's bullshit.
Excuse me, ma'am, but that's bullshit.
He does not wanna know what Hal thinks.
Of course he does. As he should.
Hal's one of the great
foreign policy minds of our generation.
- We're a crackerjack package.
- Ma'am, Jesus.
No, I'm part of it, I get that,
I bring a lot to the table.
My self-esteem
isn't that far in the toilet.
Billie told me about this
before you got here.
About you.
Not Hal Wyler.
And it sounded delusional.
And then I met you
and it sounded, frankly, more delusional.
But now I'm getting the idea.
And I've heard
why Billie wants to do this.
Does she know me and Hal are splitting up?
- You tell her?
- No.
Tell her.
You'll see.
Rayburn, Billie
they don't want me without Hal.
Ambassador Wyler
from the United States,
and Mr. Stuart Hayford,
Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy London,
for the UNGNA event.
There's a door at the far side
of the hall, past the bathrooms.
- It'll get you to the back stairs.
- Thanks. You're all set.
I'm just gonna run to the ladies' room.
You'll be here after the thing?
Yes, ma'am.
- See you in there. Yeah.
- Yup.
Office of the Foreign Secretary.
How can I help you?
Secretary Dennison is not available,
but he was eager to speak with you.
- He'll be here soon.
- Okay.
Perhaps wait in that room.
And what, jump out?
All right, you can wait by that chair,
then you'll be out of eyeshot
when I open the door to receive him. Okay.
You always have cookies?
Is that a problem?
For a reprimand?
- It's hardly a reprimand, is it?
- It should look like one.
The tell isn't the biscuits,
it's the American ambassador
lurking in the corner.
- How's she doing?
- Launched.
Beyond that, I don't know.
You're staying there, right?
Yeah. Of course.
- Please don't get pissy.
- I'm not.
You're playing cops and robbers
with the ambassador,
you should ask me first.
I apologize.
You don't.
I do. It was shitty. I feel bad.
Don't go to Cairo.
What?
Is that less pissy?
What does that even mean?
It means I don't want you to leave.
I think you shouldn't.
And I think you have a work-crush
on the ambassador
and you see why this might be
its own kind of opportunity,
like I said before but didn't believe,
but now I kind of do.
And I think you should stay.
Also for me.
Hello?
- Ready?
- Yup.
Ambassador Hajjar.
Very good to finally meet you,
however difficult the circumstances.
Secretary Dennison, it is an honor.
And this is the ambassador's deputy,
Mr. Farid Namazi.
Thank you for taking the time to be here.
If you wouldn't mind, may I speak with
the ambassador alone for a few moments?
It's fine. Read a magazine.
- Please.
- Thank you.
Ambassador Hajjar, this is
I know who it is.
This was extremely bad judgment.
No one knows the ambassador's here.
Not even my staff.
Please, have a seat.
My government
would never have agreed to this.
I recommend you don't tell them.
Ambassador Wyler is the reason
that you've not seen a retaliatory strike.
The Americans, in this case,
have advised only caution.
You have matches?
Book of matches.
I've been instructed to give you a name.
An individual who appears to have directed
the planning of the attack.
And provided the funding.
You recognize this person?
As in, uh
Yes.
To cast suspicion
on anyone from this country.
We understand.
You do not.
The danger is
It's considerable.
We are their allies.
You sure about that?
Sanctions and sanctions,
you have crippled our economy.
- They're an important trading partner.
- They are a lifeline.
They framed you
for an attack on the United Kingdom.
Our problem. Not yours.
May I ask how you got this information?
We give you a hand. You take an arm.
I apologize.
I know
you've taken a huge risk personally.
I'm not concerned for myself.
- My country
- Of course.
Do you need something to drink? Water?
- Tea?
- Tea.
Why don't we have a seat?
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
If you think Russians did not send someone
to observe my entrance
No one will know that this came from you.
No one will know?
Telling one person is a secret.
Two is publication.
We believe that
your country was framed for this act.
So you should not pay for the aggression
Ambassador, are you okay?
Call a doctor.
Ambassador.
We have an emergency.
