[Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Kristin Kane:] We tend to be all type As and like to be in control,
so this is also really realistic.
[TEXT: Kristin Kane, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Global Public Affairs] Hi, I’m Kristin Kane, a real-life diplomat,
who’s going to review the hit show The Diplomat.
[TEXT: A Real U.S. Diplomat Reviews] What did they get right? What did they get wrong?
[TEXT: The Diplomat] Let’s find out.
I’m currently in Washington, D.C.,
but my previous post was at an embassy in Western Europe
where I was the second-in-charge,
the deputy chief of mission, D-C-M.
[Ato Essandoh as Stuart Heyford, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy London:] Welcome to London, Ambassador Wyler.
I am Stuart Heyford, your deputy chief of mission.
[Kane:] And when the ambassador wasn’t there
I was in charge, known as the chargé d'affaires.
[Nana Mensah as Presidential Adviser Billie Appiah:] We don’t have anyone in London right now.
[Keri Russell as Kate Wyler, U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom:] Uh huh.
[Michael McKean as U.S. President William Rayburn:] It’s a bad time not to have anyone in London.
[Appiah:] The President is asking you to serve as ambassador to the United Kingdom.
[Kane:] So, this usually doesn’t happen.
We, as career officials, usually hear about any nominations
first from the State Department.
[Wyler:] Could we get them a message. Like a hidden-in-plain-sight thing?
You guys do that, right?
[Ali Ahn as Eidra Park, CIA chief of station:] Sure.
[Heyford:] Iran follows everything we say about trade.
Maybe we put a flag in a speech about trade.
[Kane:] Putting a message in a public speech
is definitely a tactic we use.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it backfires,
but speeches are incredibly important —
not just for the overt message
but for something that we’re trying to convey.
[Knocking]
[Heyford:] Hi, you know I work for you, right?
[Wyler:] Yeah.
[Heyford:] As does Ronnie.
[Wyler:] Thrilled.
[Heyford:] You were a DCM, but you’re not anymore.
So if you need to figure stuff out, I am a resource.
[Kane:] We tend to be all type As and like to be in control,
so this is also really realistic
about the ambassador trying to do everything.
[Heyford:] I think we are doing the part of the job that you like.
You’re great at it,
but it is a big job. So is mine.
You can’t handle both.
[Kane:] Well, the ambassador-DCM relationship is incredibly important,
and arguably the most important relationship in the embassy.
The DCM needs to serve as the alter ego for the ambassador.
Knowing everything from his or her personal style
like the DCM in this show, Stuart, does so well.
But then of course knowing how that ambassador wants to work
and wants to take forward policy issues.
[Music]
[Kane:] And so most of us do not live in residences quite this grandiose.
[Wyler:] Jesus Christ.
[Kane:] So, we don’t have a luxurious residence for the sake of luxury.
We have it because it symbolizes the relationship
we have with the host country.
[Pearl Mackie as Alysse, U.S. Embassy London Executive Assistant:] After your call with the president and the prime minister,
you’ll go to the foreign office
and present a copy of your credentials.
And at the end of the day we will have a rehearsal
for the official presentation of credentials.
[Wyler:] Why are we doing it twice?
[Heyford:] You can’t start work until you give [Kane:] This is actually very realistic.
[Heyford:] a copy of your credentials to the foreign office.
And then you’ll submit them officially at Buckingham Palace.
We try to do a dry run with all the gear.
[Wyler:] So you can photograph it.
[Kane:] There are two main, different parts
of presenting onesself to the host country.
First is presenting copies of the ambassador’s credentials
to the foreign ministry.
Their equivalent of the State Department.
And the second one is largely ceremonial
with the head of state.
So, there is a lot of pageantry in diplomacy.
[Heyford:] President Rayburn, on his way to his formerly scheduled two-day ...
[Kane:] So, anytime the President of the United States,
or any senior official from any agency comes,
it’s the U.S. Embassy that will support that visit.
And it’s a lot of work.
The entire embassy comes together to work on it.
Sometimes we actually bring people in from other embassies to help us.
[Heyford:] Most of his 800-person entourage will remain on the plane ...
[Kane:] 800 people coming with the U.S. President —
that is somewhat realistic. They come with very big support.
[Heyford:] So, Don, Christine, Joanne, Paul; we’re talking to Heathrow in half an hour ...
[Kane:] And it’s typical that the DCM is leading that meeting.
Getting the President or Secretary of State to visit
is a huge honor because
it will absolutely advance our relationship with that country.
There’s nothing quite like it.
[Heyford:] The President is wearing a charcoal suit
so you can’t wear charcoal.
Any of these grab you?
[Wyler:] Nope.
[Heyford:] Ma’am, I don’t love me in this conversation either ...
[Kane:] That, I have never seen.
[TEXT: Kristin Kane, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Global Public Affairs] The ambassador does not usually have somebody
deciding on his or her wardrobe.
We do, however, always have a protocol office,
and it is staffed by local experts,
and those are the people who will give very direct feedback.
But DCMs are way too busy
to be picking out wardrobes for our ambassadors.
[Wyler:] What we are really doing when we negotiate with them,
or anyone, is looking for one or two friends
we can call when the world is truly [expletive]!
[Kane:] That is absolutely a part of diplomacy —
is doing that negotiation, building those contacts,
knowing who you can count on when you need to.
This has been a blast.
I’m excited to talk about diplomacy —
the building of peace, relationships,
bringing people together,
and the crux of what we do as real-life diplomats.
We’re looking for the best and the brightest to join us.
So if you’re interested in a career in diplomacy,
go to careers.state.gov.
[TEXT: careers.state.gov U.S. Department of State Select Media © Netflix]