Spoilers ahead!

It is remarkable how the characters in The Diplomat manage to turn practically any situation into an international crisis. After indirectly forcing the British prime minister’s resignation, Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) must rebuild relations between the United States and the United Kingdom, deal with the aftermath of Austin Dennison’s death, and, as if that were not enough, babysit the American president’s husband. Yes, the diplomat has now become Todd Penn’s (Bradley Whitford) babysitter. And considering everyone’s behavior, it may be the most challenging assignment of her career.

The fifth episode opens with Kate physically and emotionally exhausted. She barely eats, hardly sleeps, and continues blaming herself for Nicol Trowbridge’s (Rory Kinnear) departure. After all, it was her threat to release compromising footage involving Margaret Roylin that helped precipitate the prime minister’s resignation. Kate believed she was protecting American interests. But, as so often happens in this series, the solution to one problem has created several others.

The British succession makes the situation even more delicate. Two candidates are competing for the position: Thixton and Bethan Vaughn (Jodie Whittaker). Kate is hardly enthusiastic about either possibility, particularly given the prospect of a government less willing to tolerate American demands.

The tension becomes so overwhelming that, on her way to the official residence, she asks the driver to stop and rushes out to vomit by the roadside. Not exactly the image of a diplomat in control of the situation. But it demonstrates that her body is beginning to pay the price for so much conflict.

The news that Thixton has withdrawn from the race, following the discovery of his financial contributions to Russia, provides a brief moment of relief. Bethan Vaughn will be Britain’s new prime minister. Kate finally manages to eat something. But the respite is short-lived.

Todd Penn’s arrival in London adds a welcome layer of comedy to the episode. Grace Penn’s (Allison Janney) husband is trying to find a way to distance himself from the White House and, above all, from his wife. Since the assassination attempt, Grace has become even more authoritarian and impatient, treating Todd as an inconvenience rather than someone who also suffered through the possibility of losing her.

Bradley Whitford is excellent in these moments. Todd is hardly an innocent victim, but his need to reclaim some space and importance within his marriage is understandable. He approaches Kate looking for an official role, perhaps as a special envoy, and even considers staying in London.

Kate, naturally, hates the idea. She already has more than enough problems without adding a member of the presidential family to the embassy’s daily operations. But she cannot simply send him away, either.

Meanwhile, in Washington, Grace, Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), Billie Appiah, and Secretary of State Miguel Ganon discuss an initiative to restrict certain vessels. The president continues making decisions with a combination of supreme confidence and impatience that appears to be increasingly worrying her own advisers. Ganon attempts to present his arguments, but Grace shows little interest in listening.

It is curious to observe how Hal continues navigating this environment. The vice president knows Grace is difficult, but he also recognizes the opportunities that arise when he manages to earn her trust. His decisions are not always sensible, yet his ability to remain close to power is undiminished.

In London, Kate’s first meeting with Bethan Vaughn could hardly go worse. The new prime minister receives her but abruptly cuts the conversation short to take a supposed phone call. As soon as Kate leaves the room, we discover that the call never existed. Vaughn simply did not want to talk to her.

It is a small but significant gesture. After so many displays of American arrogance, the British finally seem determined to establish some distance.

The situation deteriorates when Kate discovers that Vaughn is removing officials with close ties to the United States. Robyn Palmer, now in an influential government position, shows little willingness to cooperate either. Kate begins to understand that American influence in London is no longer what it once was.

And Todd, who was supposed to be doing little more than attending social engagements, decides to interfere.

After witnessing Kate feeling unwell, he calls Grace and suggests that the ambassador might be pregnant. The information reaches Hal, who immediately contacts his wife. Kate is furious. Not only because of the speculation about her private life, but because Todd has also told the president about her disastrous meeting with Vaughn.

It is yet another situation in which the personal and the professional become hopelessly entangled. Todd wants to be useful, but he does not understand the limits of his involvement in diplomatic affairs. And Kate, who has never been particularly patient, must explain that she suffers from acid reflux and is not pregnant.

The most interesting revelation, however, comes from Grace. It was the president herself who encouraged Todd to consider spending some time in London, hoping Kate would take responsibility for entertaining him and keeping him away from the White House.

In other words, while Kate is trying to manage an international nuclear crisis, the president of the United States has decided to outsource her marital problems to her ambassador.

It is difficult to imagine a greater demonstration of disregard for Kate’s work.

But the new prime minister eventually offers an opportunity for dialogue. During an event, Kate manages to speak with Vaughn again and attempts to explain her involvement in Trowbridge’s downfall. The British leader seems to understand the circumstances, although that does not mean she is ready to trust the Americans.

Bethan also shares a crucial piece of information: the Russians have located the sunken submarine and requested permission to recover the bodies of the dead sailors.

The problem is obvious. If the Russians recover the submarine, they will discover that the Poseidon nuclear weapon is missing.

And Britain’s response is even more troubling for Washington. Vaughn has no intention of blocking the operation because she believes the United Kingdom will not be the primary target of any potential retaliation. After all, it was the Americans who secretly removed the weapon.

It is a significant reversal of power. For the first time, the British seem willing to let the United States face the consequences of its decisions alone.

Meanwhile, Stuart Hayford and Eidra Park continue trying to organize their life together. Their relationship seems to be moving forward, but discussions about where to live reveal that both still struggle to reconcile intimacy with independence. It is a considerably more recognizable conflict than the international crises dominating the rest of the series, although the two also manage to turn a domestic conversation into an impasse.

The episode ends with another act of carelessness. As Kate prepares her notes for a conversation with Grace about the submarine situation, Todd appears again and insists on being included. She refuses, but he argues that he will eventually hear everything from his wife anyway.

Exasperated, Kate once again responds to the speculation about a possible pregnancy and ends up saying far more than she should. As she inadvertently reveals confidential information, she fails to notice that Frances is close enough to overhear.

And so, once again, a state secret risks being compromised not through a sophisticated espionage operation, but because someone cannot control their temper.

The fifth episode also introduces an important shift in the series’ dynamics. With Trowbridge out of office and Dennison dead, Kate has lost her principal British interlocutors. Bethan Vaughn does not appear eager to immediately rebuild trust between the two countries. And Jodie Whittaker arrives with a character who promises to turn that resistance into a political position.

What makes this particularly interesting is that, this time, the British have very concrete reasons to distrust the Americans. Grace ordered a clandestine operation, Hal revealed a state secret, and Kate resorted to blackmail against a prime minister.

There is an obvious irony in watching a series called The Diplomat in which its protagonist seems increasingly reluctant to use diplomacy. Kate remains intelligent, experienced, and capable of understanding the consequences of political decisions. But she has also become impulsive, frequently reactive, and unable to recognize when her own actions contribute to the chaos she is trying to resolve.

And when even Todd Penn manages to complicate international affairs, perhaps it is time to acknowledge that the problem does not lie solely with America’s adversaries.

It also lies in the way its representatives exercise power.