This is the foreign secretary.
- He's blacking out.
- Someone's collapsed in my office.
- He's struggling to breathe.
- Call his guy.
- Tell him something is very wrong.
- I can't bring him in.
- You can't be here. Go before he comes in.
- Okay.
Through the back, quickly.
Mr. Namazi, the ambassador has collapsed.
The medical team are on their way.
He's struggling to breathe and
He's right in here.
Yes, right in there,
with the foreign secretary.
Is everything all right?
It is not, ma'am,
if you would please give us a moment.
Yeah.
Yes, they've just arrived.
I've I've no idea if he's on medication.
- Sir? Sir, can you hear me?
- Medics are here.
- AED please.
- Beginning compressions.
I was in the
The building and I saw them rush by.
Sir, open your eyes, please.
If you can hear me,
please, can you open your eyes?
Mr. Namazi.
We're gonna have you step back.
Mr. Namazi. Please.
Clear.
Charging again.
- If we can get Mr. Namazi some water.
- Of course.
Clear. Resume compressions.
Forty Tenecteplase.
Fifty Amiodarone.
I need you to listen to me very carefully.
He's not alive.
He is already dead.
They need to keep working on him.
He can't have died here.
They need to declare him dead
at the hospital.
We're gonna trolley him out.
Put the oxygen on him.
We can get him to St. Thomas'.
Radio their resusc, flag trauma as well.
Step aside, please, thank you.
- Do we have a lift waiting?
- Yes, sir.
The ambulance is at the south entrance.
Give us some room. Pardon me.
- Embassy here. Embassy in Tehran.
- The PM.
I'll see if we can get a number
for Hajjar's wife.
- Nothing about Russia.
- No. That can't come from us.
The intelligence side needs to
feed it into the ether some other way.
- Remember, he's ill. He's not dead.
- Yeah. En route to the hospital.
Is he there? I need him right away.
This is Ambassador Katherine Wyler
for the secretary, it's an emergency,
if you could connect me to Pauline please.
Operations to protect China's
What the fuck?
Howard, get me Tom Libby at MI6.
Don't be shy, pal.
Did you call Ganon?
Should I call Ganon?
If you want to.
I don't want.
Fucking hell.
Thanks.
How is it possible
that they've not declared him dead yet?
- Longer the better.
- Is it?
Looks less like you poisoned him.
You think they'll say
that I poisoned him? Yeah.
- You didn't, did you?
- Fuck you.
Did you?
Not my style.
Christ.
Fucking Russians.
Yeah, it's bad.
Very bad.
What the fuck
are they doing shooting at my ships?
I mean, what the fuck?
I'm sorry.
- I'm very sorry.
- What exactly is that?
Well, you keep saying "fuck,"
for one thing, which is
delightful, coming from you, and
it's the fucking Russians.
The United Kingdom got attacked by Russia.
Why is that funny?
You think it's just my country that
is saddled with this nuclear turd pile?
It's It's yours as well.
- I know. It's really bad.
- Stop laughing then.
That's what I'm trying to do,
what do you think is happening?
- Pour me another for God's sake.
- You think that'll help?
We should have lined your stomach
before we started filling it with alcohol.
Um
Have a biscuit.
They look awful.
They're very tasty.
They look dry.
They're supposed to be dipped.
In poisoned tea.
- It's not funny.
- It's not.
- It's not funny. It really isn't. Oh.
- That's not funny. Oh.
- Oh. Oh, my goodness.
- It's fine.
- It's okay.
- No, I'm so sorry.
No, this might be the best day of my life,
watching you spill something.
- I'm a bloody idiot is what I am.
- It's fine. It's fine.
- No, we can get that
- Let it air dry.
- Yeah, we can get Louisa to
- Yeah.
I bought a hat.
Mitzka?
Oh, my goodness. It's been forever.
I just got back from Romania.
Iran did not attack the carrier.
It was Russia. It was Lenkov's guys.
It can't come from us.
It can't come from the Brits.
Your hair looks beautiful,
did you do something different?
You say this every time I see you,
and it's always exactly the same.