What happened to Ronnie in The Diplomat?

Season 2 of The Diplomat is finally here, as Ambassador Kate Wyler searches for the truth behind the HMS Courageous attack and season 1’s shocking cliffhanger – and if you can’t remember what happened to Ronnie, we’ve got the solution for you.

The Diplomat was an unexpected hit on Netflix in 2023. The first season followed Kate, the US ambassador to the United Kingdom, as she adjusted to her new role, forged important alliances, defused an international crisis or battled outspoken husband. – who held her position before her.

It had a breathtaking ending: Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge was (apparently) the mastermind behind the British warship attack, and a car bomb explosion almost left her a widow.

There are a lot of moving parts and new faces (like Allison Janney’s US Vice President) in the binge-worthy series, so don’t blame yourself if you forget exactly what happened last time.

Who is Ronnie in The Diplomat?

Ronnie Buckhurst (Jess Chanliau) worked as a Foreign Service officer under Stuart Hayford, the British Embassy’s Head of Mission, and Kate in season 1.

Netflix

They were basically an office clerk who helped Kate and Stuart with all the diplomatic issues, but in the finale they became collateral damage.

What happened to Ronnie?

Ronnie was killed by the car bomb explosion that targeted Merritt Grove, a Tory MP, in the final minutes of season 1.

Netflix

It all happened so quickly. Grove approached Kate’s husband Hal for an urgent meeting, leaving Kate furious; he clearly resented Kate’s rise to power, and the meeting with Grove suggested that he might pursue a position as Secretary of State.

She forbade Hal to meet Grove and sent Stuart and Ronnie instead. When they showed up, Grove was furious and stormed to his car, with Stuart and Hal running after him. When he opened the door, his car exploded, killing Grove instantly.

Stuart and Hal somehow survived, but Ronnie was seriously injured by the impact of the explosion. In the first episode of season 2, surgeons desperately try to save Ronnie, but after more than ten hours of surgery they die, leaving Kate and Stuart devastated.

Netflix

Speaking to TV Line, series creator Debora Cahn revealed that Ronnie’s death was the plan “from the beginning… (death is) something that people in this field go through. Colleagues won’t make it. It’s dangerous work.

“I wanted Kate and Hal’s backstory to be about a decision Hal made (in the past) that put him in a risky situation where he didn’t get hurt, but the young people who worked for him did.

“That was the first schism in the relationship. And then we’d see that play out again with Kate in the Hal position (when Ronnie died), and watch how that crashed with their marriage and her view of him and her view of herself. That’s what (Ronnie’s death) was meant for.”

The Diplomat Seasons 1-2 are now on Netflix. In the meantime, check out other TV shows streaming this month and find out what happens with Squid Game Season 2, Wednesday Season 2, and Stranger Things Season 5.