15/14
Britain allowed filming inside the foreign secretary’s office, an honor rarely bestowed on any film or cinematic production, especially an American one
Story
In the midst of an international crisis, Kate Wyler, a career diplomat, lands a high-profile job she is unprepared for, with tectonic implications for her marriage and political future. The producers convinced the American and British governments to allow them to use real-life settings as filming locations for the series, including the still-new American embassy (in Nine Elms) which opened in 2018.
Featured at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards (2024)
The only location that was not available was Winfield House, the actual residence of the American ambassador. Although accurately described as occupying the largest parcel of residential land (11 acres) in London other than Buckingham Palace, the producers used a country house outside the city for filming purposes.
Absolutely top-notch production and acting throughout
The writing is witty and interesting, engaging and well-paced. Character development is pretty solid and the actors aren’t just caricatures.
Professional situations that suddenly devolve into “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a guy” seemingly out of nowhere
Time and again, a character seems one-dimensional at first, but then the story develops and they’re actually much more complex than they first appear. My only complaint is that some of the injected “romance” storylines are so clumsy and out of place that they come off as disjointed and jarring.