As Episode 4 of The Diplomat season 3 unfurls, Kate's return to London coincides with the viral explosion of her iconic double-hug with Hal, turning into a viral meme. The White House, overjoyed by this development, sees an opportunity to capitalize on her newfound prominence, and Kate begins to savor the perks of being Second Lady. Her ambition spurs a plan to leverage this position, intertwining it with her Ambassadorial duties.
Kate envisions securing meetings as the Second Lady, then effortlessly transitioning into Ambassador mode, leveraging her connections to broker deals and forge partnerships. However, Eidra's unexpected arrival dampens the atmosphere, setting the stage for a frosty reunion. Kate's misstep in trying to mend fences with Eidra is a missed opportunity that no amount of gestures or redefined career paths can rectify.
Outside in the open, Eidra lays it all out plainly to Kate – she's made a significant blunder. After brushing off the director of the CIA last episode, who went out of her way to speak and resolve matters, Diane is furious and won't give Kate a second chance. Kate is now left to navigate this predicament alone, with Trowbridge, the relentless press follower, clinging to her side like a shadow, turning every meeting into a photo opportunity and using her as a conduit to reach Hal.
This whirlwind of events forces Kate to skip her scheduled meeting with Dennison to attend to the Prime Minister. However, Dennison speaks candidly with Eidra about Trowbridge's desire to see Eidra dismissed, yet Dennison's reluctance to let her job be in jeopardy over this matter. They're as lost as Eidra is in figuring out how to navigate this delicate situation.
Kate's initial exhilaration and enthusiasm for her dual role encountered a sudden obstacle when she realized she had become a mere conduit for Hal. Everyone seemed to want to speak to him, not her, while Kate's desire to balance both roles was starting to crumble under the weight. Eidra also spoke to Kate about this, echoing the sentiment that the only way she could do both jobs right now was to do them both poorly.
At a pre-arranged cocktail party that Kate was forced to attend, things took a turn for the worse. In exchange for helping Eidra, Kate was forced to lie about the ongoing drilling issue in the North Sea, specifically that Hal was in agreement with Trowbridge and would support him. This forced her to backpedal, hurrying to the restroom to call him and send out their danger code-word "Arden." Hal walked out on the Chinese foreign minister to answer the phone, realizing what this was all about.
Kate urged him to be complicit in what she had promised with Trowbridge, but it also threw Hal right into the firing line. He was actually quite irate, and things didn't go well when the conversation ended in a fiery exchange.
With Trowbridge still attached to her like a shadow, Kate called on Dennison to help her escape without catching the PM's attention. Alone, Kate admitted that she and Hal were actually separated and that their relationship was completely over. She would show up for photo ops and put on a persona, but that was about it. Dennison promised to keep this a secret, and Kate actually made a move on him, propositioning the guy given her relationship was over. It didn't take long for the pair to start kissing, but before things could escalate, the phone rang again - what rotten timing!
Back home, Kate struggled to get through to Hal, who ignored her call when she rang. With no one else at home, she had the security detail unzip her dress as the camera panned out, and she realized the true extent of how lonely she actually was right now.
